Home » The Best Pet Insurance Companies of 2024

Hartville Pet Insurance has been in the business since 1997. Hartville’s policies are underwritten by Crum & Forster Company, an A-rated insurer according to AM Best.

Crum & Forster also backs policies sold through the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). So Hartville and ASPCA policies are almost identical.

Hartville and ASPCA are well-known in the pet insurance industry but to find the best pet insurance company, I recommend looking into the competition before choosing a provider.

Consider the coverage options that are available from one provider to another, your deductible and benefit limits, as well as the pros and cons of buying pet insurance in the first place.

Hartville Pet Insurance is ideal for pet owners whose cats or dogs suffer from behavioral issues and hereditary conditions since Hartville’s Complete Coverage Plan covers these types of conditions.

Like most top pet insurance companies, Hartville doesn’t pay for prosthetics, but a few of its competitors do.

Hartville Pet Insurance Coverage Options

Hartville Pet Insurance Logo

Hartville policyholders should choose the Complete Coverage policy if they want standard medical care coverage. This includes illness, accidents, hereditary conditions, and behavioral issues.

Like many other top pet insurance companies, Hartville offers an additional wellness plan that gives you a fixed wellness care reimbursement for certain preventive care procedures, such as dental hygiene, vaccines, and wellness exams, all for an additional monthly fee.

The company is one of the few major pet insurance companies to offer an accident-only option for diagnostics and treatment in the event of an unforeseen accident.

This wide range of options means you can customize a Hartville Pet Insurance policy to meet your individual needs and monthly budget.

Hartville policyholders can also choose their own veterinarian since, like most pet insurers, Hartville does not require an in-network provider.

Hartville Complete Coverage

Complete Coverage, the most popular plan available from Hartford, reimburses customers when their pets need medical attention after an accident, because of an illness, or for treatment of behavioral and hereditary conditions.

The Complete Coverage plan also reimburses vet bills to treat dental illnesses.

You could add-on Preventive Care which reimburses part of your vet bills after regular checkups and routine vet visits.

I seldom recommend Preventive Care plans because pet parents could simply save up the money they need for this routine care and pay out of pocket. Often, wellness care reimbursements equal the premiums paid — which means your insurance isn’t offering much value.

To get the most value from pet insurance, choose an accident-only or an accident + illness plan because these kinds of vet bills can be unexpected and hard to plan for.

Conditions and Treatments Covered

  • Accidents
  • Illnesses
  • Hereditary conditions
  • Congenital conditions
  • Cancer treatment
  • Chronic conditions
  • Dental illnesses

Medical Treatments Covered

  • Diagnostic testing
  • Surgery
  • Hospitalization
  • Prescription medications
  • Emergency care
  • Specialty care
  • Alternative care
  • Behavioral therapy

Note that Hartville also covers alternative care and behavioral therapy, which can be expensive and are not covered by many other pet insurance providers.

Unlike many insurers, Hartville Pet Insurance has an accident-only plan which costs less because it reimburses only if your dog or cat has an accident and needs medical care. This cost-saving option is best for pet parents with young and active pets.

Complete Coverage Exclusions

No pet insurance provider covers preexisting conditions, but an injury or illness that is healed or cured for 180 days is no longer considered a preexisting condition by Hartville — unless it is a knee or ligament condition.

Hartville’s Complete Coverage Excludes:

  • Cosmetic procedures such as tail docking, ear cropping, and claw removal.
  • Breeding costs.
  • Coverage for preventive care, like annual wellness care exams, screenings, and vaccines — unless you add-on the wellness plan which we’ll discuss next.

Hartville Preventive Care Program

Hartville has a Basic Preventive Care plan for about $10 and a Prime Preventive Care plan for about $25. The actual premium varies for cats and dogs based on their age and breed.

Basic Preventive Care Coverage

  • Dental cleaning
  • Wellness exam
  • Deworming
  • Health certificate
  • Flea/heartworm prevention
  • DHLPP vaccine/titer
  • Rabies or Lyme vaccine/titer
  • Bordetella vaccine/titer
  • Fecal test
  • Heartworm test
  • Blood test
  • Urinalysis
  • Total annual benefit

Prime Preventive Care Coverage

  • Dental cleaning or neuter
  • Wellness exam
  • Deworming
  • Health certificate
  • Flea/heartworm prevention
  • DHLPP vaccine/titer
  • Rabies or Lyme vaccine/titer
  • Bordetella vaccine/titer
  • Fecal test
  • Heartworm test
  • Blood test
  • Urinalysis

Enrollment and Waiting Periods

Pets as young as 8 weeks old and as old as 12 years old (for dogs) or 14 years old (for cats) can enroll in new coverage with Hartville. Most competitors have similar age caps, but several others also offer new policies to pets of any age.

