Alexandra Ramirez
Pet Partners Pet Insurance offers many coverage options. Even though they weren’t top of our list they have a lot of plans available.
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History of Pet Partners Pet Insurance – How it all Started
The Owner, founder and chairman of the board of Pet Partners, John Spurling, got into the insurance business after he left a successful marketing business that he grew and sold to a global conglomerate in 1980. After that he purchased a small insurance agency that he transformed into a successful company that specialized in comprehensive and innovative pet insurance solutions in Great Britain. He’s provided more than a generation of pet owners on both sides of the Atlantic reliable insurance that helps them meet the healthcare needs of their pets.
He launched PetPartners in the UK first and then the United states in 2003. Since then they have been the exclusive provider of health care insurance for the registrants of the AKC through the AKC Pet Healthcare Plans. They were chosen by the Cat Fanciers’ Association to provide insurance to the CFA registrants.
In 2005, Steve Popovich came on board as CFO and then in 2006 he became President and CEO. He has over 25 years experience that he has used to improve PetPartners in many ways.
2009 saw the offering of the new PetPartners branded products to individuals and groups, and they have continued to grow in popularity. They are known for their hassle-free and exceptional customer service by licensed agents that truly know what they’re talking about. When a customer calls with questions, they’re going to get answers. Their pet insurance coverage is convenient and reliable with a very fast 15 day turnaround for claims so the policyholder isn’t waiting weeks for their money to be reimbursed.
Another crucial member of the PetPartners management team is Kelly Kocor. With over 20 years experience in the insurance industry she handles Human Resources and Regulatory Compliance. It is through her excellent work that compensation programs, recruitment, employee relations, and training and development. In addition she is responsible for making sure that PetPartners staff and the entire company is in compliance with the regulations and laws.
The company offers customers several different plans to choose from that all give your pet the ability to get great health care when it’s needed. Having that peace of mind is what the company is all about. They want to provide pet owners that option to plan for the unexpected which can very often happen when you have pets. Knowing that no matter what happens; you will be able to take care of your pet in the best possible way.
Qualification Process for Getting Your Pet Insured
You can get a quote from PetPartners very easily and can even purchase your policy completely online. When you click on the “Get Quote” button, you will be taken to a page where you will need to input a bit of information. This will include:
- Pet’s name
- Pet type (Dog or Cat)
- Breed
- Birthdate (approximate is fine if you don’t know the exact date)
- Color of pet
- Zip code
- Email address
- Answer whether your pet has been diagnosed with the illnesses listed
Once you have this filled out click on the button at the bottom of the page to continue. The next page is where you will choose the coverage you want for your pet. You can choose your deductible here as well which can be anywhere from $100 to $1000 from the choices listed. Your coinsurance will be 20% and you can also choose the amount you get per incident and the annual coverage amounts.
In addition to the regular coverage, you have the option of choosing extended protection as well by adding ExamCare and Defender or DefenderPlus which are programs that are designed to cover some of the more routine parts of having a pet. These additional programs are completely optional.
The next page you will be taken to is a complete summary of what you have chosen. On this page you will see the coverage term, the plan options you chose the limits you have chosen and the amount of your monthly premium. You have the option on this page, to change anything you want about the coverage you chose, as well as add another pet. If no changes need to be made, you can go on to checkout.
The last page is where you will input your personal information and credit card info to make the purchase. The terms and conditions are on that page too and need to be read and checked off that they have been agreed to.
That’s all there is to it. Once your policy is purchased, you have 30 days to change your mind and get your money back. If you do thorough checking before you complete the purchase, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting your money back, but it you do want to cancel, the caring, customer staff will be more than happy to assist you without high pressure tactics to stay.
If you’re unsure about ordering and purchasing the policy completely online, you can call the sales agents who will do their best to get you the coverage you’re looking for and the budget you want to stay within as well. They are not there to force you to purchase a policy; they are there to help you get the coverage you want, at the price you want so you can rest assured that your pets are taken care of.
Coverage Plans Pet Partners Pet Insurance Offers
There are a few choices available for pet owners that involve different levels of coverage. These plans are all outlined below and if you have any questions during the enrollment process you can talk to a sales representative at PetPartners and they can help answer your questions.
CompanionSelect – Accident Coverage ONLY
This coverage is for accidents only and many pet owners that have older dogs like this coverage to cover their older dogs for any unforeseen accidents that can happen. There is a 3 day waiting period from the time the policy is in effect before claims will be covered.
