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PetSmart Pet Insurance Review

Through an online partner program, PetSmart pet insurance covers accidents and illnesses for dogs and cats.

  • The annual limit is Unlimited.
  • Reimbursement is 90%.

Sources: Pet Insurance | PetSmart

When you seek coverage through the retailer, the policy is managed behind the scenes by a dedicated insurance administrator. The PetSmart insurance page lists a single accident and illness plan, and offers neither a separate accident-only option nor a routine wellness package. Hereditary conditions fall under coverage, and payouts for covered care face no cap per claim, per year, or across your pet's lifetime.

Your reimbursement is the portion the insurance company returns to you from a covered vet bill. As the PetSmart insurance overview explains, you get up to 90% back, and most claims need no forms and are processed in 2 days or less. Signing up when your pet is still young and healthy helps protect you against future ailments, since pre-existing conditions are excluded.

PetSmart pet insurance plans and cost

If you compare PetSmart dog insurance or PetSmart cat insurance, you'll find one accident and illness plan instead of several tiers. Under this program, dogs and cats have the same core structure.

On the PetSmart insurance page, the public details leave out sample monthly prices, policy discounts, and deductible amounts. The deductible is the dollar amount of vet bills you cover yourself, and your plan starts paying its share only after that. Yearly payouts aren't capped, and the policy places no dollar limit on a single claim, on a year, or on a pet's lifetime.

PetSmart coverage and exclusions

Coverage focuses on unexpected medical problems that show up after your policy becomes active (provided they didn't begin earlier). The policy rules fall into a few main areas, based on the published plan summary:

  • Accidents and illnesses: For dogs and cats, a single accident and illness plan is listed, covering unexpected injuries and sicknesses.
  • Hereditary conditions: The policy covers medical issues inherited from a pet's parents.
  • Pre-existing conditions: Any condition showing signs or needing care before your policy started falls outside coverage.

If your pet had a health problem before coverage began, that problem is a pre-existing condition. When you apply for a policy, timing matters. Because earlier medical issues are excluded, signing up while your pet is still young and healthy helps later ailments qualify for benefits.

Waiting periods and age limits at PetSmart

Your coverage doesn't begin the moment you purchase a policy. Your insurance policy starts paying for veterinary care after a waiting period, which is the stretch of days following enrollment. PetSmart's online plan details don't show the exact number of waiting period days, the minimum enrollment age, or the maximum enrollment age. Even so, signing up while your pet is still young and healthy helps later illnesses qualify for coverage.

PetSmart reimbursement and claims

Under this program, no paper claim forms need to be mailed to request a payout. The PetSmart coverage page reports that most claims are handled in 2 days or less. Being paid back quickly helps if you're waiting for money after a large vet visit.

Reimbursement for covered veterinary care reaches a maximum of 90% of the eligible bill. Since the overview shows no lower payback rates, we suggest you check your quote for all the options in your area.

Who PetSmart is right for

This setup will appeal to pet parents seeking straightforward accident and illness coverage without per-claim, yearly, or lifetime caps. The policy rules offer the most value for young, healthy pets. It also suits dog and cat owners who want hereditary conditions included and quick claims handling without paperwork.

If your pet already has ongoing health issues, you may want to examine the details before buying, because pre-existing conditions aren't covered. Looking elsewhere might make sense if you want a routine wellness add-on, an accident-only policy at a lower price, or payback above 90%.

Questions people ask often

Is it worth it to buy PetSmart pet insurance?

Whether the plan suits your budget comes down to your quote and the value you place on hereditary coverage and unlimited payouts. With only an accident and illness plan listed and payback stopping at 90%, it suits owners of young, healthy pets best.

Are pre-existing conditions covered by PetSmart pet insurance?

Pre-existing conditions aren't covered, and the PetSmart policy overview confirms that. Buying coverage before symptoms appear is the main way to protect yourself against future medical bills for your dog or cat.

How can you get a quote for PetSmart pet insurance?

You can request a price online through the PetSmart pet coverage page, which connects you to the plan administrator's quote tool. The site doesn't post sample rates publicly. Only by entering details for your pet there can you see the monthly cost and deductible options.

Terms of the PetSmart plan

PetSmart policy terms, as the insurer publishes them
TermPlan terms
Pets coveredDogs and Cats
Plan typesAccident and illness
Plans offered throughHealthy Paws
Reimbursement options90%
Yearly limit choicesUnlimited
Pre-existing conditionsPre-existing conditions stay excluded, and enrolling a young, healthy pet helps ensure future ailments are covered.
Hereditary and congenital conditionsCovered
Claim payment speedClaims go through in 2 days or less for most cases, and no forms are needed.

Sources: Pet Insurance | PetSmart

Line drawing of four steps from a vet bill to a refund: a dog on an exam table, a paid receipt, a claim sent from a phone, and a coin returning to a paw-print wallet

Pros

  • No caps apply to a single claim, a year, or a lifetime.
  • Coverage includes hereditary conditions.
  • Claims go through in 2 days or less for most cases, and no forms are needed.

Cons

  • Coverage excludes pre-existing conditions.
  • Reimbursement reaches at most 90%.
  • A single accident and illness plan appears.

Ask for your pet's plan prices

We do not sell insurance, quote it or bind it; your request is sent on to an insurance agency.

Insurers we also compare

Monthly price samples and waiting periods
InsurerMonthly, dogMonthly, catAccident waitOldest age to join
Lemonade logo$30 to $59 a month$14 to $23 a monthNo waitNo upper age limit
Figo logo$30 a month$14 a month1 dayNo upper age limit
Pets Best logo$32 to $157 a month$20 to $107 a month3 daysNo upper age limit
Pumpkin logo$32 a month$15 a month14 daysNo upper age limit
Spot logo$35 a month$17 a month14 daysNo upper age limit
AKC Pet Insurance logo$36 to $99 a month$23 to $51 a month5 daysNo upper age limit
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance logo$39 a month$19 a month14 daysNo upper age limit
Embrace logo$39 to $69 a month$19 to $35 a monthNo waitNo upper age limit
Wagmo logo$39 a month$19 a month14 daysNo upper age limit
Nationwide logo$43 a month$19 a month14 daysBefore age 9

All 29 insurers