Important Facts about PetFirst That Could Affect Your Pet's Coverage
When looking at purchasing a PetFirst Pet Insurance policy, you'll want to remember that your pet will have a per-incident deductible. This is important because you'll have to meet the deductible on each new condition for which your pet visits the vet. In addition, PetFirst does not cover behavioral conditions or treatment for preventable conditions like heatworm, fleas, and internal parasites. Finally, while PetFirst offers a wellness plan, it has itemized limits so you'll struggle to get the full value each year.
11 Reasons to Consider Embrace over PetFirst Pet Insurance
1. Flexible Routine Care Plan
Petfirst Pet Health Insurance has itemized limitations for their wellness plans. If you don’t use the funds in their set categories, then you lose them. Plus, their three wellness plans don’t cover the same things, so you’ll have to pay more to get what you want.
Embrace promotes, rewards, and encourages healthy pets by offering Wellness Rewards, an optional non-insurance product that reimburses for everyday veterinary, grooming, and training costs with no itemized limits. And our wellness covers all the same things no matter which limit you select.
2. One Annual Deductible
Embrace uses an annual deductible, while Petfirst Pet Insurance uses a per-incident deductible. An annual deductible only needs to be met once per year, regardless of how many claims you make. Plans with a per-incident deductible require you to pay a new deductible every time you go the vet for a new condition. If your pet has an unlucky year, your out-of-pocket costs could be higher by a few hundred dollars with a per-incident deductible.
3. Coverage for Behavioral Conditions
Petfirst Pet Insurance does not provide coverage for behavioral problems or therapy even if the issue was not present before the start of the policy. Embrace covers behavioral problems, consultations, therapy, and follow-up visits as long as it isn’t a pre-existing condition.
4. Shorter Waiting Period for Cruciate Injury and IVDD
Petfirst Pet Insurance has a 12-month waiting period for any cruciate injury (ACL, MCL, PCL, and CCL), and intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) that cannot be reduced. While Embrace has a 6-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions (for dogs only), there is an Orthopedic Exam and Waiver Process to have it reduced to as little as 14 days.
5. Coverage for Preventable Conditions
Petfirst Pet Insurance will not cover treatment for fleas, heartworm, lice, ticks, and other internal parasites whether your pet is on a preventative medicine or not. Embrace does not exclude coverage for preventable internal or external parasites.
6. Diminishing Deductible Feature
Embrace is the only pet insurer to offer a diminishing deductible. With Embrace’s Healthy Pet Deductible, your pet's annual deductible automatically goes down by $50 each year you don't receive a claim reimbursement. This is included with every policy at no extra charge.
7. Higher Annual Limits Available
Petfirst Pet Insurance’s highest annual maximum is $10,000. That does seem like a lot, but if you have a large breed dog that requires ongoing care, it can add up fast! Embrace offers $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, and $15,000 to ensure that you have what you need for dogs and cats of all sizes.
8. Organ Transplant Coverage
Petfirst Pet Insurance does not cover any part of organ transplants in dogs or cats. Embrace covers the organ transplant procedure and all necessary follow-up visits.
9. Lower Age to Enroll
Petfirst Pet Insurance does not insure pets under eight weeks old. Embrace allows you to begin coverage for pets at six weeks old so that you can get them covered sooner.
10. More Time to Submit Claims
Petfirst Pet Insurance requires you to submit claims within 90 days of the office visit. Embrace gives you your entire policy term, plus 60 days after it renews to submit your claims.
11. 24/7 Pet Help Line
Petfirst Pet Insurance does not give their policyholders access to veterinary experts round-the-clock so if you have questions about your pet’s behavior, diet, or a possible emergency, you’d have to wait for your vet’s regular business hours. Embrace has partnered with whiskerDocs to give our policyholders access to pet experts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – even on holidays. And the best part is that this feature is included with every policy at no extra cost.
Information last updated April 2018. PetFirst is underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company (NHIC) and The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania (ISOP).