Fetch Pet Insurance Review

Fetch Pet Insurance, formerly known as PetPlan, provides accident and illness policies for dogs and cats. While it’s not always among our picks for the very best cheap pet insurance companies, Fetch pet insurance is a decent choice. Its pluses include covering certain expenses that some other insurance companies exclude, such as exam fees, virtual visits and gum disease.

To find out whether Fetch pet insurance is a good fit for your pet, continue reading to learn about its policies and cost.

• Fetch Pet Insurance Overview
• Fetch’s Services
• Fetch’s Credentials
• Fetch’s Accessibility
• Fetch’s Customer Satisfaction
• How We Evaluated Fetch Pet Insurance
• Fetch Vs. the Competition

Fetch Pet Insurance Overview

PetPlan pet insurance sold policies for cats, dogs and rabbits. But then Group Nine Media Inc. took a minority stake in the company, and it was rebranded as Fetch Pet Insurance in 2021. Today, the company only covers dogs and cats, but it insures pets in all 50 states and parts of Canada.

Fetch will insure animals as young as six weeks old — a lower minimum than most — and policyholders can choose an annual benefit as high as $15,000.

Fetch will cover a range of conditions and injuries, including gum disease, hereditary conditions and even behavioral therapy.

Fetch’s Services

With pet insurance from Fetch, you have protection against unexpected veterinary bills. You’re covered if your dog or cat becomes sick or injured, even if it’s a chronic condition.

Although Fetch doesn’t have a wellness option, it provides coverage for emergency expenses and high-cost veterinary care for serious health issues. And because Fetch doesn’t have an upper age limit, you can get coverage for senior pets too.

What Fetch offers

Fetch Pet Insurance only covers treatments for illnesses or sudden injuries; it doesn’t cover routine veterinary care, even as a policy add-on. For example, it will pay for treatments for wounds, cancer or a fractured leg, but not for heartworm preventatives.

As a policyholder, you can take your pet to any licensed veterinarian in the U.S. Canada; you don’t have to worry about staying within a certain network. You have to pay for your pet’s care upfront and submit a claim for reimbursement, but Fetch’s reimbursement process is faster than most, it claims. According to the company, you could get paid in as little as two days.

How much you’re reimbursed depends on your deductible — how much of your veterinary bills you have to cover before your insurance company will pay out benefits — and the reimbursement percentage you chose when you purchased the policy. With Fetch, you can choose from the following options:

• Maximum annual benefit limit: $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000
• Annual deductible:
  • $300, $500, or $700 for dogs
  • $250, $300, or $400 for cats
• Reimbursement: 70%, 80% or 90%

• $300, $500, or $700 for dogs
• $250, $300, or $400 for cats

For example, let’s say you insure your dog and choose a $500 deductible and a 80% reimbursement percentage. Your pet develops kennel cough and needs an exam and antibiotics, and the total is $500. Because that’s the same amount as your deductible, your insurance company doesn’t cover any of the cost; you’re responsible for the entire amount.

But a few months later, your pet ingests a sock and has a blockage, requiring a $3,000 surgery. You've already reached your deductible, so the insurer will cover 80% of the cost. You’ll get $2,400 back from the insurer.

Fetch pet insurance coverage

What Fetch doesn’t offer

Although Fetch covers many treatments, including some that other insurers exclude, it doesn’t cover everything. The following exclusions apply:

• Preventative care: Although wellness exams, dental cleanings and vaccinations are critical to maintaining your pet’s health, they aren’t covered by Fetch. And while other insurers have optional wellness plans you can add to your policy, Fetch doesn’t have that option.
• Pre-existing conditions: As is standard for the pet insurance industry, Fetch doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, meaning diseases or conditions your pet developed before the policy’s effective date or during the policy’s waiting period.
• Prescription food: Although some companies will cover food that is prescribed by a veterinarian, Fetch does not.
• Knee or hip injuries that occur within the first six months: While Fetch has a 15-day waiting period of accidents and illnesses, there is a six-month waiting period for knee or hip injuries. You can get the extended waiting period for knee conditions — but not hip issues — if you get a veterinary exam within the first 30 days and your pet is clear of any issues.
• Claims filed after 90 days: Fetch requires you to submit your claim within 90 days of the treatment date; otherwise, your claim will be denied. That’s a shorter period than other companies offer, so make sure you make note of that deadline.

