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Prudent pet insurance agency helps you do what its name suggests: make prudent financial investments toward your fur baby's health. This millennial-friendly insurance carrier offers easy online estimates and discounted rates for pet parents with multiple furballs. Markel Insurance Company underwrites policies.
Most routine pet care is affordable. But pet insurance can be a lifesaver in an accident or unexpected illness. Uninsured pet parents may be unable to come up with the money to save their furry friend. Pet insurance reimburses you for bills based on the plan you choose. Some companies will pay an unlimited amount once you've fulfilled the deductible. So you could go from several thousand dollars after an accident to a $500 deductible plus coinsurance.
Types of Pet Insurance Plans from Prudent Pet Insurance
Prudent offers multiple insurance plans, four deductible options, and three reimbursement tiers. The sheer number of options can be overwhelming. Our coverage request for a 3-year-old golden retriever resulted in 48 individual price quotes before factoring in add-ons such as covered exam fees and wellness coverage.
As with all insurance policies, you'll have to wait for your policy to go into effect. For example, if you purchase the accident-only policy, you'll have to wait 14 days before you can make an eligible claim for your pet. If you buy a policy including accident and illness, you'll wait five days for accident coverage and 14 days for illness coverage to take effect. Finally, there's a six-month waiting period for knee and ligament issues.
The plans offered through Prudent are as follows:
Accident-only
This eponymous policy is straightforward: for emergencies only. If you have a relatively healthy pet and no future health concerns, opt for this affordable option which covers the basics such as broken limbs, car accidents, bite wounds, cuts, and sprains. However, it does not cover illnesses, potentially including your pet swallowing a sock or other object. This policy may come up short if you have concerns about cancer, allergies, or other unexpected conditions.
Accident + illness
Prudent pet insurance offers three tiers of accident and illness coverage: Essential 5000, Essential, and Ultimate. The Essential 5000 covers up to $5,000 per year in eligible veterinary expenses, while the Essential plan covers up to $10,000 per year. The Ultimate plan has no reimbursement ceiling. So as long as the condition doesn't fall under Prudent pet insurance's definition of "preexisting condition," the company would cover it.
In a simple sense, an accident and illness policy covers everything that's not a preexisting condition. However, Prudent pet insurance lays out individual claims. All three accident and illness policies include coverage for cancer growths and treatment, congenital disabilities and abnormalities, emergencies, and hospitalizations, in addition to several other services covered under the accident-only policy.
Annual deductible
You can choose from four annual deductibles: $100, $250, $500, or $1,000. If you want to save money, you can opt for a higher deductible, which means you will receive reimbursements from Prudent once you've paid your deductible for the year. On the other hand, if you have limited savings, a lower deductible will allow you to minimize your out-of-pocket costs.
Reimbursement
Pet insurance will only cover part of your bill, even for eligible claims. You'll choose if you want Prudent to reimburse 70%, 80%, or 90% of your eligible vet bill or expense. As with the annual deductible, your reimbursement tier will impact your monthly premium.
Additional Coverage Options (Riders)
Want a little extra financial protection for your pet? You can add the following coverage to your Prudent policy before checking out.
Vet exam fees
Prudent's online estimate generator quoted us $5.13/month to add exam fee reimbursement to our pet insurance policy for Insider's hypothetical 3-year-old golden retriever Caboodle.
Wellness benefits
Well-puppy and well-kitten check-ups and shots aren't covered under accident and illness policies. However, you can also purchase a wellness coverage package to reimburse you for vaccinations, blood screenings, microchipping, and other routine costs.
You can choose from three tiers of coverage: Low, Medium, or High. For Caboodle, we were quoted between $12, $20, or $30 per month, respectively, for partial reimbursement for the following fees:
How Much Does Prudent Pet Insurance Cost?
Prudent offers a plethora of policies and pricing options, but the numbers are relatively straightforward.
At the lowest end of the spectrum, an accident-only policy with the highest annual deductible, the lowest reimbursement tier, and no add-ons costs $12 per month for a young, healthy dog.
The most comprehensive plan with the highest reimbursement tier, lowest annual deductible, and total add-ons costs around $100 per month for the same dog.
How to File a Claim
Prudent offers a standard claims submission process. You pay your vet first, then file for reimbursement on eligible claims.
To file a claim, complete the online form and send a copy of your vet's invoice to Prudent pet insurance within 270 days of your initial visit and treatment date. Policyholders can submit claims via email, fax, regular mail, or online portal. Make sure your insurance account number is on every document you submit.
Prudent will send you a check or direct deposit if your claim is approved. Many claims suggest fast processing time and a friendly customer service team.
Paula Owens left a review on Trustpilot, stating, "The process was simple and quick, and so was the response time! I received my reimbursement check quickly!"
Jim Smith described the caring and claims processing on Trustpilot, stating, "Lost one of our loving labs after a short battle with Leukemia. Staff was great handling the claims and very compassionate with words and actions."
