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Nationwide Pet Insurance Review

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Nationwide is a Fortune 100 company with unparalleled financial stability and claims-paying ability that has recently ventured into the pet insurance marketplace.

The company stands out because they offer expanded coverage beyond just cats and dogs, as well as wellness plans that cover things like checkups and vaccinations.
 
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How is Nationwide rated?

Breakdown

5.0/5
Coverage
3.0/5
Cost
4.0/5
Extras

Overall Rating: 4.3 / 5 (Excellent)

Nationwide's Whole Pet with Wellness Plan is one of the most comprehensive on the market, and it will, as a result, cost you more than most standard pet insurance plans.

Nationwide is one of the few pet insurance providers that will extend coverage beyond dogs and cats, covering birds and all manner of other pets.

Truly unlimited coverage, however, is only offered if you choose the top tier plan.

Be aware that all plans besides Whole Pet with Wellness operate on a benefit schedule.

Nationwide Coverage

Coverage - 5 / 5

Nationwide's Whole Pet with Wellness plan is a great option for a complete pet insurance plan.

In addition to the normal accident and illness coverage, it also provides for yearly physical exams, vaccinations, and flea/heartworm prevention. It is, however, on the pricey side as a result. Its Major Medical plan is more in line cost and coverage-wise with the standard accident and illness plans offered by most companies.

You can also purchase the wellness plan on it's own, and it is relatively inexpensive. Finally, Nationwide recently released a more inexpensive Whole Pet plan without the wellness component.

This plan has many of the same characteristics of Whole Pet with Wellness, operates on a percentage reimbursement basis, but is subject to different annual caps.

It is interesting to note that Nationwide is the only company we are aware of that extends pet insurance beyond cats and dogs.

The company will cover most birds and a wide range of exotic pets.
Pets Covered
Dogs
Cats
Birds
Exotic Animals
Coverage Types
Medical
Wellness
Vet Selection
Unrestricted
Out-of-State Coverage
Yes
Commercial Pets Covered

Medical Conditions Covered

  • Accidental
  • Illness
  • Hereditary
  • Congenital
  • Cancer
  • Chronic
  • Accidental Dental
  • Dental Illness

Medical Treatments Covered

  • Diagnostic Testing
  • Surgery
  • Hospitalization
  • Prescription Medications
  • Emergency Care
  • Specialty Care
  • Alternative Care
  • Behavioral Therapy

Benefit Limits

Benefit Limits - 5 / 5

Both Nationwide models -- Whole Pet with 90% reimbursement, and all other plans with a benefit schedule -- offer unlimited annual maximums. The new Whole Pet plan without wellness, though, is subject to a $10,000 annual cap.

Additionally, you must remember that any plan but the Whole Pets are going to limit you by condition or procedure.

So even though technically there is no limit to the dollar amount they will spend on your pet in a year in total, there are limits on a condition and service basis with the lower two plans.
Benefit Limit Types
Unlimited

Reimbursement & Deductibles

Reimbursement - 5 / 5

Nationwide's top tier Whole Pet with Wellness, as well as the new Whole Pet (alone) plan, both reimburse 90% of the total vet bill.

However, Major Medical and Pet Wellness reimburse according to a benefits schedule.

These schedules cap payouts by condition or service. If you are going with one of these plans we suggest you scrutinize your policy carefully before purchase, as your pet's breed may be susceptible to certain conditions with low coverage limits in the plan.

Benefits schedules, and no choice in customizing the reimbursement percentage in the top tier plan, limit the flexibility of Nationwide's offerings.
Reimbursement Model
Actual Cost
Benefit Schedule
Minimum Percent Reimbursement
90%
Maximum Percent Reimbursement
90%

Deductibles - 5 / 5

Nationwide Whole Pet with Wellness offers one annual deductible of $100.

This is in some ways good because it is so low. But you will not have the flexibility of choosing higher deductibles should you want a lower monthly premium or should it somehow fit your needs in other ways.

Most of our top companies offer customizable deductibles.

The new Whole Pet without the wellness component, as well as the Major Medical plan, both have annual deductibles set at $250.
Deductible Type
Annual
Minimum Deductible Offered
$100
Maximum Deductible Offered
$250

Pricing: How much does Nationwide cost?

