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Launched in 2019, Spot Pet Insurance has quickly gained popularity and is consistently featured on top 10 pet insurance lists by consumer reporting sites. Spot offers a wide range of coverage options to choose from, an easy online claims process, and access to veterinary advice anytime on their 24/7 Pet Telehealth Line.
Like all pet insurance, Spot has its pros and cons. Here’s an in-depth review to help you decide if Spot is the right insurance for your pet.
Pros and Cons for Spot Pet Insurance
Pros
- Comprehensive coverage: Spot covers a wide range of conditions and treatments, including many items not covered by other insurance companies like microchipping and prescription food.
- Customizable plans: Spot offers a wide range of coverage options, deductibles, and reimbursement rates.
- Affordable options: Spot is known for affordable rates with plans starting as low as $10 a month for cats and $16 for dogs.
- No upper age limits on coverage: Pets of all ages are covered and Spot will not cancel coverage once your pet reaches a certain age like some other insurers do.
- Access to veterinary telehealth: Policyholders have access to Spot’s 24/7 Pet Telehealth Line for pet health questions or concerns.
Cons
- Minimum age to enroll: Puppies and kittens must be a minimum of 8 weeks to enroll in a Spot pet insurance plan.
- 14-day accident waiting period: Spot’s 14-day waiting period for accident coverage is considerably longer than many other top pet insurance companies, most fall between 2 to 5 days.
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Spot Pet Insurance Plans
Spot offers pet insurance plans for dogs and cats with the following coverage options:
Accident And Illness Plan
Spot’s Accident and Illness plan provides coverage for your pet’s medical expenses related to accidents and illnesses.
This includes injuries and accidents like broken bones, wounds, toxic ingestions, and hit-by-car accidents, plus illnesses like cancer, diabetes, infections, dental disease, and much more.
Covered costs include diagnostics, lab work, treatments, hospitalizations, surgeries, rehabilitation, and more.
Accident-Only Plan
This lower-cost option provides coverage for your pet’s medical expenses strictly due to accidents and does not cover illnesses.
This includes things like broken bones, trauma, falls, hit-by-car accidents, burns, wounds, accidental poisonings, foreign body ingestions, and more.
Covered costs include diagnostics, lab work, treatments, hospitalizations, surgeries, and more.
Preventative Care Add-Ons
Spot offers two add-on options for preventative care:
- Gold: Offers coverage for wellness exams, vaccines, and parasite screening.
- Platinum: Offers coverage for all of the above plus spays, neuters, dental cleanings, flea and tick prevention, and lab work.
State Availability
Spot is available in all 50 states of the US and the District of Columbia.
What Doesn’t Spot Pet Insurance Cover?
Like all pet insurance plans, Spot has exclusions:
- Preexisting conditions: Any medical problems your pet had prior to enrollment.
- Illnesses or injuries during the waiting period: Similar to preexisting conditions, any illness or injury sustained during the waiting period will be excluded from coverage.
- Experimental treatments: Any treatments that are considered investigational, experimental, or beyond the standard scope of care in veterinary medicine like non-FDA approved medications or clinical trial treatments.
- Breeding costs: Any veterinary expenses related to breeding your pet such as ultrasounds, c-sections, and birthing care.
- Non-medically necessary items: Any tests, procedures, or treatments deemed not medically necessary such as DNA tests or cosmetic procedures.
Spot Waiting Periods For Coverage
Pet insurance coverage doesn’t kick in until after a specific period of time. This is known as the waiting period.
Waiting periods for Spot are:
- 14 days for accidents
- 14 days for illnesses
- 0 days for preventative care
To compare these waiting periods to other pet insurance companies, the most notable difference is Spot’s 14-day accident waiting period. This is longer than most other insurers that typically have a 2 to 5-day accident waiting period.
While Spot may have a longer accident waiting period, they also notably do not impose an extended waiting period on orthopedic conditions as some other providers do.
Spot Pet Insurance Costs
Like all pet insurance, your monthly premium for a Spot plan will vary based on several factors including your pet’s age, breed, sex, and location.