Hartville stands in the middle of the pack among pet insurers. If your pet is too old for Hartville, consider Pets Best or Progressive pet insurance.

New policyholders must wait 14 days before filing a claim on their Hartville Pet Insurance policy. This waiting period is about average in the pet insurance industry, although some of its competitors have shorter waiting periods for accident coverage.

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How Much Does Hartville Pet Insurance Cost?

Your pet insurance premiums will depend on several factors. The cheapest plan covers only accidents. The most expensive plan will covers accidents, illness, and provides wellness care.

A few other choices will also impact your price tag:

  • Choosing a higher annual deductible can save you money on premiums.
  • A lower annual limit on reimbursements will also lower your monthly bill.
  • Your pet’s age will make a big difference. Older animals cost more to insure.
  • Your pet’s health history and your geographic location (which impacts the cost of vet care) also factor into your premiums.

While your premiums will fluctuate significantly based on these factors, minimum monthly premiums with Hartville are among the lowest in the industry: $12.28 for dogs and $9.83 for cats.

Again, these are minimum amounts; your price could be a lot higher if you opt for wellness care or have an older pet.

But pet parents with younger pets who choose the Complete Coverage plan with a $500 deductible and a $5,000 annual limit on reimbursements will enjoy some of the lowest premiums in the market. This plan would also reimburse only 70 percent of covered expenses.

If you’d prefer a 90 percent reimbursement rate, expect higher premiums.

Coverage Choices

As you customize your policy so you can get a quote, you can set the following variables:

  • Annual Deductible: $100 to $500 — lower deductibles cost more in premiums.
  • Annual Benefit Limit: $5,000 or Unlimited — lower benefit limits save money on premiums.
  • Reimbursement Rate: 70%, 80%, 90% — higher reimbursement rates charge higher premiums.
  • Coverage Options: Accident Only; Complete Coverage; Wellness Care Add-On — more coverage means higher prices, of course.

Hartville is one of the best companies for pet parents who want to customize coverage while keeping a simple policy.

Online Quoting and Enrollment

Hartford has a robust online enrollment tool that lets you get a quote quickly and easily. Since quotes are saved, you can always go back to the site to check them when comparing costs among competitors.

Hartville offers a 10 percent discount for enrolling multiple pets.

Hartville Pet Insurance Claims Process & Customer Service

Hartville Pet Insurance plans are administered by Crum & Forster Group, a division of the United States Fire Insurance Company.

I mention this in case you’d like to do more research on the actual underwriter. C&F Insurance Agency, Inc., and Crum & Forster Group, both trademarks of United States Fire Insurance Company, provide the actual insurance underwriting you’re buying with a Hartville Pet Insurance policy.

So you’d need to look into all these company names if you’d like to read reviews. C&F has a pretty good AM Best rating of A which means the insurer should have the money to pay your claim if necessary. If you’d like to look up the company with your state’s insurance commissioner, use NPN #3974227.

Filing a Claim

When you need to file a claim, you can mail in the paperwork, email customer service reps, or fill out an online form. You’ll have to file your claim within 270 days of your pet’s date of medical care.

You’ll have to pay the vet bill up front and then wait for Hartville (Crum & Forster Group) to reimburse you based on the details of your policy. No plan will pay all of your vet bill, but the best coverage could pay up to 90 percent. The remaining, unpaid percentage, is your co-pay or co-insurance.

You should get your reimbursement within two weeks of filing your claim.

Member Center Perks

Once enrolled, Hartford grants you access to The Member Center, an online account management tool that helps users perform the following tasks:

  • Add a pet to your account
  • Determine whether exam fees will be covered
  • Locate a nearby vet clinic
  • Pay your bill
  • Set up direct deposit
  • Sign up for paperless communications
  • Submit and track the status of claims
  • Update your contact information
  • View your policy

Hartville Pet Insurance has received a rating of A+ from the Better Business Bureau. No official complaints were filed with the BBB regarding Hartville Pet Insurance, which places the company high above most of its competitors in this field.

The Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group includes Hartville Pet Insurance, Pet Insured, PetPremium Pet Health Insurance, Petshealth Care Plan, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, and Premier Pet Insurance.

It and all of its affiliates are part of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. The group is highly regarded by customers, as shown by online reviews.

NAPHIA offers the Pet Health Insurance Buying Guide to help you consider all your options when choosing coverage for your pet.

Hartville Phone Number & Contact Information

You can visit the company’s website to get online quotes or call for answers to specific questions. Be sure to compare Hartville to several other providers before determining what’s right for you and your pet.

  • Homepage URL: https://www.hartvillepetinsurance.com
  • Company Phone: 800-935-7280
  • Headquarters Address: 8 Beach St., New York, NY, 10013
  • Year Founded: 1997

In addition to getting insurance for your cat or dog, be sure to set up appointments to safeguard their dental and medical well-being.