Spot Pet Insurance Review: Flexible Policies With Coverage for Rare Treatments

This pet insurer is a good fit for: Dog and cat owners seeking flexible policies they can customize to fit their needs and budget.

Spot Pet Insurance snapshot

Pricing

Spot Pet Insurance's rates are generally pretty affordable. It helps that the company offers a number of annual limits, deductibles, and reimbursement rates to help customers build a policy that works for them.

Discounts

The company offers a 10% discount for insuring multiple pets. It applies the discount to the pet(s) with the lower premium. This is pretty standard in the industry.

Perks

Spot Pet Insurance offers flexible policies that cover some rare treatments, like stem cell therapy. It also offers two optional wellness packages, and the company will cover pre-existing conditions in some cases.

Customer service

There's not a lot of information about Spot Pet Insurance's customer service, but what is out there appears to be positive. As the company grows, it will become easier to gauge how it stacks up to its competitors in this area.

Top perks

Coverage for some pre-existing conditions

Pet insurance generally doesn't cover pre-existing conditions, and for the most part, Spot Pet Insurance doesn't either. But it no longer considers conditions to be pre-existing if the pet has been cured of it and has gone without symptoms or treatment for at least 180 days. There is an exception for knee and ligament conditions, though.

Flexible policies

Spot Pet Insurance gives its customers a variety of options to customize their policy, so it's easy for many people to find something that fits their budget. The company offers seven different annual limits, including an unlimited option, as well as five deductible levels and three reimbursement rates. Customers can also choose between an accident-only policy or an accident and illness policy, both of which can be customized with one of two optional wellness packages.

Coverage for rare treatments and services

In addition to standard treatments, like surgery and hospitalization, Spot Pet Insurance provides coverage for prescription food, stem cell therapy, and treatments for behavioral problems. Many pet insurance companies either don't cover these things or require their customers to pay extra for coverage of them.

What could be improved

Accident waiting period

Spot Pet Insurance policies have a 14-day waiting period. If any conditions arise during this time, the company won't cover them. This isn't an unusual waiting period for illnesses, but it is a bit long for accidents.

Payment process

Pet owners must pay their vet directly for services and then submit their bills to Spot Pet Insurance for reimbursement. This is how most pet insurance companies handle bills, but there are a few that pay the vet directly, which can be more convenient for the pet owner.

Spot Pet Insurance plans are pretty affordable compared to many of its competitors, though exact rates depend on a pet's age, species, breed, and sex as well as where the pet lives and the type of coverage desired.

Below are some quotes for a three-year-old male pet -- a golden retriever and an American shorthair cat -- residing in Chicago, Illinois. Both policies have a $5,000 annual limit with an 80% reimbursement rate and a $500 deductible.

If seeking a shorter accident waiting period: Lemonade Pet Insurance offers affordable rates and only has a two-day waiting period for accidents, which is shorter than many competitors. It also offers flexible policies with a variety of reimbursement rates and deductibles. But it's not available in all states.

If seeking a pet insurance company that pays vets directly: Trupanion is one of the few pet insurance providers that pays vets directly so pet owners don't have to act as middlemen. It also locks in premiums at signup, so they don't increase as pets age. However, its policies can be more expensive than some of its competitors.

Spot Pet Insurance offers the following policies:

Accident Only

The Accident Only policy only covers accidents, like broken bones, bite wounds, and toxic ingestions. Exam fees, any diagnostic tests, and all necessary treatment are covered under this policy.

For those on a budget, the Accident Only plan is the most affordable option, but it has significant gaps in its coverage.

Accident + Illness

The Accident + Illness plan covers all the same things as the Accident Only plan, as well as a number of other conditions, like cancer, allergies, digestive problems, behavior issues, and hereditary and congenital conditions. This last category includes hip dysplasia. Again, all necessary exams, diagnostics, and treatments are covered.

Gold Preventive Care

This is an optional wellness package pet owners can add to either of the two plans above. It offers coverage for the following:

• Dental cleaning
• Wellness exam
• Deworming
• Dog DHLPP or cat FVRCP vaccine/titer
• Fecal test
• Dog heartworm or cat FELV test
• Rabies and/or dog lyme or cat FIP vaccine/titer

Platinum Preventive Care

The Platinum Preventive Care optional add-on covers all the same things as the Gold Preventive Care package, as well as:

• Health certificates
• Flea/heartworm prevention
• Dog bordetella or cat FELV vaccine/titer
• Blood tests
• Urinalysis

Spot Pet Insurance offers a 10% premium discount for each additional pet that an owner adds to its policy. The company applies the discount to the pet(s) with the lowest standard premium. For example, if one pet costs $50 per month to insure and the other costs $40 per month, the pet with the $40 monthly premium would receive a 10% discount.

Pet owners can get a Spot Pet Insurance quote online within minutes. All they have to do is enter some basic information about their pet, including:

• Name
• Age
• Species
• Breed
• Sex
• Zip code

Then, they're brought to a screen where they can choose their desired level of coverage, including their plan type, annual limit, reimbursement rate, and deductible. They can also add a wellness package if they like.

Once they're happy with the policy they've created, they can purchase it online. They can also reach out to Spot Pet Insurance by phone if they require assistance.

Like most pet insurers, Spot Pet Insurance only covers dogs and cats. It doesn't offer any coverage for exotic animals.

Spot Pet Insurance will insure any pet aged eight weeks and older. There is no upper age limit on its policies.

Spot Pet Insurance is a pretty young company, having been founded in 2019. Because of this, there's not a lot of information yet about its customer service. The little that is available is positive, though.

The company has an A rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a 4.4 out of 5 rating from nearly 1,000 customers on Trustpilot.

Spot Pet Insurance is a good fit for:

• Pet owners who want to customize their policies easily
• Those who plan to insure multiple pets
• Pet owners seeking coverage for rare treatments

But those who prefer policies with shorter accident waiting periods should consider Lemonade Pet Insurance, while those who want their insurer to pay the vet directly might like Trupanion better.