Pet Assure Pet Insurance Review 2024: Pros, Cons & Verdict
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In this Review
Founded in 1995, Pet Assure has assisted pet owners for nearly 30 years. It’s not classed as pet insurance but instead offers an alternative, using a 25% discount card for pet owners, which may particularly appeal to those who own exotic animals or older pets. These owners might have difficulty getting coverage from a traditional insurance plan, which is where Pet Assure can come in and make all the difference to those unexpected vet bills. This review will explore precisely what Pet Assure can do for you and your pet, what coverage options they offer, and how they work.
We give Pet Assure Pet Insurance a rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars.
Pet Assure Pet Insurance Review
- No age limit on plans
- Covers exotic pets
- Can be used on almost all veterinary treatment
- There’s no waiting period for treatment coverage.
- Partner program based
- Only accessible through participating employers
- Limited locations of use, only participating vet offices
- Only 25% discount on vet bills
- Can’t be used on prescription medications, supplements, or food.
About Pet Assure
Pet Assure differs from standard pet insurance companies. Rather than offering insurance plans that cover a certain percentage of a vet bill for qualified treatment, they use a discount card that members are provided, which gives 25% off of all vet treatment and services at participating offices.
They have partnered with vet practices in all 50 states, along with Puerto Rico and Canada. Pet Assist offers exclusive membership for employees of companies participating in the scheme, so if your employer is not a member, you cannot buy into the discount program. Pet Assure may greatly appeal to the owners of older or exotic pets, as a 25% discount can be used for all of their treatment with no breed or species excluded. The 25% discount card can be used for any treatment at any participating practice, as long as the holder has been enrolled through their workplace.
This model of providing discount services to pet owners may not appeal to those with young or middle-aged cats and dogs, as there are plans available that may have better coverage. For example, some insurance companies can provide up to 90% reimbursement, which doesn’t require enrolment through employers. In addition, they often have better ways of personalizing the coverage to suit you and your pet.
Pet Assure’s main service is the 25% discount card, which can be used on many veterinary treatments, but they also provide an added service. Members get free enrollment to the “pet tag,” which is a 24-hour recovery service for your pet, with a free tag to put on your pet’s collar.
Another big plus to consider is that with Pet Assure, the card can be used as soon as it is issued, with no waiting period to consider. Pet owners can also use discount cards for any pre-existing conditions their pets may have, which are never covered in traditional insurance plans. Pet Assure is a chargeable service, however, with a membership fee for each pet being paid per month.
This is sometimes deducted straight from the paycheck, with family plans being slightly more expensive per month. However, as pet owners can apply their discount at the point of payment without having to send off claim forms, this is a convenient way to get discounted treatment. Over 6,000 employees now offer Pet Assure in the US. We looked at the top-ranked large employers in the US, and organizations such as Yale University, Ultimate Kronos group, and Delta Airlines all provide this plan, costing $8 per month for a single pet and $11 per month for a family plan.
Employers in the US, Canada, and Puerta Rico can partner with participating veterinary offices in all 50 states and enroll to give their employees this benefit. Employees can also keep Pet Assure even if they leave their employment contract, but only if they have enrolled during employment.
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Pricing & Plans (Updated in 2024)
Base Policy
The Pet Assure base policy offers a 25% discount card to any members signed up by their employers. This discount covers any veterinary treatment, with no exclusions for most species, including cats, dogs, rabbits, reptiles, birds, and even (according to the website) pigs!
There is a small monthly fee to keep your registration open, which can be as little as $8. Because Pet Assure isn’t a pet insurance broker, the plan they offer is singular and straightforward. The only things the plan doesn’t cover are prescribed medications, prescription food (or any other food), or non-essential services such as grooming.
Wellness Plans
The Mint Wellness Plan by Pet Assure also offers affordable routine care for all types of pets tiered across three plans.
The Basic Plan is $18/month with a reimbursement maximum of $350. Coverage includes a wellness visit, vaccinations, routine bloodwork, and fecal/urine analysis. Plan holders will also have access to the Veterinary Discount Plan as well as the ThePetTag.
The Essentials Plan is $34/month with a limit of $650 and includes all of the features from the basic plan plus grooming and preventatives.
The Premium Plan is $57/month which will provide you with reimbursements of up to $1,100. Again, includes everything from the Basic and Essentials plans plus dental.
There are payout maximums within each plan that should be thoroughly reviewed to ensure the coverage is right for your pet.
Pet Assure Price Comparison for Dogs
Because it isn’t a pet insurance group, we compared Pet Assure to one of the leading pet insurance providers in the US, Lemonade. There are noticeable differences in the plans, while in some cases, they can be interchangeable; fundamentally, they are different and don’t offer the same level of coverage. This way, you can see if one or the other would be more appropriate for your pet’s situation.
| Pet Assure | Lemonade | |
| Male or Female | $34.93 for both | Flat rate for both |
| Age (3 years old/ 10 years old) | $34.93 for a 3-year-old dog. Does not cover animals at 10 years of age | 25% discount on treatment for pets of any age |
| Location | All 50 states, Germany, France | All 50 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico |
| Reimbursement Level | 70 – 90% total vet bill | 25% total vet bill |
| Annual Deductible | $100 – $500 | $0 |
| Annual Max | $10000 – $100000 | Unlimited |
| Price per month | $10 – $50 | $8 – $11 |
Deductibles & Claims
Pet Assure covers 25% of your vet bills, no matter how much they are. This means that once you present your membership card, your discount will be applied at the point of sale, and whether your bill is $100 or $10,000, a 25% discount will be applied to applicable treatments.
