Prudent Pet Insurance Review
For some pet owners, buying the best pet insurance is a preferred – if often costly, especially for a dog – means to reduce anxiety over possible surprise medical bills for their dog or cat.
Prudent Pet Insurance, founded in 2018, offers both comprehensive and accident-only policies to cater to varying needs and budgets. Read on to learn more about what Prudent Pet Insurance offers and which pet owners are best suited to its policies.
Best feature: Low deductible options
Prudent Pet Insurance offers many of the customizable coverage options that are typical to pet insurers. Policyholders have the choice between plans that reimburse 70%, 80% or 90% of eligible medical costs – a fairly standard array of options.
But unlike some of its competitors, the company offers relatively low deductibles. In addition to the customary $1,000 and $500 annual deductibles, you can opt to begin being reimbursed by a Prudent plan after you spend just $100 or $250 during the year.
This flexibility may appeal to those who prefer to benefit from pet insurance after spending less, and are prepared to pay higher monthly premiums for that earlier access to benefits. (The lower the deductible, as a rule, the higher the premium.)
Like most other pet insurance companies, Prudent Pet Insurance allows policyholders to get their pet’s treatment from any licensed veterinary practice in the U.S. Benefit limits have an annual cap—again as with most insurers—with higher-priced plans having higher annual caps, which is also the norm.
Prudent Pet Insurance pros and cons
- More low-deductible options than most competitors
- Free 24/7 vet helpline
- No upper or lower age limit for insuring pets
- 10% discount on all policies when insuring more than one pet
- Reputation for good customer support
- Limited to cats and dogs
- No mobile app
- Fixed annual coverage caps on the Essential and Accident-Only Plans
Pros explained
- 24/7 vet helpline: Policyholders have access free of charge to a 24/7 vet helpline for any pet health-related questions or concerns.
- Customizable options: Prudent offers lower deductible options than many other companies.
- No age limit: Unlike many other insurance providers, Prudent does not place an upper or lower age limit on the pets it will insure.
- Multi-pet discount: If you insure more than one pet with Prudent, you receive a 10% discount on each policy.
- Good reputation for customer support: Prudent offers a variety of contact methods, as well as a highly-rated reputation on Trustpilot.
Cons explained
- Limited to cats and dogs: Sorry, bird and bunny owners. Prudent Pet Insurance is currently only available for cats and dogs.
- No mobile app: Some insurers offer a mobile app to make it easy to manage your policy or file claims from your phone. Prudent lacks an app, so claims must be submitted via email, mail, fax or the company’s online portal.
- Fixed annual coverage caps: If you sign up for the Essential or Accident-Only plans, you can’t adjust your annual coverage limit. Some pet owners may want that customizability to reach a specific monthly premium or to minimize their financial hits at the vet’s office.
Prudent Pet Insurance plans
Here’s a rundown of the main plans offered by Prudent Pet Insurance, along with details on the company’s coverage of wellness and vet’s examination fees. Be aware that, as with almost all insurers, Prudent has limitations on its pet insurance for pre-existing conditions — that is, conditions that predate your getting a policy for your pet.
Ultimate Plan
The Ultimate Plan is Prudent’s most extensive offering, providing the highest level of coverage. In addition to covering accidents and illnesses, this plan offers an unlimited annual benefit and includes coverage for a wide range of treatments and conditions.
In addition to no annual limit on covered medical expenses, including $1,000 toward behavioral disorders, this plan also includes coverage for a variety of non-medical issues.
It offers a mortality benefit —essentially life insurance for your pet —and vacation cancellation due to your pet’s illness. It also includes $500 each for advertising and reward if your pet is lost, along with boarding kennel or cattery fees and loss due to theft or straying. Among the most extensive plans on the market, the Ultimate Plan is ideal for owners who want the utmost care for their pets and peace of mind for themselves — and are willing to pay for such protection.
Essential Plan
The Essential Plan is a comprehensive insurance plan — as in covering both accidents and illnesses. This plan offers broad coverage, ranging from diagnostic testing and hospitalization to prescription medications and surgeries.
The plan offers the same medical coverage as the Ultimate Plan, although with an annual limit of $10,000, rather than Ultimate’s unlimited cap. It also includes $250 for behavioral disorders, compared with $1,000 for the Ultimate Plan. It’s the ideal Prudent plan for pet owners seeking a balance between extensive coverage and affordable premiums.
Accident-Only Plan
As well as getting accident coverage as part of a broader plan, you can get an accident-only plan with Prudent, as you can with most other companies. Prudent’s Accident-Only Plan does just what the plan name suggests: provides coverage for unforeseen accidents that your pet might encounter. From mishaps at the park to accidental ingestions, plans like this give you financial protection against unexpected veterinary costs associated with accidents.
The Accident-Only Plan covers a variety of scenarios, such as fractures, burns and wounds, as well as the costs associated with diagnostic tests, surgeries and hospitalization resulting from accidents. Moreover, plans that only cover accidents are budget-friendly, due to lower premiums than plans that cover a wider range of perils.
While Prudent’s Accident-Only Plan by itself isn’t particularly unique, you still have the deductible options, 24/7 vet helpline and selection of add-ons that differentiate Prudent from its competitors.
Veterinary exam-fee coverage
Even routine vet visits can add up. That’s why Prudent offers an add-on for veterinary exam fee coverage. This optional coverage includes the cost of exams or consultations associated with covered conditions.
