Nationwide pet insurance whole pet with wellness

If you’re a pet owner, getting pet insurance protects your wallet if they get sick or injured. Keep reading our reviews to learn how Nationwide pet insurance stacks up to other top providers.

While most pest insurance companies offer coverage for cats and dogs, Nationwide goes beyond the status quo to provide additional coverage for birds and other exotic animals.

Keep reading to learn more about Nationwide’s pet insurance plans, pricing, and benefits and determine if it’s the best pet insurance company for you and your pet.

Our Review for Nationwide Pet Insurance

After reviewing the top pet insurance companies, we gave Nationwide a score of 93 out of 100.

What impresses us most about this provider is its coverage options for exotic pets. Most pet insurance companies sell insurance for only cats and dogs, but Nationwide extends its policies to cover a range of different animals, from birds to snakes.

Despite Nationwide’s extensive coverage options, its pricing structure lacks customizability and is more expensive than other providers. Customer satisfaction is also lower based on negative reviews from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Yelp, where many complaints referenced denied claims and price spikes.

Pros & Cons of Nationwide Pet Insurance

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Nationwide pet insurance:

✔ Has a 100% money-back guarantee for cancellations within 10 days of the policy start date
✔ Has a 24/7 vet helpline
✔ Offers a 5% discount for current Nationwide homeowners or renters insurance policyholders

✘ Its wellness plans aren’t available in all states
✘ Has only one $250 deductible option

Nationwide Pet Insurance Background

Nationwide is a popular insurance company that has sold auto insurance since 1926. In 2009, it acquired Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), which has been providing pet insurance policies in the United States since 1982.

After this acquisition, Nationwide began selling pet insurance policies for cats and dogs that cover accidents, illnesses, and general wellness with a flat deductible of $250 and up to a 90% reimbursement.

It also offers coverage for exotic pets, but pricing and coverage amounts will vary depending on the species and medical history of the animal.

Nationwide Pet Insurance Plans and Coverage

Nationwide offers four pet insurance plans. There aren’t many customizability options for deductibles or coverage limits, so the pricing for these plans is generally higher than other providers.

Nationwide Pet Insurance Plans

1. Major Medical Plan: This plan covers vet bills for accidents, illnesses, cancer, and some hereditary conditions, such as glaucoma or intervertebral disc disease. This plan also includes access to any licensed vet, rather than a specific network of vets, and a 24/7 vet helpline. Rather than an annual coverage max and reimbursement percentage, this plan defines amounts per condition in each policy based on a benefits schedule with a list of covered procedures and individual limits. The annual deductible for this plan is $250.
2. Major Medical with Wellness Plan: This plan covers everything in the Major Medical Plan in addition to routine care, wellness exams, vaccinations, blood work, urinalysis, flea preventative care, and heartworm prevention. The annual deductible is also $250.
3. Whole Pet Plan: This plan covers vet bills for accidents, illnesses, cancer, and most hereditary and congenital conditions. Similar to the Major Medical Plan, this plan provides access to any vets and a 24/7 vet helpline. Reimbursement level options include 90%, 70%, or 50% at different price points with a $10,000 annual benefits cap. The annual deductible is $250.
4. Whole Pet with Wellness Plan: This plan covers everything in the Whole Pet Plan in addition to wellness exams, spay or neuter procedures, urinalysis, blood work, flea and heartworm prevention, vaccinations, and routine care, making it the most expensive and comprehensive plan offered by Nationwide. It includes the same reimbursement options and annual deductible as the Whole Pet Plan, but it features an unlimited coverage maximum.

Nationwide Pet Insurance Plans for Exotic Pets

In addition to these four plans for cats and dogs, Nationwide offers policies for birds and exotic pets. Since the pricing and coverage details vary depending on the exact species and medical history of each exotic pet, Nationwide requires contact with a representative for more information.

Here are a few pets, other than cats and dogs, that Nationwide covers:

• Amphibians
• Ferrets
• Goats
• Guinea pigs
• Hamsters
• Hedgehogs
• Mice and rats
• Rabbits
• Reptiles
• Turtles

Coverage Exclusions

Pet insurance policies with Nationwide typically exclude the following:

• Pre-existing conditions
• Boarding and grooming
• Cosmetic procedures
• Breeding
• Non-veterinary fees, such as waste disposal or taxes

Nationwide also excludes a handful of diseases and medical diagnoses from its policies, such as:

• Collapsed trachea
• Elbow dysplasia
• Hip dysplasia
• Malignant histiocytosis
• Patellar luxation
• Primary glaucoma

Nationwide Pet Insurance Pricing

Here are some pricing details and sample premiums for each plan by various dog and cat breeds:

Monthly Sample Premiums

*All sample quotes are for four-year-old pets located in Raleigh, North Carolina

Discounts

Nationwide offers a 5% discount for customers who register a plan for two or more animals. Customers may also qualify for a 5% discount if they’re already a Nationwide customer and have homeowners or auto insurance through the company.

Nationwide Pet Insurance State Availability

Nationwide Pet Insurance is available in all 50 states. However, the provider mentions that some specific details in each policy and certain discounts may vary in certain states.

Note: The policies in California purchased through Nationwide are underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company.

Nationwide Pet Insurance Customer Reviews

Nationwide pet insurance reviews on the company’s Yelp and BBB profiles are mixed. Some customers expressed their satisfaction with policies, while others complained about unreliability, price increases, and rejected claims.

Here are a few customer reviews regarding Nationwide pet insurance:

Elena J. on Yelp:

“I’ve been with Nationwide since 2017—I was lucky that my employer offered Nationwide Pet Insurance through payroll deductions. Our English Bulldog has had recurring issues with allergies and they have covered all his visits and medications. Never had an issue. Recently, I had to take our Maltipoo to the ER with seizures. I did not want him on phenobarbital so I took him to a vet that offered alternative treatments. Nationwide has covered his acupuncture treatments.”

Sally H. on BBB:

“Our dog had emergency surgery in October and we submitted a claim on November 3, 2020. Nationwide requested additional documentation from any veterinary visits since August and this was provided December 3, 2020. In January 2021 we received a letter indicating Nationwide needed another 30 days to process this claim. Another letter was received today, January 27, that another 30 days was necessary to process our claim.”

Accurate as of October 2022

Nationwide Compared To Other Pet Insurance Companies

Quickly compare Nationwide to other top-rated pet insurance providers:

FAQs About Nationwide Pet Insurance

Our Conclusion

Nationwide offers impressive plans for cats and dogs and provides comprehensive coverage through its Whole Pet Plan, which covers a variety of hereditary conditions. Nationwide is also an ideal provider if you need insurance for exotic pets and birds.

However, the company has minimal customizability and may be expensive compared to other pet insurance providers.

If Nationwide doesn’t fall within your budget or you want to customize your plan, check out our ‘Best Overall’ company, Lemonade, which has a unique mobile app for a fast sign-up, or consider Healthy Paws for an unlimited coverage limit at lower prices.

Our Rating Methodology

The This Old House Reviews team is dedicated to thorough, in-depth reviews of each product or service that we detail in our content. Determined to build trust with our readers through transparency, accuracy, and accountability, we’ve built a detailed rating system to score pet insurance brands. Included in this methodology are the following six factors with their respective scoring weights:

• Coverage (25)
• Plan options (20)
• Monthly cost (20)
• Company reputation (15)
• Customer service (10)
• Species eligibility (10)

Our researchers keep all data in each company’s score up to date, making any changes to our content when necessary to provide our readers with the most accurate information on relevant metrics, such as plan options, customer service, reputation, and monthly cost.

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