- Accidents
- Injuries
- Laboratory Tests
- X-rays
- Ultrasound
- MRI and CAT Scans
- Surgery
- Hospitalization
- Medications prescribed by a Vet
- Extractions of permanent teeth due to accident
The following items are some of what is NOT covered under the CompanionSelect Plan
- Illness of any kind (regardless of cause)
- Vet exams (unless ExamCare is purchased)
- Inherited and congenital conditions
- Pre-existing conditions
- Spay/neuter
- Elective procedures
- Preventative care
- Anything related to breeding, pregnancy and whelping
- All diet – foods, vitamins and supplements even those that are prescribed
CompanionPlus – Accident and Illness Coverage
This is coverage for accidents, injuries and illnesses. You can adjust your premium by adjusting the plan limits to fit your budget and needs. There is a 14 day waiting period from the date the policy is effective for any illness to be covered. For Intervertebral disc disease the waiting period is 180 days. There is also a 3 day waiting period for any accident and 180 day waiting period for cruciate ligament related conditions.
- Accidents
- Injuries
- Illnesses including cancer, allergies & cherry eye
- Laboratory Tests
- X-rays, Ultrasound, MRI and CAT Scans
- Surgery
- Hospitalization
- Medications prescribed by a veterinarian
- Chemotherapy & radiation treatment
- Extractions of permanent teeth due to accident
- Euthanasia when advised by doctor to alleviate suffering
The following items are some of what is NOT covered under the CompanionPlus Plan
- Vet exams (unless ExamCare)
- Inherited and congenital conditions (unless Inheritedplus is purchased)
- Pre-existing conditions
- Intentional, neglectful or preventable acts that result in injury or illness, caused by you or a member in your home
- Elective and cosmetic procedures
- Preventative care
- Alternative care
- Diagnostics or treatment for fleas, heartworms, etc
- Treatment or diagnostics for behavior
Inherited Plus –
This coverage is for pets under the age of two years old and covers inherited and congenital illnesses and their secondary conditions.
ExamCare –
ExamCare is coverage that provides coverage for some of the cost of exam fees that are incurred when treating or diagnosing any covered illness or injuries
Defender and DefenderPlus – Wellness coverage
These two coverage plans help pet owners take care of the routine day to day things that your pet may need. The difference between the two plans is very small; DefenderPlus has the addition of Spay/Neuter service and Teeth Cleaning and also a bit higher coverage amounts.
- Rabies Vaccine
- Flea/Tick Prevention
- Heartworm Prevention
- Vaccinations/Titer
- Heartworm test or FeLV screen
- Blood, fecal, parasite exam
- Microchip
- Urinalysis or ERD test
- Deworming
- Spay/Neuter (DefenderPlus Only)
- Teeth Cleaning (DefenderPlus Only)
The following conditions are always excluded from any plan: (inheritedplus may cover some; an insurance specialist will need to be asked)
- congenital/inherited conditions
- eye conditions including aberrant cilia, dermoid, distichiasis, entropion/ectropion
- CDRM
- chronic renal (kidney) failure
- deciduous teeth
- Diabetes (insipidus or mellitus)
- elbow dysplasia (OCD, FCP,UAP)
- hemophilia
- congenital heart problems including murmurs, failure, cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart)
- hip dysplasia
- congenital liver conditions
- obesity (not due to an underlying medical condition)
- OCD (including but not limited to the hock, elbow, carpus and shoulder)
- Osteoarthritis
- congenital shunts to include portostymic shunt
- elongated soft palate
- stenotic nares
- spondylosis
- von Willebrand disease
- luxating patella
- umbilical hernia
Filing a Claim with Pet Partners Pet Insurance
PetPartners claim filing is simple and easy. You can get the download form right from the website. This is what you will need to fill out to submit with your claim. You will need to make sure that the invoice you are filing a claim for is paid in full before you file the claim. The downloadable claim form on the PetPartners site has fillable fields which means you can type right on the form, save it and email it, or print it out after you’ve completed all the fields you are responsible for. You will need to fill out:
- Pet owner’s name
- Pet owner’s address
- Telephone
- Email address
- Name of pet that claim is for (must be a pet that is listed on the coverage)
- Breed
- Pet gender
- Age of pet
- Check box if you have other insurance
- Provider and policy number of other insurance
Answer the following questions:
- When did you first notice symptoms
- Previous veterinary hospital
- Brief description of illness or injury
- Sign and print your name and date (must be the policy holder’s signature)
- Have a licensed Veterinarian fill out the second half of this claim form
- They will also need to sign and date their portion of the form
After this is done, you will need to gather the invoices and receipts of the visit or visits associated with the claim you are filing because they need to be sent in with the claim. If medical records are needed PetPartners will get them directly from your veterinarian.