There isn’t any amount you need to pay beforehand, there isn’t a waiting period, and there isn’t any maximum coverage amount you need to stay under. This makes Pet Assure different from more traditional insurance providers, as insurance policies usually have restrictions in place for pets and pet owners. Pet Assure gives 25% off any bills you may incur from the vets without these restrictions.
| % of Medical Expenses | Annual Deductible | Maximum Coverage |
| 25% | $0 | Unlimited |
What Does Pet Assure Cover?
Pet Assure is a step above the rest regarding coverage, as they cover absolutely everything you could think of regarding veterinary care. They cover wellness exams, pre-existing conditions diagnostics, x-rays, MRI, cancer treatment, orthopedic illness, and much more.
The level of coverage is outstanding, and there are only a very few situations where you won’t get the 25% discount for your pet. The Pet Assure website has a complete list of what is and isn’t covered under the Pet Assure plan.
Pet Assure won’t offer the 25% discount for a few treatments and tests: non-medical services such as grooming or claw clips, or outsourced services such as a blood sample or a fecal sample that needs to be sent out of the veterinary office to a specialist lab for testing, or any products that you must take home to administer to your pet. Unfortunately, this does include medications and prescription food.
As an aside, no pet insurance policies or companies cover pre-existing conditions in any manner, so if you have an older pet that has pre-existing conditions but want help with your vet bills, Pet Assure may be the best option for you.
- Wellness exams
- Pre-existing conditions
- Diagnostic tests such as X-rays, MRI, and CAT scans
- Cancer diagnostics and treatments
- Orthopedic illness, surgery, or repair
- Pregnancy-related issues, including spaying and neutering
- Almost any kind of treatment.
- Non-medical services such as grooming
- Outsourced services, for example, blood samples being sent to an external lab
- Products taken home, such as medications or food
Pre-Existing Conditions
Pet Assure is an outlier in the insurance world regarding pre-existing conditions. They don’t disqualify any conditions your pet might have experienced before or treatment related to those conditions. So, if you have an elderly pet or a pet that’s been sick recently or suffers from chronic illness, the Pet Assure plan can help you save a quarter on any vet bills related to your pet’s conditions, no matter how many times you seek treatment for them.
Nearly every insurance policy will disqualify pre-existing conditions from their coverage, and you often must disclose these with your pet’s medical history when signing them up. You don’t need to fill out any forms with Pet Assure; all you need is your discount card.
Waiting Periods
As soon as you sign up and receive your membership card, the 25% discount is available for you to use immediately on your pet’s veterinary treatment. This discount is applied directly at the point of treatment and sale, so there’s no waiting period, and you don’t have to wait around to use your discount if your pet needs it.
For example, if the day after your card comes in the mail, your dog decides to eat something it shouldn’t have. You can take them to the vet with your card and get the 25% discount that day; you don’t need to wait, as you do with some insurance companies (we’ve seen some that have a 360-day waiting period for orthopedic incidents).
Reviews from Customers
Pet Assure generally has very positive reviews from customers, earning itself an average of four out of five stars across various review platforms. Customers seem very happy with Pet Assure’s level of coverage, which is 25% off any vet bills, even for those with pre-existing conditions.
Because many pet insurance brokers don’t provide this coverage, it can be a very reasonable alternative for those owners who need it. The negative reviews seem concentrated on pet owners who were not fully aware of the differences between Pet Assure (which is a discount program for veterinary treatment) and pet insurance coverage (which covers a higher percentage usually of the total cost of an animal’s veterinary treatment for a monthly fee).
Reviews seem to applaud Pet Assure as a beneficial resource to use through employers, some of which provide it for free.
FAQ
Is Pet Assure Pet Insurance?
No, Pet Assure isn’t pet insurance. Pet Assure is a discount program offering 25% off of any veterinary treatment your pet may need. A small fee covers membership costs (usually around $8), but ultimately this pays for itself after a few vet visits. The difference between Pet Assure and other pet insurance providers is that the level of reimbursement is always the same. With Pet Assure, the reimbursement is capped at 25%. With pet insurance, reimbursement typically starts around 70% and can climb up to 90% or 100% from there.
Is There an Age Limit for Pets Under Pet Assure?
No, there isn’t any upper or lower age limit for pets under the Pet Assure scheme. Geriatric animals can get as much coverage as young and healthy pets can, which can be extremely useful, as some pet insurance providers don’t cover animals over a certain age. Lemonade, for example, will not cover pets over the age of 10.
What Species are Covered?
The Pet Assure website states that all species of pets are covered, including birds, exotic pets such as rabbits and lizards, and even pigs. Therefore, we believe it’s safe to say that any companion animal, even the more exotic breeds and varieties, will be covered and receive the 25% discount from Pet Assure.
Are All Vets Able to Offer the Discount?
Not all vets are enrolled under the Pet Assure scheme. However, Pet Assure states on their website that there is a veterinary practice in all 50 states partnered with them to provide your pet treatment.
If you go to a different veterinary practice that’s not partnered with Pet Assure, you will have to pay for the entire treatment price, as the 25% discount won’t be applied. So, when you sign up to Pet Assure, make sure to check where your nearest partnered veterinary office is, should you ever need it.
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Our Verdict
Pet Assure can be a lifesaving resource for many pet owners whose pets fall into a category that traditional pet insurance providers don’t usually cover. Pets that are elderly, pets that have pre-existing medical conditions, or more exotic pets can all benefit from the 25% discount given by Pet Assure. However, only pet owners who are offered membership through their employer can sign up to receive their membership discount card.
If it’s available to you, having the discount can be helpful when facing vet bills, but if you want a higher reimbursement percentage and more flexibility, consider taking out a pet insurance plan.
- Hepper acknowledges that it is not licensed as an insurance agent, and therefore will not offer any advice regarding insurance, nor recommend a particular coverage, policy, or insurance company.
