Nationwide Review

Sunday, January 12th

2025 Pet Insurance Company Reviews

Nationwide

• Pricing: Starts at $7/month for cats, $13/month for dogs, and $9/month for exotic pets
• $10.36 per month for our example dog
• Covers cats, dogs, and exotic pets
• Flexible deductible options: $250, $500, or $1,000
• Multiple reimbursement rate options: 50%, 70%, or 80%
• Annual maximum payout options of $2,500 or $5,000 for accident coverage
• Ability to use any veterinarian
• Offers separate Wellness coverage add-on
• 14-day waiting period after policy's effective date

Nationwide is one of the largest insurers in the world, mainly focusing on property, casualty, and life insurance. While they offer pet insurance, it's only a small part of their portfolio, and they do not prioritize pet wellbeing the way some smaller companies do: they're facing controversy for canceling 100,000 policies, mainly affecting senior pets. This is the only insurance company in our review that insures exotic pets (birds, reptiles, amphibians) but it might not be worth the risk of non-renewal. There are plenty of complaints about denied claims, too. If you have a cat or dog, you should check out one of our higher rated pet insurance companies first.

No illness coverage until second term

Nationwide's pet insurance includes an Accident coverage plan and a separate Wellness coverage add-on. There appears to be an add-on for illness coverage, but it's only available after completing your first policy term. Nationwide says their coverage for cats starts at $7 a month, $13 a month for dogs, and $9 a month for exotic pets. For Nationwide's accident coverage plan, our total for our dog test case came out to just $10.36 per month (compared to $90+ from other providers). Including wellness coverage set at the $800 payout maximum brought our total to $33.82, which sounds like a steal. However, even with the add-on, coverage for illnesses, hereditary and congenital conditions, behavioral issues, and more were excluded. Nationwide does not cover pre-existing conditions, which is expected.

14-day waiting period

Nationwide imposes a 14-day waiting period after your policy's effective date, which sounds better than some competitors - until you remember all of Nationwide's exclusions. Their website doesn't clearly specify the documentation required for pet enrollment, but it's likely they'll request notes from a recent veterinary exam.

30-day wait to receive reimbursement

You can submit your claim to Nationwide via email, physical mail, fax, or their online form. You'll need to enter a few details manually and the form must be easily legible. Nationwide takes quite a bit longer than some other companies to reimburse you - 30 days compared to just 2. You can check your claim's status from your account 48 hours after you submit it.

Poor reviews

Nationwide Pet Insurance has a mediocre 3-star rating on Trustpilot, with fewer reviews than its competitors. Recent years have seen a scarcity of positive feedback. Customers express frustration over denied claims - often due to disputed pre-existing condition labels - lengthy processing times, and the company's practice of dropping coverage for senior pets.

Nationwide may cancel your policy when your pet reaches senior years

Nationwide Pet Insurance came under fire in June 2024 after announcing the cancellation of 100,000 policies due to rising veterinary care costs. This decision primarily affected owners of older pets, who are typically more expensive to insure. Such actions leave customers in a precarious position. As pets age, premiums typically increase, yet pet owners continue paying these higher amounts. They do so hoping for a safety net to maintain their pet's quality of life in later years. However, if an insurance company cancels policies when pets reach this critical age, customers may find they've invested thousands of dollars into a service they can't utilize when they need it most. Moreover, since pet insurance companies don't cover pre-existing conditions, switching to a new insurer wouldn't provide the same level of coverage these pet owners had previously enjoyed.

Not worth your money

Nationwide's decision to cancel policies protecting older pets reflects the massive scale of their business and their corporate approach, and we would be hesitant to place our trust in them over a smaller pet insurance company run by pet owners who love animals as much as you love yours. Taking this into consideration along with atypical exclusions, we can't recommend Nationwide's pet insurance.