You can send the completed claim form and copies of the invoice and receipts through email, fax or regular mail. The claims email is [email protected].
Reimbursement goes directly to you which is why the invoice needs to be paid before the claim is filed. PetPartners bases their coverage on what the veterinarian recommends. Payments are calculated on the reasonable and customary charges in the area where you live for tests an treatment provided. You will be responsible for paying the deductible you chose as well as the 20% coinsurance and after that you will get your reimbursement.
Claims can take up to 30 days to process and you have 180 days to file after the date the visit was conducted. It’s always better to send in the claims as soon as you can after the visit. They understand that when your pet is sick or injured it can be a terrible time so sending in the claims as possible is always to your benefit.
Help and Support Services
PetPartners claim filing is simple and easy. You can get the download form right from the website. This is what you will need to fill out to submit with your claim. You will need to make sure that the invoice you are filing a claim for is paid in full before you file the claim. The downloadable claim form on the PetPartners site has fillable fields which means you can type right on the form, save it and email it, or print it out after you’ve completed all the fields you are responsible for. You will need to fill out:
- Pet owner’s name
- Pet owner’s address
- Telephone
- Email address
- Name of pet that claim is for (must be a pet that is listed on the coverage)
- Breed
- Pet gender
- Age of pet
- Check box if you have other insurance
- Provider and policy number of other insurance
Answer the following questions:
- When did you first notice symptoms
- Previous veterinary hospital
- Brief description of illness or injury
- Sign and print your name and date (must be the policy holder’s signature)
- Have a licensed Veterinarian fill out the second half of this claim form
- They will also need to sign and date their portion of the form
After this is done, you will need to gather the invoices and receipts of the visit or visits associated with the claim you are filing because they need to be sent in with the claim. If medical records are needed PetPartners will get them directly from your veterinarian.
You can send the completed claim form and copies of the invoice and receipts through email, fax or regular mail. The claims email is [email protected].
Reimbursement goes directly to you which is why the invoice needs to be paid before the claim is filed. PetPartners bases their coverage on what the veterinarian recommends. Payments are calculated on the reasonable and customary charges in the area where you live for tests an treatment provided. You will be responsible for paying the deductible you chose as well as the 20% coinsurance and after that you will get your reimbursement.
Claims can take up to 30 days to process and you have 180 days to file after the date the visit was conducted. It’s always better to send in the claims as soon as you can after the visit. They understand that when your pet is sick or injured it can be a terrible time so sending in the claims as possible is always to your benefit.
Contact Information and Where to Find Pet Partners Pet Insurance on Social Media
You can contact PetPartners several different ways. They can be emailed, faxed, regular mail or telephoned. Regardless of the way you choose to contact them, you will receive excellent customer service to get the issues resolved and welcome your calls. Their office hours are Monday – Friday 8:30am to 8:00pm EST, Saturday 10:00am to 3:00pm EST but you can get a quote and sign up 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
They are closed on several holidays as follows:
- New Years Day
- President’s Day
- Good Friday
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
Website: http://www.petpartners.com/
Email: On the website in an embedded form
Customer Service – 1-866-774-1113
Fax – 1-919-859-8193
Mailing Address: PetPartners
P O Box 37940
Raleigh, NC 27627-7940
If you’d like to follow PetPartners Pet Insurance on their social media sites (and they invite all of their customers and supporters to do that) you can find them at the links below.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/petpartnersinc
Google + – https://plus.google.com/+PetPartners/posts
There are many pet insurance companies out there and it may seem overwhelming to try and figure out how to choose the right one. PetPartners has been around for a long time and they have established themselves as a company that provides great coverage at great prices. They will be there when you need them, and are dedicated to processing your claims fast so you have your money back in your pocket fast.
With their track record, you can be certain that they are what they say they are. They just might be the pet insurance company for you.
Resources
- VPI Pet Insurance – http://www.petpartners.com/