Phone: 888-926-0830
Fax: 1-866-888-2495
Email: claims@customer.prudentpet.com
Mailing Address:
1208 Massillon Rd. Suite G 200
Akron, Ohio 44306
Prudent Pet Insurance FAQs
Prudent does not cover preexisting health conditions. However, it does not include "curable" conditions as preexisting. So if your pet has an ear infection treated and cured by a vet, not repeating for at least 365 days, Prudent would cover it in the future.
Prudent insures domestic dogs and cats of all ages.
You can choose between 70%, 80%, and 90% coinsurance reimbursement. Prudent also offers annual deductible limits between $100 and $1,000 and accident, illness, and wellness coverage options.
For accident and illness protection policies, you must wait five days for accident coverage and 14 days for illness coverage to take effect. Knee and ligament issues are eligible for coverage after six months.
Of course, your budget is a significant factor in determining which pet insurance plan works for you, no matter which company you're working with. However, the monthly cost of pet insurance should be one of several considerations. Unfortunately, a severe accident or illness could cost $5,000 or more. So in a single visit or hospitalization, you could use your entire yearly allowance. On the other hand, an unlimited plan could save thousands of dollars in an emergency if the prices are within your budget.
Pet insurance companies do not cover preexisting conditions. However, it is related solely to cost and solvency. Preexisting conditions exclusions help insurers keep pricing low and accessible to most pet parents. Any insurer offering coverage for all conditions would need to raise prices significantly. Prudent accounts for one-time incidents. Its definition of preexisting conditions allows for coverage of resolved conditions with no further treatment required for at least 365 days.
Methodology: What Went into Our Prudent Pet Insurance Review
To determine the best pet insurance, Insider evaluates pet insurance carriers depending on the overall customer experience. Is it easy to get a quote, sign up for a reasonably priced policy, complete claims, and answer your questions promptly and helpfully? You can read more about how we rate insurance products here.
While we like to give insurers the benefit of the doubt, pet insurance is slightly different. Companies are generally small and run by pet lovers, and monthly premiums are in the tens as opposed to the hundreds you'd expect with auto, home, or other insurance types. This pricing imposes natural limits. However, customer satisfaction is typically high. We separate companies based on age limits, coverage limits, coinsurance, etc. But the overall customer experience tends to be higher with pet insurance providers.
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Lemonade Pet Insurance
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Figo Pet Insurance
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Pumpkin Pet Insurance
Compare Prudent Pet Insurance vs. Lemonade Pet Insurance
Regarding easy claims filing, Prudent pet insurance falls behind competitors such as Lemonade, which offers app-based submissions and boasts near-instantaneous reimbursement. Pet owners who value do-it-yourself simplicity will appreciate Lemonade's streamlined sign-up and no-contact claims filing. Lemonade recently added a multi-tier system offering basic and more extensive vet coverage, and policyholders can only file claims via the Lemonade app. At this time, Lemonade does not offer an accident and illness policy.
In contrast, fur parents who like to pick and choose specific aspects of coverage may prefer Prudent's pet insurance plans, which can be highly customized based on annual deductible, reimbursement tier, and additional riders. Lemonade Pet Insurance relies on its $12 premiums to bring in business. Just keep in mind you get what you pay for. While Prudent rates may be higher, it also offers coverage for the unexpected things in life.
Compare Prudent Pet Insurance vs. Figo Pet Insurance
Figo and Prudent both offer a policy option for unlimited reimbursement. Similarly, both insurance companies offer plans with $5,000 and $10,000 annual ceilings, respectively. Coinsurance rates are also similar between the two companies, with one difference. Figo offers a 100% reimbursement tier after the deductible is met.
If your fur baby may incur several vet bills yearly, you may consider Figo Pet Insurance for its 100% reimbursement option on eligible claims. However, Prudent's highest reimbursement package is 90% per claim. Premiums are similar for many pets. In addition, neither insurance company has an upper age limit. So your senior pets are safe with Figo or Prudent. But Figo requires pets to be at least eight weeks old.
Compare Prudent Pet Insurance vs. Pumpkin Pet Insurance
Both companies offer reliable insurance coverage for your beloved puppy or kitten. The main difference between Prudent and Pumpkin will come from cost and coverage amounts.
With Prudent Pet Insurance, you can choose between three reimbursement tiers ranging from 70% to 90%. You can also choose your annual reimbursement ceiling: $5,000, $10,000, or unlimited coverage. In contrast, Pumpkin pet insurance reimburses eligible claims at a flat 90% with an annual ceiling of up to $20,000 for dogs and up to $15,000 for cats.
Thus, premium-conscious pet parents may choose Prudent, which offers lower rates in exchange for less coverage. However, Prudent may be the only one covering the total cost of serious accidents or injuries, particularly when it involves ongoing treatment or repeat visits. A typical example would be pets with allergies, which can result in skin infections, ear infections, and more.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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