Who actually insures your pet
The ASPCA is an animal welfare charity, not an insurance company. Its own disclosure says it "is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance." The policies are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company (Morristown, New Jersey) and produced and administered by C&F Insurance Agency, Inc., part of Crum & Forster. The ASPCA receives a royalty for the use of its name, and the disclosure says that payment is not a charitable contribution.
Why this matters to you:
- Claims and service are handled by Crum & Forster's pet unit, not by the charity.
- Financial strength depends on the underwriter. AM Best upgraded the Crum & Forster group members, including United States Fire Insurance Company, to A+ (Superior) in August 2025 and affirmed that rating in August 2026. (Older ASPCA disclosure text still cites an earlier A rating.)
- Buying a policy is not a donation. If supporting the ASPCA is part of your reason, give to it directly.
The same plans also reach people through partners. NerdWallet notes ASPCA is the pet insurance provider for Travelers, and several credit unions and professional groups offer it as a member benefit.
Plan options
| Plan | What it covers | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Coverage | Accidents and illnesses, including cancer, hereditary and congenital conditions, behavioral issues and alternative therapies | Owners who want broad cover for a dog or cat |
| Accident-Only | Injuries such as bites, broken bones and swallowed objects; no illnesses | Tight budgets, or older pets where illness cover is costly |
| Preventive Care add-on (Basic or Prime) | Fixed allowances for routine items such as wellness exams, vaccines and dental cleanings | Owners who would spend the full allowance anyway |
| Horse plans | Accident, colic and illness, or accident and colic only | Horse owners (availability is more limited) |
Source: NerdWallet ASPCA review (May 2026); Insurify ASPCA review (May 2026).
Complete Coverage also pays for exam fees tied to a covered condition, prescription food and medication used to treat a covered condition, MRIs, ultrasounds, X-rays, stem cell therapy, microchip implantation and end-of-life costs. Policyholders get a 24/7 veterinary helpline.
Deductibles, reimbursement and annual limits
You choose three numbers. Published menus differ by source and state, so treat these as ranges and confirm in your quote.
- Annual deductible: NerdWallet lists $100, $250, $500 and $750 online. Insurify lists $100 to $500, and Pawlicy Advisor shows a $1,000 option. Preventive add-ons have no deductible.
- Reimbursement: 70%, 80% or 90% on most policies. Pawlicy also shows 100% in some quotes.
- Annual limit: from $2,500 up to unlimited. Insurify notes that limits above $10,000 require a phone call rather than an online quote.
ASPCA subtracts the deductible first and then applies your reimbursement rate. On a $2,000 covered bill with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement, you'd get back ($2,000 − $250) × 0.8 = $1,400 and pay $600 yourself, plus premiums. Our pet insurance guide explains how these three settings trade off against the premium.
Waiting periods and age limits
Accident and illness coverage starts after a 14-day waiting period. Preventive care starts the day the policy begins. NerdWallet notes there's no separate months-long wait for orthopedic problems such as knee injuries, which some competitors impose (Embrace, for example, uses six months unless you complete an exam and waiver). Pawlicy lists 14 days for cruciate ligament and orthopedic conditions too.
Pets can enroll from 8 weeks old, and there's no maximum age for dogs and cats. That's useful for senior pets, since many insurers stop taking new enrollments around age 14. No vet exam is required to enroll, though the insurer will review medical records when you claim.
What ASPCA plans cost: sourced sample quotes
NerdWallet priced Complete Coverage in Katy, Texas, with a $250 deductible, $5,000 annual limit and 80% reimbursement:
| Breed | Age 2 (per month) | Age 8 (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Medium mixed-breed dog | $39 | $98 |
| German shepherd | $48 | $121 |
| Labrador retriever | $55 | $137 |
| Poodle | $55 | $137 |
| Golden retriever | $57 | $137 |
| French bulldog | $78 | $194 |
Source: NerdWallet ASPCA Pet Insurance Review, updated May 1, 2026. Your quote will differ.
Two patterns stand out. Age drives the price hard: the mixed-breed dog's premium rises about 2.5 times between ages 2 and 8. Breed matters too: the French bulldog costs twice as much as the mixed breed at the same age.
Insurify's Connecticut quotes ($10,000 limit, $500 deductible, 80%) show the gap between plan types:
| Pet (age 2) | Complete Coverage | Accident-Only |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed-breed dog, medium, male | $47.72/mo | $36.98/mo |
| American shorthair cat, female | $22.92/mo | $19.93/mo |
Source: Insurify ASPCA review, updated May 31, 2026.
For this young dog, illness coverage added only about $10.74 a month over accident-only. That small gap is common for young pets and is a reason many owners skip accident-only plans. For context, NAPHIA's 2025 industry averages for accident-and-illness plans were $836 a year for dogs and $435 for cats.
Ways to lower the price: a 10% multi-pet discount, a 10% discount for people who work in a veterinary office, and paying annually. Pawlicy reports a $2 monthly processing fee, so annual payment saves $24 a year.
Is the preventive add-on worth it?
