Among the many pet insurance options available to pet owners like you is PetFirst insurance. This company has been around for many years, and there are many conflicting reviews out there about whether or not they’re a solid company.
The company itself was started in 2004 after its founder realized that there weren’t very many good options for pet insurance on the market. They hire licensed veterinary technicians to help review claims sent in by customers. They say that they do their best to give as much money back as possible.
However, is that true? Sure, pet insurance companies want to help us, but it seems like a big claim to say that they want to give you everything back.
Let’s look deeper into the plans, benefits, and policies that make up PetFirst to find out whether or not they’re as great as they claim to be.
Pet First Insurance Rating
Pet First Insurance Review
In my PetFirst insurance review, I’m giving them 3,5 stars. I was originally hoping to give them 4 stars because of some useful benefits such as the unique condition coverage and short wait periods, but the worries about blanket denials and poor customer service really lower the ranking for me.
Pros
No Extended Wait Period
Some insurance companies put an extra wait period on conditions such as hip dysplasia, patella luxations or orthopedic conditions. PetFirst pet insurance does not. Coverage for these conditions starts after the standard wait period, which is great for dog owners who fear their dog may become affected by these conditions.
Covers Unique Conditions
In addition to covering periodontal disease, the coverage offered at petfirst.com also covers as many foreign body digestions per year as you need. Some insurance companies actually limit this to one, but there are dogs that often eat something they shouldn’t and need treatment for this more than once a year. PetFirst understands this and makes sure to cover it.
Flexible Deductibles And Reimbursement
You can choose the annual limit plan that you want, and from there, you can also select the reimbursement level and deductible for your pet insurance plan. This will allow you to get a plan that fits both your budget and your pet’s needs. This customization is really useful, and not every pet insurance company allows you to do this.
Add-on Wellness Plan Available
PetFirst offers a limited routine care coverage package that provides supplement insurance coverage for specific treatments that most dogs get annually. This is helpful to cover the cost of spay or neutering or other regular vet visits that could otherwise be very costly. Not all owners will want to invest in this option, but the opportunity to do so is very useful.
Cons
Blanket Denials
There have been reports from some customers that PetFirst health insurance has made some blanket denials of claims that could have been related but were never proven to be so. Rather than requesting more evidence or explaining the claim denial, they were simply denied. This is alarming to see and very frustrating for customers.
Customer Service Failures
Other customers have complained that the easy chat features that PetFirst used to be known for regarding customer service have disappeared, making it very difficult to get in though with them now. Additionally, claims are supposed to be processed within 10 days, but the claims department often takes longer than that or doesn’t respond at all.
Use Every Loophole
Every pet insurance company has some loopholes that allow them to exclude coverage. At times, the companies choose to ignore those loopholes and give you the coverage your pet needs. In the case of PetFirst, I’ve heard many stories about customers having claims denied through loopholes that are exploiting the customers, and that is not a good sign.
Plan Options
All accident and illness coverage plans from PetFirst have no per-incident limit and cover all ages. Certain hereditary, chronic and congenital coverage is included. They also provide a lifetime coverage guarantee.
Costs for the insurance plans given below are the average cost of first-time customers with PetFirst.
Lifetime 5,000
- $37 per month
- All ages eligible
- $5,000 annual limit
Lifetime 10,000
- $67 per month
- All ages eligible
- $10,000 annual limit
- Covers lost pets & rewards for found pets
Lifetime 20,000
- $105 per month
- All ages eligible
- $20,000 annual limit
- Covers lost pets & rewards for found pets
Routine Wellness Add-ons
These add-on plans cover specific amounts towards exams, vaccinations, prevention, microchipping, and other procedures. They are available in $125, $250, or $400 allowances. The allowance only covers specific, regular medical expenses.
PetFirst Might Not Be “First”
PetFirst claims that they care about your pets; shouldn’t you care about them, too? Getting pet insurance is a good way to secure their future health:
Overall, PetFirst healthcare for your dog isn’t a horrible option. If you feel drawn to this company, you could certainly use them, but there are some big drawbacks. Their slow claims process and lack of customer service will end up frustrating many owners.
On top of that, I have read too many horror stories about PetFirst. One owner talked about how they had a problem one year that was covered. The next year, the same problem happened (for a different reason), and it was considered pre-existing because the policy year had changed. This kind of practice is why insurance companies get bad names.
You might be better off to look elsewhere. Thankfully, you have a lot of options. I recommend Petplan, Healthy Paws, and Pets Best as some options to look into if you want something different. These three companies offer similar benefits to PetFirst, but they have stronger customer service and fast processing records. Some of them even have apps you can process claims on!
Choose the pet insurance that makes the most sense for you, your budget, and your pet’s conditions. No matter what plan that you choose, the help that you get financially will be beneficial. I believe that there are better options out there than PetFirst.