PetFirst Insurance Review 2023

Last modified: August 11, 2021
  • Claims 9
  • Buying 8.5
  • Transparency 7.5
  • Coverage Variety 8
  • Value For Money 9
  • OVERALL RATING 8.4
  • Financial Strength A-
  • BBB Rating A+
  • Coverages Basic, no preexisting conditions or routine care covered
  • Flexibility You can customize reimbursement rates
  • Discounts 5/5
  • Support Email, Phone, Fax, via website
  • User Ratings TrustPilot 1.4
  • Availability All states
  • Pricing Very affordable

If you went through PetFirst insurance reviews online, you might be scratching your head right now. Reviews vary from overly positive to straight out negative. Luckily, we are here to explain all the benefits and downsides of this pet insurance company. 

PetFirst Insurance is a leading insurance company providing pet insurance for cats and dogs. 

Founded in 2004, PetFirst Insurance has given coverage to thousands of cats and dogs all across the United States. It was acquired by the MetLife Insurance Company in 2020, which holds about 20 years of experience in offering pet insurance plans.

PetFirst Healthcare, LLC offers insurance for your furry companions of all ages and breeds, which is one of its many plus points. One of PetFirst’s biggest selling points is that its insurance plans are the most comprehensive and inclusive in the entire market. This has helped the company develop a strong track record of delivering impeccable services, which has further led to trust from thousands of pet owners.

If you have any questions, you can always call the PetFirst pet insurance phone number, 855.270.7387, or send a letter to the PetFirst insurance address – PetFirst Pet Insurance, 400 Missouri Avenue, Jeffersonville, IN 47130.

However, before you do that, go through this detailed review about PetFirst, which will provide answers to all your questions and concerns.

How We Reviewed

Our PetFirst insurance review is a result of extensive qualitative research where we spend many hours going through its website and analyzing it for important details and information.

We basically reviewed:

  • Types of PetFirst insurance policies and the kind of coverage they provide
  • What coverage PetFirst Insurance does not provide
  • The deductibles and reimbursement percentages of the policies
  • The pricing plans offered by PetFirst Insurance
  • Discounts offered by PetFirst Insurance
  • The claim reimbursement process
  • Customer satisfaction provided by the company
  • Financial strength of the company
  • Customer support of the company
  • PetFirst ratings and reviews
  • Comparison with other pet insurance companies

Where Is It Available?

PetFirst’s Pet Insurance is available in all 50 states of the country, with one of the most wide-ranging plans on the market.

Pet Insurance Review

Types of Coverage

PetFirst Insurance offers pet insurance for cats as well as pet insurance for dogs.

The company takes great pride in offering simple, straightforward, and affordable pet insurance plans that are accessible to all.

PetFirst insurance coverage includes annual benefit amount options followed by chronic care coverage. The pet insurance policies are very flexible with no lifetime or per-incident limits for pets, and the best part is that the coverage applies to all ages.

The company’s comprehensive PetFirst insurance allows you to customize the reimbursement rates as well as the deductibles in order to perfectly cater to your pet’s needs as well as to ensure that it all falls well within your budget.

What’s Covered and Not Covered

For all those wondering “what does PetFirst insurance cover,” here is everything that is covered in their insurance plans:

  • Accidents
  • Illnesses (incl. congenital, hereditary & chronic conditions)
  • Hospitalizations
  • Pet hereditary conditions 
  • Diagnostic Tests
  • Alternative Therapies
  • Surgeries
  • Exam Fees
  • Ultrasounds
  • X-rays
  • Medications
  • Holistic Care
  • Emergency Care

You’ll be happy to know that after a 6-month wait period, your pet is also covered for the following things:

  • Anterior Cruciate Ligaments
  • Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)
  • Posterior Cruciate Ligaments
  • Medical Cruciate
  • Cranial Cruciate Ligaments

However, there are a few things that the company does not cover in its insurance plans for pets. These include:

  • Pet insurance pre-existing conditions 
  • Elective Procedures
  • Expression or removal of anal glands or anal sacculitis
  • Breeding or conditions related to breeding
  • Pet food, special diet, vitamins, mineral supplements
  • Grooming costs and bathing (incl. medicated baths)
  • Parasite prevention and parasite treatment
  • Illness or injury which arises out of racing, coursing, commercial guarding, or organized fighting of your pet
  • Routine wellness & preventive care 
  • Organ Transplants

PetFirst Insurance Pricing

In order to get a PetFirst pet insurance quote, you need to take a look at its pricing and plans.

