Bivvy Pet Insurance Review
Editor's note: Bivvy Pet Insurance is no longer issuing new policies. Instead, it's encouraging prospective customers to purchase pet insurance coverage with Spot Pet Insurance, one of our top picks for the best pet insurance companies.
Although Bivvy's website doesn’t provide much information, we spoke to a representative over the phone that confirmed the company is going out of business.
If you have an existing policy, Bivvy will continue to provide coverage until the policy's anniversary date. You can find this date on your policy’s declaration page.
Bivvy pet insurance pros and cons
- Offered affordable pricing
- Covered all types of family pets
- Didn't require a recent exam
- Allowed customers to gift pet insurance
- Stopped taking new applications
- Waiting periods were long
- Offered low coverage limits
- Didn't cover pre-existing conditions
- Didn't operate nationwide
Pros explained
Pricing was affordable
Bivvy Insurance charged a flat $14 to $15 rate to insure any pet. The company also claimed premiums wouldn't increase if you made a claim. This made Bivvy an affordable pet insurance provider.
Covered all types of family pets
Bivvy was one of the few insurance companies that covered other family pets besides dogs and cats. The company offered insurance for frogs, geckos, mice, lizards, snakes, turtles, tortoises, goats, opossums, ferrets, chameleons, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, chinchillas, hedgehogs, iguanas, gerbils, potbellied pigs, and sugar gliders, among other pets.
Bivvy also provided coverage for most birds, although it did not specify the species that could be insured.
Didn't require a recent exam
Bivvy didn't require a recent exam before covering pets. Therefore, even if a pet was prone to illness, predisposed to certain conditions, or at risk of frequent diseases, Bivvy could still insure it.
Allowed customers to gift pet insurance
Bivvy allowed customers to purchase insurance coverage for their family or friends' pets as a gift. However, it required listing the family member or friend as the policyholder and keeping the customer as a payor only.
Cons explained
Ceased taking new applications
According to its official website, Bivvy is no longer issuing new pet insurance policies. Instead, the company encourages new applicants to take out their pet insurance coverage with Spot Pet Insurance.
Bivvy will not renew existing policies, and coverage for all current policies ends on their anniversary date.
Waiting periods were long
Pet insurance providers typically set waiting periods (the time it takes for coverage to kick in after you purchase a policy) to protect themselves against fraudulent claims by customers who try to insure pets that are already injured or sick.
For accidents and illnesses, waiting periods are generally between one and 14 days. Canine orthopedic conditions usually have a longer waiting period of between 14 days and six months.
Bivvy had a longer-than-average 30-day waiting period for illnesses and a standard 14-day waiting period of accidents. Dog orthopedic conditions also had a longer waiting period of 12 months (in some states).
Offered low coverage limits
Most pet insurance companies offer coverage limits of between $5,000 and $30,000 per year. This is the maximum amount of money the insurer will reimburse you for claims in a 12-month period.
Bivvy had a lower annual limit of $3,500 and a lifetime limit of $25,000. It had a reimbursement rate of 50% and deductible options of up to $250 per year. While the deductible amount was standard in the pet insurance industry, the reimbursement rate was considerably lower. Most insurance providers offer reimbursement rates between 70% and 90%.
Didn't cover pre-existing conditions
Bivvy insurance didn't cover any pre-existing illnesses in pets. These referred to health problems that pets had (excluding congenital and hereditary conditions) prior to the start date of Bivvy's coverage.
While this was a limitation, it was a standard practice among most pet insurance providers. Bivvy did not consider conditions that arose during the waiting period as pre-existing, as long as the pet showed no symptoms for 12 consecutive months
Didn't operate nationwide
Bivvy pet insurance was available in 39 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
Bivvy pet insurance plans
Bivvy offered two insurance plans: a standard accident and illness policy and a wellness care add-on.
Accident and illness plan
This was Bivvy’s primary policy, and it covered a wide range of tests, injuries and diseases. Covered tests and services included:
- Diagnostic treatment
- Blood tests
- X-rays
- Ultrasounds
- Chronic conditions
- Congenital conditions
- Hereditary conditions
- Surgeries
- Cancer treatment
- Orthodontic treatment
- Hospitalization
- Prescription medication
- Emergency care
Besides pre-existing conditions, Bivvy didn't cover the following in its accident and illness plan:
- Grooming
- Vaccinations
- Routine or preventive care
- Cosmetic surgeries
- Neuter or spay procedures
- Food
- Preventive dental care, including dental cleaning
- Pet boarding
- Non-emergency ground ambulance services
- Air ambulance services
- Cloning or using cloned animals in pet treatment
Bivvy wellness care
Bivvy sold wellness coverage as an add-on to its standard accident and illness plan. The add-on was priced at $9 per month and paid for routine veterinary expenses such as vaccinations and preventive care.