Insurify quotes Basic at $9.95 a month ($119.40 a year) for up to $250 of routine care, and Prime at $24.95 a month ($299.40 a year) for up to $450. Each service has its own cap. Under Basic, Pawlicy lists $100 for a dental cleaning, $50 for a wellness exam and $20 each for items such as vaccines and a heartworm test. Prime raises the dental cleaning (or spay/neuter) cap to $150 and most other items to $25.
The math only works if you use nearly every line item each year. If your pet skips a dental cleaning, you likely spend more on the add-on than you get back. Putting the same money into a dedicated savings account is a reasonable alternative; see our savings account guide.
Exclusions to read closely
- Pre-existing conditions are excluded. A curable condition can be covered if it hasn't recurred, and has been treatment-free, for 180 days.
- Knee and ligament conditions are the big exception: if one existed before coverage or showed up during the waiting period, it stays excluded. Pawlicy also lists bilateral conditions as not covered.
- Dental: cleanings aren't covered under Complete Coverage unless treating a covered illness. Advanced dentistry and endodontics are excluded.
- Other exclusions: breeding, cosmetic procedures (ear cropping, tail docking), experimental treatment, boarding, funeral costs, house-call fees, CBD and herbal products, supplements and vitamins, toys and bedding, organ or heart valve transplants, and diets used for prevention or weight loss.
Claims and customer experience
You can file online, in the app, or by email, mail or fax, and you get paid by direct deposit or check. Pawlicy reports a 270-day filing window, an average reimbursement time of nine days, and a 30-day maximum. NerdWallet says most claims are processed within 30 days.
Third-party ratings are mixed. Insurify reports a 4.1 out of 5 Trustpilot score, with about 73% five-star and 8% one-star reviews. The app is the weak spot at 2.9 out of 5, and both NerdWallet and Insurify call it out. Common complaints involve app usability and visits the reviewer expected to be covered.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Hereditary, congenital, behavioral and alternative therapies included in the base plan | App rated 2.9/5; claims can take up to 30 days |
| No upper enrollment age for dogs and cats | Pre-existing knee and ligament issues never become eligible |
| 14-day wait with no long orthopedic waiting period | Limits above $10,000 need a phone quote |
| Exam fees for covered conditions included | $2 monthly processing fee unless you pay annually |
| Covers horses as well as dogs and cats | Deductible menu varies by state and channel |
Source: NerdWallet (May 2026), Insurify (May 2026), Pawlicy Advisor (September 2026).
How to decide if ASPCA fits
- Get at least three quotes for the same deductible, reimbursement and limit. Compare ASPCA with the insurers in our best pet insurance comparison, such as Healthy Paws or Nationwide.
- Check your pet's history. If there's any past limping or knee issue, assume knee claims won't be paid.
- Look at the age curve. Ask for a quote at your pet's current age and note how steeply rates rose in the sample table. Budget for increases.
- Use the free look. Where your state follows the NAIC model law, you get 15 days to cancel for a full refund if you haven't claimed. Read the full policy in that window.
Frequently asked questions
Is ASPCA pet insurance run by the ASPCA?
No. The ASPCA licenses its name. Policies are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company and administered by C&F Insurance Agency, a Crum & Forster company. The ASPCA receives a royalty, which is not a charitable contribution.
How long is the ASPCA pet insurance waiting period?
14 days for accidents and illnesses. Preventive care add-ons start the day your policy begins, and there is no separate months-long orthopedic waiting period.
Is there an age limit for ASPCA pet insurance?
Pets must be at least 8 weeks old. There is no maximum enrollment age for dogs and cats, though premiums rise steeply with age.
Does ASPCA cover pre-existing conditions?
Not generally. A curable condition may be covered once it has been symptom- and treatment-free for 180 days, but knee and ligament conditions that existed before coverage or began during the waiting period stay excluded.
How much does ASPCA pet insurance cost?
It depends on breed, age, location and the options you pick. NerdWallet's Katy, Texas samples ranged from $39 a month for a 2-year-old mixed-breed dog to $194 for an 8-year-old French bulldog. Insurify quoted $22.92 a month for a 2-year-old cat in Connecticut.
How fast does ASPCA pay claims?
Most claims are processed within 30 days. Pawlicy Advisor reports an average of about nine days and a 270-day window to file.
Does ASPCA cover dental care?
Dental illness is covered under Complete Coverage, but routine cleanings are not unless they treat a covered illness. The Basic and Prime preventive add-ons reimburse a cleaning up to $100 or $150.
Sources
- LendEDU – ASPCA Pet Insurance disclosures
- State Bar of Wisconsin – Pet insurance member benefit (ASPCA underwriting disclosure)
- NerdWallet – ASPCA Pet Insurance Review 2026
- Insurify – ASPCA Pet Insurance Reviews (2026)
- Pawlicy Advisor – ASPCA Pet Insurance Review
- NAPHIA – State of the Industry 2026 report highlights
- NAIC – Pet Insurance Model Act (#633)
- Pawlicy Advisor – Embrace pet insurance
- Business Wire – AM Best affirms credit ratings of Crum & Forster Insurance Group's members (Aug. 2026)
Rates, fees and terms change often. Figures were checked in October 2026; confirm current details with the provider before you apply.