Wellness coverage
Wellness coverage is an optional add-on that caters to preventative care and routine vet visits. It covers services such as wellness checks, vaccinations, dental cleanings and more.
You can further customize your monthly premium with low, medium and high wellness coverage, whereas many of Prudent’s peers only offer one wellness plan. Each tier reimburses a different amount for covered services. By investing in preventative care, you can ensure that your pet stays healthy and that you catch potential issues before they become major problems.
Prudent Pet Insurance pricing
When it comes to how to buy pet insurance, it can be hard to feel like you’re comparing apples to apples, given the company-to-company variations. Although, as with any insurer, Prudent has rates that vary based on factors like your zip code and your pet’s age and breed, Prudent often offers lower-priced policies for young pets compared to many competitors. (However, any cost advantage for older animals is in question; some sources report higher rates for senior pets than for many competitors.)
Accident-Only and Essential come with an annual limit of $10,000, while the Ultimate Plan has no cap. Here are sample quotes for monthly insurance rates based on Tacoma, Washington, with a $500 deductible, an 80% reimbursement rate and no add-ons:
| Accident-Only | Essential | Ultimate | |
| Dog, one year old, male, mixed small breed | $5.52 | $17.88 | $20.84 |
| Dog, seven years old, male, mixed small breed | $8.95 | $29.00 | $33.81 |
| Cat, one year old, male, domestic shorthair | $3.48 | $11.26 | $11.83 |
| Cat, seven years old, male, domestic shorthair | $5.64 | $18.26 | $19.19 |
Prudent Pet Insurance financial stability
Even though Prudent Pet Insurance’s financial stability hasn’t been rated by an agency such as AM Best, Prudent is backed by one of the industry’s well-known underwriters, Markel Insurance Company. AM Best gives Markel an A rating, or excellent, for financial stability. However, that does fall short of AM Best’s top A++ rating.
Prudent Pet Insurance accessibility
Prudent Pet Insurance offers a typical array of options for pet owners to choose from. Plus, it has several features you won’t find from most other providers, such as its free 24/7 vet helpline.
Availability
Prudent Pet Insurance offers its services nationwide, allowing pet owners from all corners of the U.S. to access comprehensive pet insurance policies.
Contact information
Customers can reach out with policy-related queries via a form or chat link on Prudent’s website, by phone at (888) 820-7739 or through email at info@prudentpet.com In addition, the company offers a free 24/7 vet helpline, providing instant access to professional veterinary advice.
User experience
Prudent has a sleek, modern website that is easy to navigate and find information. Policyholders log in to submit claims. The company claims to use artificial intelligence to speed up the process. Employees then review the AI’s work.Even though Prudent responds to claims quickly, it does lack a mobile app. Having one would allow policyholders to submit claims even faster, like while they are still at the vet.
Prudent Pet Insurance customer satisfaction
Prudent Pet Insurance prides itself on its high level of customer satisfaction. Many users on Trustpilot report being happy with Prudent’s customer service. Overall, the company gets 4.8/5 stars on the platform.
The company claims to handle reimbursements in under 10 days. Many reviewers state that they received reimbursements in as few as four days. However, some negative reviews mention having a payment fee each month and struggling to get claims covered.
On top of standard coverage ranging from things like hereditary and congenital conditions to chronic conditions, dental illnesses and behavioral issues, Prudent Pet Insurance has several stand-out features that make it worth considering.
Anyone looking to insure an old or young pet would appreciate Prudent's lack of an age restriction. Having some low deductible options is also an advantage. And with the wellness add-on tiers, prospective policyholders get some room to customize their coverage and premiums. Plus, the 24/7 vet helpline would be handy for whatever middle-of-the-night health questions crop up.
But if you especially value the convenience of managing your insurance through an app on your phone or are looking to insure a beloved bunny, Prudent won't be an ideal choice. Another thing to consider is that, with the hard cap of $10,000 on annual benefits for the Essential and Accident-Only Plans, you risk being on the hook should your pet require unusually expensive treatment in any one calendar year vet services — as after a major accident, perhaps, or a cancer diagnosis.
How we evaluated Prudent Pet Insurance
- Policies and coverage options: We assessed the variety and comprehensiveness offered by Prudent Pet Insurance in their policy options to make sure that dog and cat owners have coverage for the majority of medical and dental costs that could arise.
- Pricing: We evaluated the value provided for the cost of Prudent’s premiums, considering the balance of the extent of coverage, out-of-pocket expenses and premium cost.
- Customer service: We scrutinized Prudent’s customer service quality, taking into account its reputation and customer feedback such as ratings and reviews or complaints.
- Claim processing: We paid particular attention to the claimed speed of Prudent’s claim processing because, obviously, no one wants to wait a long time to get paid back for expensive medical procedures.
- Plan flexibility: We analyzed the flexibility in Prudent’s plans, considering how they cater to a range of pet health needs and owner budgets, as well as the ability to customize coverage.
Summary of Money’s Prudent Pet Insurance review
In many respects, the plans Prudent Pet Insurance offers look pretty similar to what you’ll find from other providers. Yet the company stands out for its low deductibles, on-call vet helpline and lack of an age restriction. The unlimited benefits of Prudent’s Ultimate Plan and the three tiers of the wellness add-on allow you unusual flexibility to tailor coverage to your priorities and budget.
However, as with any insurance provider, it’s important for pet owners to thoroughly review policy details to ensure coverage meets their specific needs and preferences.