Fetch Pet Insurance also requires regular checkups and routine care, or it will not pay out your claims.

Fetch pet insurance costs

Pet insurance premiums are based on several factors, including your pet’s age, breed and your location, Generally, you can expect to pay the following for coverage:

• Dog Insurance – $50 average monthly cost – $500 deductible amount – 80% with a $10,000 annual maximum reimbursement
• Cat Insurance – $28 Average Monthly Cost – $400 Deductible amount – 80% with a $10,000 annual maximum reimbursement

Fetch pet insurance waiting periods

Fetch Pet Insurance had a 15-day waiting period for both accidents and illnesses. For knee and hip-related injuries, such as cruciate ligament damage or hip dysplasia, the waiting period is six months. However, the six-month waiting period may be waived for knee injuries if you get a veterinary exam for your pet within 30 days of your purchase date and your pet is cleared of any knee issues.

Fetch’s Credentials

Fetch insurance policies are administered by Fetch Insurance Services. Depending on where you live, your policy may be underwritten by either XL Specialty Insurance Company or Axis Insurance Company.

Fetch Pet Insurance is an industry-driver-level member of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA).

Fetch’s Availability

Fetch issues policies to pet owners in all 50 states, and you can take your pet to any veterinarian in the U.S. or Canada, as long as they have a valid license.

Fetch’s Accessibility

Unlike some companies, Fetch doesn’t offer 24/7 support. Its business hours are as follows:

• Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. EST
• Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. EST

Fetch doesn’t have business hours on Sundays.

Contact information

You can reach its customer service department in the following ways:

• Chat: You can use the Fetch chatbot to get answers to basic questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Live chat is available during the company’s business hours.
• By phone: During Fetch’s business hours, you can speak to a representative by calling 866-467-3875.
• Email: You can contact customer support by emailing info@fetchpet.com. The company aims to respond to every email within one business day.

User experience

Current policyholders and prospective customers can view policy details and get quotes online. If you already have a policy, you can log in to view your account or submit a claim. Or you can use the Fetch mobile app to submit a claim, track the claim’s status and set up direct deposit for reimbursement.

Limitations

Live agents can be reached seven days a week, but the online chatbots are available 24/7. However, Fetch doesn’t have hours on Sundays, so you’ll have to wait until the following day if you have questions or issues with your policy.

Fetch’s Customer Satisfaction

Since PetPlan became Fetch Pet Insurance, its ratings for customer satisfaction have been mixed.

Customer complaints

Fetch has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, but it has a 1.2 out of 5-star rating based on about 40 customer reviews. However, the BBB tends to be where customers go to voice complaints, and few people actually use the site to post positive experiences, so the low rating may not be indicative of major customer service issues.

By contrast, Fetch Pet Insurance is highly rated on TrustPilot. It has a Trustscore of 4.3 out of five based on over 900 reviews. In reviews, customers praised the company’s easy claims process and quick reimbursement times.

Fetch Pet Insurance vs. The Competition

Here’s how Fetch Pet Insurance stacks up to major competitors:

To learn more, check out our reviews of Nationwide pet insurance and Trupanion pet insurance.

How We Evaluated Fetch Pet Insurance

To evaluate Fetch’s pet insurance options and determine how it measured up to industry leaders, we evaluated Fetch on several factors, including:

• Breed and age limits
• Annual or lifetime caps
• Reimbursement percentages
• Deductible options
• Waiting periods
• Exclusions
• Claims process
• Reimbursement timing
• Customer satisfaction ratings

Summary of Fetch Pet Insurance Review

Fetch Pet Insurance, formerly known as PetPlan, is one of the few companies that will insure pets as young as six weeks old, and it has no upper age limit or breed restrictions. It also offers additional coverages that other companies do not, such as vacation cancellation, lost pet rewards and up to $1,000 in coverage for medically necessary boarding fees.

All of those make Fetch a decent choice in pet insurance, although the company often doesn’t make our picks as among the very best pet insurance companies. Longer waiting periods than most is a key reason for that. Although Fetch has a 15-day waiting period for most illnesses and injuries, it has a six-month waiting period for hip and knee injuries. The extended waiting period can be waived for knee conditions if there is a veterinary exam within the first 30 days, but that waiver does not apply to hip-related injuries.

However, your needs may vary, so consider getting a quote from Fetch and several pet insurers before making a decision. Check out our picks for the best pet insurance companies to jumpstart your research.