What’s great about the company’s pricing is that their rates are affordable for whatever budget you might have, with deductibles that are as low as $50 per incident.

However, if you wish to adjust the monthly premium, the deductibles can go as high as $500. Their reimbursement rates range between 70% – 90%, and the limits offered start from $2000 and go up to $10,000.

One thing to bear in mind is that the deductible plan is based on a per-incident basis, so you will be required to pay the deductible every time you visit the vet.

Take a look at some of the most popular PetFirst pet insurance cost plans that might work for you according to your requirements:

Cost-Conscious

  • Annual Benefit: $2,000
  • Deductible: $250
  • Reimbursement: 80%
  • Eligible Ages: All

Most Popular

  • Annual Benefit: $5000
  • Deductible: $250
  • Reimbursement: 80%
  • Eligible Ages: All

Additional Coverage

  • Annual Benefit: $10,000
  • Deductible: $250
  • Reimbursement: 80%
  • Eligible Ages: All

PetFirst Insurance Discounts and Features 

Don’t we all love saving some money to keep the cost of pet insurance as low as possible?

Well, good news for you, PetFirst Insurance always strives to keep their plans and prices as affordable as possible.

Here are a few discounts offered by the company to make sure that your pet insurance doesn’t break the bank!

Military Discount 

If you are currently serving or have served in the military before, you can avail the military discount of about 5 percent.

Pet Insurance Internet Discount 

This discount is only applicable to pet parents that purchase pet health insurance policy for their furry buddies online. However, please note that this internet purchase discount is not applicable yet in NY.

Corporate Employee Member Discount 

Has your company or workplace signed up to provide PetFirst Pet insurance to its employees as a form of benefit?

If yes, you can avail of this discount and can save about 5% – 10% on the pet insurance premium.

Vanishing Deductible 

Simply put, a vanishing deductible means that if, for instance, you don’t make any claims for a whole year, the next year’s deductible will be about $25 lower. Since this is stackable in nature, if you have several years with zero claims, in each subsequent year, your deductible will keep getting lower and lower.

Animal Care Employee Discount 

All animal rescue organizations, vet clinics, and animal/veterinary welfare employees are entitled to the animal care employee discount. 

You get a 10% discount on your pet insurance plans from PetFirst.

Pet Insurance Multiple Pet Discount

If you are a parent of more than one pet, you get a 5% discount on your second policy, a 10% discount on your third policy, and so on.

A little tip for pet owners here: when you go for a quote, get your cat’s quote first since they are generally cheaper than dogs. Also, start with your younger furry friends and then move to older pets.

Ease of Buying 

It is quite easy to buy PetFirst insurance. There are three steps involved in this entire process:

  • First, take your pet to any licensed vet or emergency clinic in your country.
  • Once you’ve paid the bill at the pet, you should send the bill along with the necessary documents by logging into your PetFirst Insurance account.
  • The company does quick research in case there’s any missing information and then gives you your money back.

Claims 

The PetFirst insurance claim process is quite straightforward. Follow these steps, and you are good to go.

  • Before leaving the vet’s clinic, collect all medical records, including the diagnosis and other important notes, if any.
  • Get a copy of the invoice from the clinic.
  • Download from PetFirst.com or sign into your MyPets online account and select your pet for the pre-populated form.
  • Attack the required medical records that you collected from the vet’s along with the invoice.
  • Submit the claim online on your account, through email, mail, or even fax.