Cost - 3 / 5

Nationwide's plans are comprehensive, but you are going to pay the price. Their monthly premiums are a little on the high end as opposed to our other companies.

Starting Monthly Premiums

Dog: Sample Monthly Premium, 1 year old male Golden Retriever in zip code 92683
$34.25
Cat: Sample Monthly Premium, 1 year old male American Shorthair in zip code 92683
$18.84
Rate Details: Annual Deductible: $250, Benefits Cap: Annual & Unlimited, Reimbursement Model: Benefits Schedule
Available Discounts: 5% discount on current Nationwide member

Enrollment & Waiting Periods

Enrollment - 3 / 5

Like our other companies, Nationwide will enroll pets starting at 6 weeks. Unlike our other companies, Nationwide has a relatively lower age restriction with older pets at 10 years.

However, if the pet is enrolled before age 10, and the policy never lapses, they will be covered for the duration of their lives.

Waiting periods are industry standard at 14 days, although Wellness starts 24 hours after approval.
Min Enrollment Age
6 weeks
Max Enrollment Age
10 years
Accident Waiting Period
14 days
Illnesses Waiting Period
14 days
Free Look Period
10 days

Claims & Service

Extras - 4 / 5

Nationwide's claims procedure is standard for the pet insurance industry.

Like other companies, you must first pay the vet directly, download Nationwide's claim form, and submit the form with all paid invoices. You can submit via mail, fax or email.
Advertised Response Time
14 days
Claim Form
Mail
Email
Fax

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
https://www.petinsurance.com/
Headquarters Address
One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH, 43215
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 2344, Brea, CA, 92822
Year Founded
1981
What We’re Hearing From Our Readers
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Customer Comments

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James G

11/27/2017
Nina is fully recovered and her usual active self. Your claim settlement was excellent and much appreciated. Your website is very easy to use. Thank you very much for your service James Gerner Nina Owner
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James G

11/27/2017
Nina is fully recovered and her usual active self. Your claim settlement was excellent and much appreciated. Your website is very easy to use. Thank you very much for your service James Gerner Nina Owner
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A
Ana M

11/27/2017
Dobby, a mix breed hound/terrier is very fond of eating whatever he can get a hold of. Recently, he ingested a significant amount of tea which merited an emergency vet visit. Thanks to my vet and Nationwide I did not hesitate knowing that he would be taken care of. Dobby survived the experience and is back to his happy silly self.
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Catherine B

11/27/2017
Filing the claim was relatively easy, and the claim was processed and reimbursed quickly. Two suggestions for improvement: 1. Make it possible to submit the claim entirely online, rather than having to print a form, fill it in by hand, scan it, and submit the scanned image. 2. Make it clearer how reimbursement works. When I received the notification email that my electronic reimbursement was available, there was no indication how to get it. It turned out that I'd received a separate email from Chase, which I hadn't notice. Just saying in the notification email "Look for an email from Chase" would be very helpful.
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Keely N

11/27/2017
My bulldog has been experiencing quite severe allergy issues that require many steps and options to diagnose. Nationwide has been great so far! Hopefully her results will be back soon and we can get her on track!
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Linda L

11/25/2017
Thank you for your concern. Tony is much better. We were also pleased with the timely manner which we received our checks. Thanks again.
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A
Ann F

11/25/2017
VIP and Nationwide has been our dog's insurance carrier for over three years now. Picking the company was a great choice for insurance. As dogs go we have submitted quite a few claims. Nationwide has been very fair in processing and paying on those claims. I'm very happy with Nationwide. From their reimbursement schedule, it has subsidized our dogs veterinary care very nicely. Thanks.
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Christine G

11/25/2017
I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to file and claim and collect reimbursement. Nationwide, you all are the BEST! Btw, my little guy is doing great. Thank you again!
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Aileen

11/24/2017
Thanks Nationwide! With our plan, we received 90% of the latest dental cleaning, which definitely helps. However, the pre-existing condition rule could be loosened up. Our dog has allergies and we are still trying to figure out what she is allergic to. Since this started before our new plan, nothing is covered.
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L
Leah M

11/24/2017
I have this for both of my dogs for couple of years now. Between the two of them we have had a lot of vet visits. Nationwide has been a life saver. I have never had an issue with getting a claim paid and the few time I have ever had to call customer service, they have been great.
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