Overview
Year Company Started: 1999
Also known under the brand names: PetCare, QuickCare, and ShelterCare.
Underwriter: Praetorian Insurance Company
AM Best Financial Strength Rating: A (excellent)
Website: www.24petwatch.com
Phone: 1866-275-7387
24PetWatch has offered pet insurance since 1999. Also known under the brand names PetCare, QuickCare, and ShelterCare. 24PetWatch is the Canadian insurance arm of Pethealth, Inc. The company offers a variety of affordable plans, from accident-only insurance to comprehensive accident and illness coverage. They also have special policies for pure-bred pets—which often have hereditary defects—and third party damage coverage for apartment-dwelling pets. The first month costs just $1.
24PetWatch Dog Insurance is available to dogs older than 8 weeks of age. Dogs are eligible for enrollment until they are 8 years old, except for certain select breeds, which can only be enrolled up to age 6. In general, 24PetWatch Pet Insurance covers examinations, diagnostics and lab tests, surgery, treatments, and prescription medications for accidents and illnesses. For more information about 24PetWatch coverage, please refer to ShelterCare Pet Insurance.
Pros:
- Unlimited lifetime accident coverage.
- Up to $72,000 (dog), $60,000 (cat) lifetime illness coverage.
- Premiums and deductibles DO NOT increase due to pet aging.
- Coverage for hereditary conditions available
They don’t pay claims at all. I’m fairly certain they don’t have one person on staff who has any medical training whatsoever. I have twice submitted claims which were both denied for the same reason, which was completely unrelated to the claim itself. I had to give a lesson on anatomy and physiology and even sent xrays and Im still waiting. It would be more worth it to put the premium money into a separate account and use it for expenses instead. And YES, they do increase premiums as the pet’s age increases. I started out at 28.95 per month and am currently up to 32.95 per month.
24 Pet Watch customer service is anything but. I called to complain about a tag I ordered and they are worthless. I have to wait 24-48 hours from a call back from a manager to discuss the problems with my tag. Ridiculous. And when I asked to lodge a complaint, Nikki advised me that she, as a customer service representative, has no ability to record customer feedback anywhere. Totally useless.