Below are the items included in Bivvy’s wellness care add-on and the coverage limit for each one:
| COVERAGE | LIMIT |
| Wellness Examinations | $40 |
| Microchip (Implantation) | $20 |
| Deworming | $20 |
| Rabies vaccination | $15 |
| Other vaccinations | $15 |
| FELV Screen | $15 |
| Urinalysis or ERD | $15 |
| Flea, Tick and Heartworm Prevention | $15 |
| Heartworm Test | $10 |
Bivvy pet insurance pricing
Bivvy's pet insurance policy cost a flat $14 or $15, depending on your state. The plan price applied to all types of pets. You could also add the optional Bivvy wellness care plan for $9 per month.
The first premium payment was due on the day you signed up (although this is not an option anymore because Bivvy no longer accepts new applications). Subsequent payments were due after every 30 days. Bivvy accepted debit cards, credit cards and ACH payments.
Bivvy pet insurance financial stability
Bivvy hasn’t been rated by AM Best, a credit rating agency focused on the insurance industry. It also has not been rated by Fitch Ratings, Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s, which are all major credit rating agencies.
Bivvy pet insurance accessibility
Bivvy's website includes information about insurance plans, coverage limits, how to access your user portal, make payments or claims and contact the company via email. It doesn’t have a chat feature, nor does it list working hours.
Availability
Bivvy pet insurance was available in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Plans were unavailable in Alaska, California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Contact information
Bivvy customer service is available toll-free at 1-855-434-3744 and through email at team@Bivvy.com. You can also write a letter to CUMIS Insurance Society, Satellite Office at 5910 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705. The company doesn’t provide preferred contact hours.
User experience
Bivvy’s website is simple to navigate. You can log into your online account to submit claims, change payment information or update your contact details. Once you’ve filed a claim, Bivvy says it will start reviewing it within one business day and make a decision within minutes. The company doesn’t have a mobile app.
Bivvy pet insurance customer satisfaction
Bivvy is not Better Business Bureau (BBB)-accredited and is not rated by J.D. Power or the BBB.
For a flat rate of $14 or $15 per month, Bivvy provided accident and illness insurance coverage for any pet, not just dogs and cats. For an additional $9, customers could purchase Bivvy's wellness care plan to a standard policy. This add-on paid for routine veterinary expenses like preventive care and vaccinations.
The company worked on a reimbursement model.Bivvy's accident and illness policy covered many diagnostic tests (x-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests) and medical treatments for congenital and hereditary conditions, accidents and more.
The wellness care plan covered routine veterinary expenses, including preventive care and vaccinations.How we evaluated Bivvy pet insurance
To evaluate Bivvy and its pet insurance plans, we considered the following factors:
- Pricing: Bivvy stood out because it charged an affordable flat rate premium for all types of pets.
- Available add-ons: Add-ons allow policyholders to customize their policies to their pet's needs. The more the add-ons available, the better. Bivvy fell short in this regard.
- Coverage limits: A high coverage limit can help you meet costly or ongoing medical expenses. Bivvy’s limits were significantly below market averages.
- Eligible pets: Most pet insurance companies only cover dogs and cats. Bivvy was different because it provided policies for all types of family pets.
- Pre-existing conditions: Pet insurance for pre-existing conditions can help you get medical care for a pet that’s already sick. Like many other pet insurance providers, Bivvy doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions.
- National availability: Bivvy is not available in every state, which makes it inaccessible to some pet owners.
- Customer support: Bivvy provides a phone number, email and mailing address.
Summary of Money's Bivvy pet insurance review
For some pet parents, pet insurance can be worth it. It can provide financial support when your pet falls ill or gets injured, alleviating unexpected veterinary expenses and emotional stress. However, premiums can be high, especially as pets age.
While Bivvy Pet Insurance is no longer issuing new policies, it stood out by offering an affordable flat rate, independent of the pet's age, type or size. Unlike many providers, Bivvy also covered a variety of family pets beyond cats and dogs.
Nevertheless, Bivvy had limitations such as low coverage limits, a lengthy waiting period, and the exclusion of pre-existing conditions. (And of course, has since gone out of business.)
If you're sold on pet insurance, read our guide to the best pet insurance companies. Some of our top picks have been in operation for decades and offer reliable coverage for different types of pets.