Founded in 1997, Hartvile Group is the ASPCA’s strategic partner for pet health insurance. You can choose from five different plans:

• Basic accident coverage
• Accident and illness coverage, including prescription medications, diagnostic procedures, surgery and more
• Accident, illness, and wellness care, which includes spaying and neutering, canine and feline distemper combo vaccinations, and more
• Accident, illness, and deluxe wellness care, which offers help paying for lyme and kennel cough vaccines, flea and heartworm medication, annual dental cleanings, and more
• Help for long-term care, for chronic or long-term conditions

Your cost depends on your cat or dog’s age, breed, and geographic location. Your pet will receive coverage for injuries as soon as your plan takes effect; accident coverage begins after 30 days. You must make payments by credit card or arrange automatic check withdrawals. If you pay in full at the beginning of the year, Hartford will waive the $10.50 insurance fee.

Filing a claim is simple. After your veterinarian administers treatment, submit the one-page claim form with all receipts. Hartville will reimburse you for 80 percent of allowable fees after you meet your $100 deductible. If you are dissatisfied with your plan don’t worry—you can cancel at any time.

Hartville Pet Insurance Review

Rating: 6

Our review process starts with calling each of the insurance providers over the telephone.

I spoke with a customer service representative at Hartville Pet Insurance to get quotes for three pets:

• A 2-year old male Yorkshire Terrier
• A 6-year old male Cocker Spaniel
• An 8-year old female mixed breed cat

The woman, whose name I did not understand, was helpful and kind. She explained all the policies and exclusions clearly so there would be no surprises if I purchased a policy. She asked detailed questions and really listened to my answers instead of regurgitating information from a script.

THE PLANS/QUOTES:

I can choose from four levels of coverage for all of the pets. I pay full price for the pet with the highest premium, and then get a 10% discount on the other two (reflected in the rates below). For levels 2–4, I have the option to include continuing care coverage, which ensures coverage for conditions or illnesses that occur in one plan period will roll over into subsequent ones. This costs $5–10 extra, and is not subject to the multi-pet discount. If I don’t add this, and my cat is diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in the second year, it will not be covered in the third year.

Level 1: basic accident coverage; $100 deductible, $2,500 maximum incident benefit, and $8,000 annual maximum. Multi-pet discount does not apply for level 1.

For the Yorkshre Terrier: $8.99/mo

For the Cocker Spaniel: $8.99/mo

For the cat: $6.99/mo

Level 2: accident and illness coverage; $100 deductible, $1,500 maximum incident benefit, and $8,000 annual maximum. Continuing care offers $1,000 incident limit and $2,500 lifetime limit.

For the Yorkshire Terrier: $17.19/mo

For the Cocker Spaniel: $21.01/mo

For the cat: $11.99/mo

Level 3: accident, illness, and wellness coverage; $100 deductible, $3,500 maximum incident benefit, $11,000 annual maximum. Continuing care offers $1,500 incident limit and $3,500 lifetime limit.

For the Yorkshire Terrier: $31.58/mo

For the Cocker Spaniel: $38.58/mo

For the cat: $23.92/mo

Level 4: accident, illness, and deluxe wellness package, which covers vaccinations, annual dental cleanings, and flea and heartworm prevention; $100 deductible, $5,000 maximum incident benefit, $13,000 annual maximum. Continuing care offers $2,500 incident limit and $6,000 annual limit.

For the Yorkshire Terrier: $56/mo

For the Cocker Spaniel: $68.44

For the cat: $48.97/mo

MORE DETAILS:

Hartville only issues policies on the 1^st and 15^th of the month. Accident and illness coverage begin as soon as the plan is effective. Illness coverage begins 30 days after the effective date. Payment options include monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. If you pay annually, Hartville will void the $10.50 issuance fee. Your dog must be at least 8 weeks old and under 12 years old to qualify; a surcharge applies when he hits 9 years and then again at 12. Your cat must be at least 8 weeks old and under 14 years old to qualify; a surcharge applies at age 11 and 13.

CONCLUSIONS:

In making my choice, I will consider the following pros and cons:

Pros:

• Hartville is affiliated with the ASPCA, a trusted animal welfare organization that’s been around since 1866.
• The multi-pet discount is 10%—not  5% like other pet insurance companies offer.
• You can see any licensed vet in the US and Canada.
• You can easily track your claim’s status online using the free Member Center.
• You can cancel your plan at any time.

Cons:

• If you don’t add continuing care coverage, an accident or illness that occurs in one plan period will be considered pre-existing the following year and, therefore, not covered.
• Not all breeds qualify for all coverage—for example, Chinese Shar-Peis only qualify for level 1.
• You’ll be charged a surcharge as your pet ages.
• There’s no guaranteed turn-around time for claims; it depends on how many claims they’re working on in a given period.
• You can’t change your level of coverage mid-plan—only when it renews.
• Other customer reviews indicate Hartville frequently denies claims.

Considering the exclusions, age-related surcharges, and gaps in coverage for plans that don’t include continuing care, I would opt against choosing Hartville. You get more for around the same amount of money with other companies; and most of them have a far better track record.

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