Pet Insurance in New Hampshire
Buying pet insurance New Hampshire pet owners are able to use means choosing a plan whose waiting times, refunds, and exclusions follow clear state rules.
- State statute N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. sections 402-P:1 through 402-P:6 In force since January 1, 2024
- Regulatory agency: New Hampshire Insurance Department.
- Complaint options: File a complaint.
- Waiting, illness: For illness and orthopedic conditions, waiting periods can't exceed 30 days.
- Waiting, accident: Accidents can't have a waiting period.
- Renewal no wait: A renewal can't add another waiting period.
- Free look: Free look: You may return a new policy within 30 days of receiving it for a refund of your premium.
Sources: New Hampshire Insurance Department home page, New Hampshire Insurance Department: file a complaint, NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act state page chart (#633), New Hampshire RSA Chapter 402-P (Pet Insurance), official text, and New Hampshire Insurance Department: Governor Sununu signs HB249 into law.
The legislature enacted RSA Chapter 402-P (New Hampshire Rev. Stat. This measure became effective on January 1, 2024; its citation is Ann. §§ 402-P:1 through 402-P:6. The measure, which lawmakers passed as HB 249 (2023, 149:1), appears in the NAIC model law record as an adopted model law.
Coverage sold in the state falls under the New Hampshire Insurance Department, which regulates every company and agent offering it. In the United States, 4.27% of pets are insured, including 2.29% of cats and 5.99% of dogs. Altogether, 7.6 million pets across North America have insurance.
New Hampshire pet insurance laws
RSA Chapter 402-P defines a waiting period as the time between buying a policy and the start of coverage. For illnesses and orthopedic conditions, state law limits waiting periods to 30 days. It doesn't allow a waiting period for accidents. When you renew your policy, insurers can't impose a waiting period again. You also receive a 30-day free-look period. During this time, you may return a new policy after receiving it and get your premium back.
A health problem that your pet had before coverage started is called a pre-existing condition. Under the state statute, a company must prove the exclusion when it denies a claim because of a pre-existing condition. Exclusions for pre-existing, hereditary, congenital, and chronic conditions must also be disclosed by insurers.
Sellers can't market a wellness plan, which pays for routine care, as pet insurance. You can't be required to buy a wellness plan when you purchase a pet insurance policy. Any agent with a major line of authority license may sell pet insurance in the state.
New Hampshire pet insurance companies
These national insurers publish their availability in all 50 states:
- Plans from Nationwide are offered throughout all 50 states and DC.
- Spot provides plans throughout all 50 states.
- Policies from ASPCA Pet Health Insurance are available throughout all 50 states.
- In all 50 states, Embrace coverage is available.
- Trupanion serves all 50 states, plus DC and Puerto Rico, though not every person in every state may have access to all products and discounts.
- You can find AKC Pet Insurance in all 50 states, although some features aren't available in every state.
Figures in the North American Pet Health Insurance Association report are national, not New Hampshire figures (data compiled by Willis Towers Watson). For dogs across the US, the annual average for accident and illness coverage is $836 a year ($70 a month). Nationally, accident and illness coverage for a cat costs an average of $435 a year ($36 a month). For dogs, accident-only plans nationwide cost an average of $190 a year ($16 a month); for cats, they average $112 a year ($9 a month). The price quoted for your pet depends on its species, age, breed, and ZIP code.
Filing a pet insurance complaint in New Hampshire
Consumer protections in the state fall under the New Hampshire Insurance Department if you dispute a policy rule or a refused claim. Your report can go straight to the regulator through its online complaint page.
Ask for prices for your pet's plan
We do not sell insurance, provide quotes, or bind policies; your request goes to an insurance agency.