Here’s a breakdown from one study on pet insurance quotes for Dallas, a populated Texas city.
| Spot | Accident Only | Accident + Illness | Accident + Illness + Wellness plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labrador Retriever | |||
| 8-week-old puppy | $22.53 | $40.95 | $50.90 |
| 5-year-old | $22.53 | $53.14 | $63.09 |
| Senior | $22.53 | $90.97 | $100.92 |
| French Bulldog | |||
| 8-week-old puppy | $22.53 | $55.58 | $65.53 |
| 5-year-old | $22.53 | $72.12 | $82.07 |
| Senior | $22.53 | $98.12 | $108.07 |
| Golden Retriever | |||
| 8-week-old puppy | $22.53 | $40.95 | $50.90 |
| 5-year-old | $22.53 | $53.14 | $63.09 |
| Senior | $22.53 | $90.97 | $100.92 |
| German Shepherd | |||
| 8-week-old puppy | $22.53 | $34.41 | $44.36 |
| 5-year-old | $22.53 | $44.65 | $54.60 |
| Senior | $22.53 | $60.75 | $70.70 |
| Poodle | |||
| 8-week-old puppy | $22.53 | $30.06 | $40.01 |
| 5-year-old | $22.53 | $39.00 | $48.95 |
| Senior | $22.53 | $66.77 | $76.72 |
| Exotic Shorthair Cat | |||
| 8-week-old kitten | $12.72 | $22.72 | $32.67 |
| 5-year-old | $12.72 | $25.53 | $35.48 |
| Senior | $12.72 | $72.01 | $81.96 |
Other Factors Determining Cost
Spot offers customizable coverage with multiple options for choosing your annual coverage limit, deductible, and reimbursement rate.
Annual Limit
This is the most your pet insurance will cover for the year. Once you reach this limit, you’ll pay out-of-pocket for any remaining vet bills until your renewal date. The higher the annual limit, the higher your monthly premiums will typically be.
Spot offers the following annual limit options:
- $2,500
- $3,000
- $4,000
- $5,000
- $7,000
- $10,000
- $15,000
- $20,000
Deductible
This is the amount you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket for your pet’s veterinary expenses before you are eligible for reimbursements.
Fetch offers the following deductible options:
- $100
- $250
- $500
- $750
- $1,000
- Unlimited
Reimbursement
This is the percentage of your pet’s medical bills the insurance will pay after the deductible has been met.
Spot offers the following reimbursement options:
- 70%
- 80%
- 90%
Possible Discounts
- Fetch offers a 10% discount for insuring multiple pets
- A 5% discount is offered to members of the military
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Spot offer a wellness plan?
Spot offers two preventative care add-ons to choose from, gold or platinum. Detailed coverage is outlined in section two.
Does Spot cover preexisting conditions?
Like all pet insurance, Spot does not cover preexisting conditions. A medical records review and/or veterinary exam may be required in order to complete your enrollment.
Does Spot cover dental cleaning?
Spot covers routine dental cleanings under the platinum preventative care add-on. Advanced cleanings needed for periodontal treatment are covered in the Accident and Illness Plan.
Does Spot have any coverage limits?
Spot does have an annual coverage limit which is chosen by the policyholder in the range of $2,500 to unlimited. There are no per-incident coverage limits.
How do I file a claim with Spot?
Spot has an easy, digital claims service that can be processed online or through their app by simply uploading a photo of your invoice. If records are needed, Spot will contact your vet directly to request them.
How long does it take Spot to pay out?
Spot processes claims within 30 days. Payouts occur on the 15th of every month. Policyholders with direct deposit will receive their deposit on the 15th. Those awaiting checks will receive them in the mail shortly thereafter.
How do I cancel a policy from Spot?
You can cancel your pet insurance policy with Spot at any time by calling their customer service line or by sending an email request.
Does Spot cover spaying or neutering?
Spaying and neutering are covered only under the platinum preventative care add-on.
Does Spot cover hip dysplasia?
Spot covers hip dysplasia as long as it is not a preexisting condition.
Does Spot cover euthanasia?
Euthanasia is covered if it is medically necessary and due to a covered condition.
Is Spot accepted by every vet?
Spot operates based on a reimbursement model so there are no in-network or out-of-network vets to worry about. Your pet can be treated by any licensed veterinarian and their covered medical costs will be reimbursed.
Does Spot pay the vet directly?
Spot does not offer a direct-to-vet payment option. It operates strictly on a reimbursement model. You’ll pay your pet’s medical bill upfront, file a claim, and receive reimbursement from Spot.
