Our Thoughts on Travelers Pet Insurance
How Travelers Pet Insurance Scored in Our Methodology
Travelers Pet Insurance is provided through ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, which is one of the most highly rated pet insurance providers. It scored well in areas of cost, plan types, covered treatments and eligible age limit. It scored slightly lower in reputation, receiving 4 out of 5 stars.
Travelers Pet Insurance Plans and Pricing
When you click on the “Start Quote” button on the Travelers website, you get redirected to ASPCA Pet Health Insurance’s website. It asks you to give details about yourself and your pet such as ZIP code, email address and your pet’s age, gender and breed. Once you supply this information, you receive quotes for accident-only and complete coverage options, plus details about what is and isn’t covered. You can navigate to find various annual limits, reimbursement rates and annual deductibles to see how to adjust your monthly premium.
If you scroll down the page, you’ll see buttons to learn about coverage details and frequently asked questions. You also have the option to add preventive care and to get quotes for basic and prime preventive care packages. Click on a link at the bottom of the page to find out what each wellness option covers. Overall, the enrollment process is easy.
How Much Does Travelers Pet Insurance Cost?
The cost of pet insurance depends on where you live and your pet’s species, age and breed. Based on our data, the average cost of a Travelers Pet Insurance policy is $44 per month for dogs and $18 per month for cats.
The minimum Travelers premium price for a dog is $25 per month, with coverage maxing out at $73 per month. For cats, the minimum premium price is $13 per month. The maximum is $33 per month.
This table shows the average cost for each plan offered by Travelers Pet Insurance through ASPCA Pet Health Insurance.
*Cost data was obtained by averaging quotes for a 5-year-old mixed-breed dog, a 2-year-old female golden retriever, a 5-year-old mixed-breed cat and a 2-year-old Siamese cat in Northern Virginia, using a $5,000 annual limit, 80% reimbursement rate and a $250 annual deductible.
What Does Travelers Pet Insurance Cover?
Through ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Travelers offers an accident-only plan as well as an accident and illness plan, and unlike some providers, it offers both plans to senior pets. While pre-existing conditions aren’t covered, Travelers will cover cured pre-existing conditions that are symptom- and treatment-free for at least 180 days.
Travelers Pet Health Insurance policyholders also have the option to add preventive care. This coverage requires an additional monthly fee that varies depending on the level of coverage you choose.
Travelers Pet Insurance Plan Offerings
Accident-only plans are less expensive, but they only cover injuries — such as fractures and lacerations — and emergencies related to accidents. Accident and illness plans offer more comprehensive coverage for injuries as well as for chronic and acute illnesses that develop after enrollment and the specified waiting period.
Traveler’s Pet Insurance Preventive Care Add-On Coverage
For an additional monthly fee, Travelers Pet Insurance policyholders can add preventive care to help budget for their pet’s necessary annual wellness care.
This table details the two wellness plans offered, including their prices and what they cover:
Wellness coverage is the only optional add-on listed when signing up for a Travelers Pet Health plan, but the site says you can call for more options. When researching the cost for wellness coverage, our team obtained quotes for a 5-year-old male mixed-breed dog, a 2-year-old female golden retriever, a 5-year-old male mixed-breed cat and a 2-year-old female Siamese cat.
Customizable Coverage Levels
Travelers Pet Insurance plans offer policyholders flexibility to customize their coverage, but not as much as some other providers. It also doesn’t offer unlimited annual coverage, which some pet owners may see as a drawback.
Deductible Options
The deductible is the amount you must pay toward your pet’s unexpected veterinary expenses every year before the provider will provide reimbursement. Travelers Pet Insurance allows policyholders to choose a deductible of $100, $250 or $500. A higher deductible can lower your monthly premium, but you’ll have to pay more before your reimbursement kicks in. A lower deductible requires less up-front cost, but your monthly premium may be higher.
Reimbursement Rates
Your reimbursement rate is the percentage of your veterinary bill that your provider reimburses after you meet your deductible. Travelers Pet Insurance policyholders can choose a 70%, 80% or 90% reimbursement rate. A lower reimbursement rate lowers your monthly premium, but you get less money back when your pet is sick or injured. A higher reimbursement rate allows you to get more cash back on eligible veterinary bills, but increases your monthly premium.
Annual Limit Options
The annual limit is the total amount your provider will reimburse you over a 12-month policy period. Travelers Pet Insurance options are $2,500, $5,000, $7,000 and $10,000. A higher annual limit helps ensure your pet is covered if they experience a high-cost injury or illness, but it increases your monthly premium. A lower annual limit lowers your monthly premium, but you may run the risk of not having adequate coverage.
Sign-Up, Claims Filing and Payout Processes
Signing up for a Travelers Pet Insurance policy is easy after you get rerouted to ASPCA Pet Health Insurance’s website. It lists coverage details and FAQs directly on the quote page to help you determine what plan will best fit your needs. It also provides helpful information about how to customize your coverage regarding annual limits, reimbursement rates and annual deductible options.
Once enrolled, pet owners can navigate the site to find information such as how pet insurance works and common pet insurance terminology definitions. Policyholders also have access to the site’s Petriage — an online tool that allows them to enter their pet’s signs and symptoms to get recommendations about their pet’s care. In addition, they can access ASPCA Pet Health Insurance’s 24/7 Telehealth line to talk to a veterinary professional about their pet’s health concerns.
Payment for veterinary visits and services goes directly to the veterinarian. Once the payment goes through, the policyholder can submit a claim to get reimbursed. To submit a claim, policyholders sign in to the Member Center on their computer, tablet, phone or through the app. They must provide a summary of what happened and send an invoice that shows the services provided and the related costs. In the app, policyholders can snap a photo of their itemized invoice and any related veterinary notes. Users can also track their claim status through the app.
The amount you’re reimbursed depends on your reimbursement rate and whether you’ve met your deductible. The website says claims are typically closed in 30 days or less, though results may vary as with any claims process.
Policyholders can choose to be reimbursed by direct deposit or by receiving a check in the mail.
Travelers Pet Insurance’s Waiting Periods and Age Restrictions
What Customers Think About Travelers Pet Insurance
Travelers Pet Insurance received poor ratings from third-party review sites Trustpilot and WalletHub. However, it supplies insurance through ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, which received 4.1 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. Reviews were mixed, with some customers pleased with the service and others disgruntled.
What Customers Like
Factors that pleased Travelers Pet Insurance policyholders included:
- Reimbursement for routine care: Customers were happy to receive a 50% reimbursement for preventive care.
- Easy to use:Customers said policies were user-friendly and easy to review and understand.
- Smooth enrollment process: Some customers reported thatenrollment was easy.
- Trusted: Reviewers said ASPCA Pet Health Insurance had a name consumers trust.
- Multi-pet discount:Customers said policies were affordable for a multi-pet household.
What Customers Don’t Like
Factors that were less-than-ideal for Travelers Pet Insurance policyholders included:
- Pre-existing conditions:Customers complained that coverage was denied for pre-existing conditions.
- Preventive care:Some customers said its preventive care coverage is unclear.
- Escalating premiums: Some reviewers said Travelers escalated premiums at an unacceptable rate.
- Poor customer service:Some reviewers claimed Travelers Pet Insurancenever responded to emails about claims.
- Insufficient records:One customer reported that their claim was denied because the provider needed medical records for the last year for a 10-month-old dog.
We reached out to Travelers for comment on its negative reviews but did not receive a response.