Once the company receives your request, they will follow-up with your vet and get all the required information. As soon as they have everything, you are likely to receive your money back, as the whole claims process typically takes around 2 weeks.

The PetFirst waiting period can sometimes even be less than 2 weeks if you’re lucky!

Please note that in order for your request to be processed at the earliest, you should have the following documents ready at the time of filing a claim:

  • Completed & Signed PetFirst insurance claim form 
  • Veterinary Medical Records (SOAP Notes) from Incident
  • Itemized Invoice from Incident

Another thing to bear in mind is that you need to submit your claims in writing to PetFirst within ninety (90) days of the treatment or receipt date. After that, you must allow at least 10 business days for processing.

Customer Satisfaction and Financial Strength Review/ Pet First Insurance Reviews

There are numerous PetFirst reviews that you will find online which go to show that the company has quite an impressive track record overall.

However, like all pet insurance companies, PetFirst also has its share of positive and negative reviews.

PetFirst is accredited with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and its PetFirst BBB rating is A+.

Customer Support

You can approach PetFirst Customer Service through a variety of channels, including:

Mailing Address: PetFirst Pet Insurance, 400 Missouri Avenue, Jeffersonville, IN 47130

Phone Number: 855.270.7387 (For Customer Service, dial option 2)

 

Fax Number: 877.281.3348

Email Address: [email protected]

Contact Form: https://www.PetFirst.com/customer-support/

Comparison With Competitors

Here is a quick overview of how PetFirst stands against its competitors: 

Petplan vs PetFirst 

While both companies are solid insurance providers with amazing coverage, you will find a few differences in their plans and policies.

In terms of reimbursement, both have ranges of 70% to 90% for reimbursement.

The standout feature for Petplan pet insurance is that it allows up to $650 for dental care, which also includes periodontal disease. On the other hand, what stands out for PetFirst is their ability to reimburse all exam fees, whether specialist or routine. 

When it comes to benefit limit amounts, PetFirst offers 3 different options that range from $5000 – $20,000, whereas Petplan options start from $2500 and are unlimited.

Petplan’s deductibles start from $100 and go up to $2500, while PetFirst’s deductible choices include $50, $100, $250, and $500.

PetFirst vs Healthy Paws

PetFirst requires pet owners to pay deductibles per condition that leads to a reduction in the reimbursement claim, whereas Healthy Paws pet insurance has an annual based deductible in which you can maximize claim reimbursements.

PetFirst doesn’t include limits on plans while Healthy Paws does include them, such as no per-incident, annual, or lifetime caps on payouts.

PetFirst vs ASPCA

Average days offered by ASPCA pet insurance to reimburse are 9 days, where PetFirst offers 12 days.

Additionally, you can submit a claim request at ASPCA 270 days before expiration, whereas it’s 90 days for PetFirst.

 

Pros & Cons

The Pros

  • No age or breed restrictions
  • Available in all 50 states
  • 80% reimbursement rate
  • Military members get discounts
  • Covers routine care with inexpensive riders
  • No limits for incidents or lifetime

The Cons

  • Doesn’t cover routine wellness exams
  • Doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions
  • Ligament and disc problem exclusions limit animals that this plan will cover

Final Verdict

According to many PetFirst insurance reviews, we can conclude that this insurance is a very affordable option for your pet protection. They are offering 80% reimbursement of veterinary bills which is great for avoiding unpleasant surprises. They do not cover routine care or pre-existing conditions, plus their reviews on reputable customer review websites are negative. Measure all pros and cons and decide if this insurance provider is right choice for you and your fur babies.

FAQs

Does insurance cover allergies?

Yes, PetFirst insurance plans do cover allergy-related vet visits.

Does insurance cover medications?

Yes, PetFirst provides coverage and reimbursement for prescriptions and medications for coverable conditions.

How to cancel pet insurance?

You can cancel your policy at any time. You need to provide your cancellation in writing, via PetFirst’s cancellation form, in order to cancel your policy.

If you wish to cancel your policy, call 866.937.7387, select option 4, where you will be taken through the cancellation process.