Hartville Pet Insurance Review

It can be tempting to go for the cheapest pet insurance option, but lower-cost policies often skip out on important coverage and benefits that pet owners don’t realize are missing until it’s too late. Hartville’s policies leave pet parents with little to desire, but at significantly higher premiums. Is the price worth it? We looked at plan benefits, terms, and exclusions to find out.

Company Overview

Hartville has a long, proven history as a pet insurer. The company was founded in 1997 and was among the first dedicated pet insurance providers in the United States. The company partnered with the ASPCA in 2006 to provide exclusive coverage to members.

Hartville is based in Akron, Ohio and has received numerous workplace awards, including a spot on the 2017 Best Places to Work in Insurance list by Business Insurance. The company has a strong community outreach branch that involves employee-driven volunteering and donations to both human and animal charities.

Pros Explained

• Flat-rate accident-only coverage: Pets of all ages pay the same price for an accident-only policy.
• Great online tools: Sign up for coverage, manage your account, and find nearby clinics with the Hartville Member Center.
• No maximum age limit: There’s no maximum age by which you must enroll your pet, and Hartville doesn’t limit coverage for senior animals unlike its competitors.
• 30-day trial period: Cancel within the first month and have your money refunded if you haven’t submitted any claims.
• Choose your own payment terms: Pay your premiums monthly or annually. You’ll save up to $24 per year in transaction fees by paying upfront.

Cons Explained

• No budget policy options: You should expect to spend a minimum of $15 per month for cats and at least $25 per month for dogs for accident and illness coverage. Several competitors offer cheaper options.
• Expensive for older dogs: Dogs over five years of age will see a steep hike in premiums for illness benefits.
• Limited preventive care coverage: Hartville offers wellness riders, but preventive care benefits offered are scheduled so each type of treatment has a specific annual limit.

Available Plans

Pet owners who sign up with Hartville can choose between two policies: Accident-Only Coverage and Complete Coverage, which covers both accidents and illnesses. The benefits offered with each are fairly similar, but Accident-Only Coverage will only pay for treatments if they're caused by an accidental injury. But the list of covered injuries Hartville provides is longer than you might think. It includes torn ligaments, lodged foreign objects, and toxic ingestions.

Customization options on each of these plans are decent. There are five annual limit options, three choices for a deductible, and three different reimbursement levels. Hartville’s online quote tool makes it easy to see how changing coverage levels will affect your monthly premium.

Both the Accident-Only Plan and Complete Coverage can be supplemented with one of two optional preventive care riders. The first of the two, Basic, includes a handful of vaccines and screening tests, deworming, dental cleanings, and wellness exams. Those who upgrade to the second level, Prime, can enjoy higher limits on these services in addition to a few more treatments.

*Only covered when resulting from an accident.

Plan Pricing

Hartville’s pricing is much higher than average. The provider’s cheapest accident-only plans are in line with some competitors’ entry-level accident and illness coverage. This is partially because Hartville offers more expensive policy options than other pet insurers.

Pricing spikes as pets get older, particularly for dogs over the age of five. We found that a six-year-old dog would cost more than $100 per month to insure on an accident and illness policy with a $100 deductible, 90% coverage, and unlimited annual benefits. One silver lining: Age isn’t factored into accident-only pricing so you won’t see premiums go up on these plans just because your pet is getting older.

Waiting Periods

The waiting period on all accident and illness benefits with Hartville is 14 days across the board. Most pet insurance policies involve a two-day average waiting period for injuries, so this is a bit longer than we’d typically expect. But the 14-day waiting period also applies to ligament and knee conditions. The vast majority of competitors don’t cover these benefits until six months or even a year after the policy start date, so this is a major point for Hartville.

Pre-Existing Conditions

Hartville doesn’t cover any pre-existing conditions that your pet had before the policy start date or that appeared during a waiting period, but this is common among these insurers. But Hartville’s waiting period is so short for orthopedic conditions that you don’t have to worry too much about these conditions being excluded from coverage after your policy begins due to a poorly-timed injury.

Except for those related to the knee and ligament, conditions are no longer considered pre-existing if symptoms disappear and no treatment is required for at least 180 consecutive days.

Coverage Limits

Hartville’s lowest policy limit is $2,500 per year, which is a bit higher than other providers’ lowest limits. You can increase this annual limit for a higher premium, or even purchase an unlimited policy.

Plan Exclusions

The benefits included in Hartville’s policies are expansive, but there are a few exclusions as with any insurance policy. Hartville spells out all applicable exclusions in its policy documents. They usually include breeding, experimental treatments, and prescription pet foods beyond resolution of symptoms. Overall, none of these exclusions is anything outside the norm for a pet insurance policy.

Claims

Hartville makes filing claims fast and easy with its online tools. All pet parents get access to the Member Center as soon as they enroll, which can be accessed from any device to file claims and track their statuses. A printable claim form is also available to submit expenses via mail, email, or fax if technology isn't your thing.

Customer Service

Hartville’s online enrollment and account management tools are more digitally advanced than most, but the company stops short of offering similar customer service options. Service is available via phone or email, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm ET, but there are no live chat or 24/7 service options.

It’s worth noting that Hartville does manage a helpful online resource center to help owners better understand pet insurance. Educational materials include guides on common insurance terms, costs of pet ownership, and making the best choices for your pet’s health.

Third-Party Ratings

Third party ratings shouldn’t always be taken at face value, but they can help identify common complaints about businesses. Unfortunately, Hartville isn’t represented by name on most ratings websites. Its parent company, Crum & Forster, is listed with AM Best with an A rating for financial stability.

Competition: Hartville vs. Geico

We compared coverage to Geico, a provider that offers pet insurance with similar policy terms, to see if Hartville’s prices were as steep as they appeared at first glance. We received sample quotes for accident and illness plans with equal coverage, limits, and deductibles, and we found that Hartville’s monthly premium was 50% more expensive.

As far as we could tell, the only major differences were that Geico’s policy doesn’t cover microchipping or behavioral treatments, while Hartville includes both. Geico is also limited to fewer customer service options and it doesn't offer an accident-only plan.

It should also be noted that coverage with Geico will vary by location, however, as well as the type of animal you're insuring and its age, breed, and gender. You may receive a different quote that could potentially be more expensive. We still don’t think the extra benefits received with Hartville insurance are worth the extra cost you’d have to pay.

Final Verdict

Hartville clearly establishes itself as a premium pet insurance carrier with comprehensive benefits and high-value policy terms. But the price you’ll pay each month for even the most affordable plans can easily put it out of your reach. There's not much else to dislike about Hartville, however. The price may be worth it for access to generous policy terms, convenient online tools, and options for pets of all ages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Hartville Pet Insurance?

Hartville indicates that its plans are offered by PTZ Insurance Agency, Ltd. The agency has changed ownership a few times since it was originally launched in 1997. Hartville has partnered with the ASPCA since 2006.

Does Hartville cover dental care?

Coverage for dental care is available with two preventative care riders: Basic and Prime. The Prime rider offers higher limits and some additional treatments. Neither covers cosmetic dentistry.

Does Hartville cover spaying and neutering?

Spaying and neutering surgery is also considered to be optional preventative coverage. It doesn't come with the basic insurance package. You can purchase the coverage by buying the Prime rider.

Methodology

We use more than just pricing to review pet insurance companies. Our methodology for reviewing pet insurance companies utilizes a quantitative scoring method to analyze all the important aspects of pet policies, such as company strength, plans offered, covered treatments, policy pricing, and types of eligible pets. We also take each company’s customer service rating and reputation into account to ensure that you won’t experience hiccups when you file claims.