There are so many pet insurance providers out there these days, with all sorts of loopholes, extra fees, and complications that make it difficult to understand and use. Thankfully, there are alternatives, such as Petcube’s Emergency Fund. Today, we’re going to compare it to ASPCA Pet Insurance to work out which one really works for you.
Let’s jump right in.
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Content:
- What is Covered by the Insurance
- What is Not Covered by the Insurance
- How Many Pets Can Be Insured
- What is the Waiting Period for Insurance
- How Much Does Insurance Cost
- How to Cancel Pet Insurance
- Conclusion
What is Covered by the Insurance
Before you go shopping for pet insurance, it’s a good idea to write down what you actually need. What age is your pet? This will make a huge difference, along with any pre-existing conditions, special requirements, and additional packages, such as annual wellness examinations.
Once you figure out what you and your pet need, you can then go searching for the right kind of package and the right provider.
Petcube Emergency Fund
You should think of Petcube’s Emergency Fund as a sort of safety net, picking up the stress and cost during stressful situations. You can use it for all emergency, life-threatening pet situations, such as:
- Bloat;
- Breathing difficulties;
- Choking;
- Wounds, such as bite wounds;
- Toxic poisoning;
- Blockages;
- Insect stings and bites;
- Inability to poop or pee;
- Seizures and fits;
- Vehicle collision trauma;
- Severe bloodless;
- Internal bleeding;
- Prolonged digestive issues.
The top 10 toxins for pets in 2022, according to Forbes report, include over-the-counter medications for humans, human food, human prescription medications, and chocolate, which just goes to show how quickly and easily emergency situations can arise.
If the situation isn’t life-threatening or an emergency, it will not trigger the release of the Petcube Emergency Fund. An online consultation with a vet will give you all the answers you need, including whether or not you need to rush your pet to the vet.
ASPCA Pet Insurance
ASPCA Pet Insurance offers two levels of coverage:
- Accident-Only;
- Complete Coverage.
Accident-Only offers coverage for new injuries and emergencies related to those injuries. This includes toxic ingestion, broken bones, lodged foreign objects, abscesses, cuts, and bites.
Complete coverage covers your pet for dental disease, illnesses, hereditary conditions, accidents (listed above), behavioral problems, and more.
What is Not Covered by the Insurance
What’s not covered by your insurance provider is even more important than the list of things that are covered, as it’s often the not-covered that catches pet parents out. It’s also the not-covered that costs the most, it seems.
Thankfully, Petcube likes to keep things super simple, so you know exactly where you and your pet stand.
Petcube Emergency Fund
If your pet isn’t experiencing a medical emergency that could be life-threatening if urgent treatment isn’t received, the Emergency Fund is the right tool for the job. It is designed to provide a cost-effective alternative to pet insurance. This is especially handy for pets that fall under the wayside of regular providers, such as elderly dogs and those with pre-existing health conditions.
The Petcube Emergency Fund is not designed for preventative care, illness care, or routine care; it is for medical emergencies only.
ASPCA Pet Insurance
The things not covered by ASPCA Pet Insurance are pretty standard. It includes the following:
- Vaccinations;
- Regular/routine screenings;
- Wellness examinations;
- Spaying/neutering;
- Other preventative treatments and care;
- Aesthetic/cosmetic dental work;
- No disease, no anal gland expression;
- Animal cruelty, such as ear clipping, tail docking, or claw removal;
- Pregnancy, nursing, or pregnancy-related issues;
- Funeral services;
- Grooming;
- Heart valve transplants;
- Organ transplants;
- Prescription food;
- Negligent or malicious owner activity;
- Pre-existing conditions.
How Many Pets Can Be Insured
Some pet insurance and care providers offer multi-pet policies and discounts, so it’s definitely worth looking into if you have more than one pet. If that’s the case, you might find that Petcube wins in the value-for-money department. But I’ll let you make your own mind up.
Petcube Emergency Fund
One monthly fee of $29 gets you $3,000 of emergency coverage for up to six pets in your household. You can only use the Emergency Fund once per year, though. If your pooch gets poorly and requires emergency care after six months of having the policy, you won’t be able to use the Fund for your kitty when they get sick until the one-year subscription point passes and a new year’s subscription begins.
ASPCA Pet Insurance
When you purchase insurance from ASPCA, you’re buying it for one pet only. The provider does offer a 10% discount on future pet insurance, however. This discount can be used on one or more additional pets.
What is the Waiting Period for Insurance
For the majority of pet insurance and care coverage providers in the US, the waiting period is between 1 and 15 days. This is standard practice and prevents fraud, scams, and other plan misuses.
Petcube Emergency Fund
Once you sign on the digital dotted line, you must wait 14 days before attempting to use the Emergency Fund. You will get an email once the waiting period is complete.
ASPCA Emergency Fund
You will need to wait one more day with ASPCA Pet Insurance than with the Petcube Emergency Fund. The waiting period is a flat 15 days for all types of coverage. If you have preventative care, coverage starts the following day.
How Much Does Insurance Cost
The cost of pet insurance as an alternative is often what determines the final decision. You can’t sign up for something you can’t afford, right? I based my pet insurance claim on a 7-year-old, unneutered female cat with no medical problems except an attitude problem, which isn’t medical. Unfortunately. I wish I could cure it.
Petcube Emergency Fund
Keeping things nice and simple, Petcube charges just one easy fee: $29 per month, which amounts to less than $1 per day.
There are no annual deductibles, no split levels of coverage, and no endless choices when it comes to reimbursement and coverage amount. In fact, there are no hidden fees at all. The only other ‘cost’ you might encounter is the remainder of the year’s subscription.
If you have only paid for seven months’ worth of coverage, the final five months’ worth will be taken out of the amount paid directly to your vet. If the vet bill is $3,000 and you have five months left to pay, 5 x $29 will be taken out of it, or $145.
You can use this link to get an exclusive 27% off for blog readers only because every pet deserves protection.
ASPCA Pet Insurance
ASPCA gives you the option to choose between Complete Coverage or Accident-Only, which are every bit as self-explanatory as they sound.
The cheapest option was Accident-Only, which was $6.82 per month. This offered a $2,500 annual limit, 70% reimbursement, and a $500 annual deductible. You can change these amounts. For $10,000 worth of coverage, 90% reimbursement, and a $100 annual deductible, the monthly price jumped to $33.47.
Complete coverage was $14.36 per month, jumping up to $70.52 per month using the same options as above.
As a side note, ASPCA is a broker of pet insurance. The company is not a provider.
How to Cancel Pet Insurance
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to cancel anything these days? Pet insurance policies, gym memberships, those free trials I always forget about...
I’ve done the hard work for you. Here’s how to cancel the two different pet care providers:
Petcube Emergency Fund
You can cancel the Fund at any point without having to talk to someone. (We love that, right?) You can sign into your account on either your phone (app or browser) or via the website. It’s super easy and super quick, and you won’t need to call, write a letter, or send an email.
ASPCA Pet Insurance
Cancelling your policy with ASPCA Pet Insurance is slightly more difficult. You must email the customer service department to let them know you wish to cancel, and you also need to give a reason!
As a side note, I couldn’t find cancellation details easily on the website. I had to do some search engine searching.
Conclusion
Picking the right type of coverage for your pet can be overwhelming, but hopefully, I’ve made things a little simpler for you today. It’s much easier to find what you’re looking for once you actually know what you’re looking for, so start with a list of wants and needs and go from there.