Hartville Pet Insurance Review [Updated 2023]

Searching for pet insurance to help cover veterinary costs when your dog or cat gets sick or injured? You might be considering a plan from Hartville Pet Insurance.

Hartville Pet Insurance provides accident and illness coverage as well as accident-only pet insurance plans for dogs and cats. But is it the right pet insurance for your pet?

Keep reading for a detailed Hartville pet insurance review, including info about cover features, exclusions, and how to make a claim.

To help you decide if Hartville is right for your budget, we got a quote online for a 3-year-old, medium-sized mixed breed female dog living in San Francisco.

The cost of our quoted monthly premiums for the Complete Coverage plan ranged from $21.04 to $82.69.

The premiums for the Accident-Only plan were cheaper, ranging from $11.55 to $45.42 per month.

For both quotes, the lowest monthly premiums included a high deductible ($500), a low reimbursement rate (70%), and a low annual coverage limit ($2,500). The high end of the ranges included a low deductible ($100), a high reimbursement rate (90%), and a high annual coverage limit ($10,000).

Let's take a look at which factors will determine the cost of your monthly premium, followed by the plans and customization options available to you.

Related: Understanding Pet Insurance Terms

Factors that affect the cost of your monthly premium

Several factors can affect the cost of your plan, including:

• The policy you choose. Complete Coverage plans from Hartville Pet Insurance provide coverage for illness and injury. Accident-Only Coverage plans cover accidental injuries only, so they have lower premiums.

• Where you live. Veterinary care costs more in some parts of the country than others, so the insurer will consider your zip code when you apply for your pet insurance policy.

• Whether you’re insuring a dog or a cat. Dogs tend to have higher veterinary costs than cats, so canines typically cost more to insure.

• Your pet’s breed. Larger breeds tend to have higher veterinary costs than smaller dogs, while purebreds are also more susceptible to specific health issues than mixed breeds.

• Your pet's age. Puppies and kittens tend to be cheaper to insure compared to adult and senior pets.
  

Now that we've covered some general factors that will affect the cost of your pet insurance plan, let's take a look at what customization options Hartville has to offer customers.

Deductible options

When you enroll, you can choose from the following deductible options:

• $100
• $250
• $500

The smaller the deductible you choose, the more your policy will cost each month.

Reimbursement rate options

The reimbursement rate is the amount Hartville will reimburse you for your pet's vet care expenses. You can choose from the following reimbursement rate options:

• 70%
• 80%
• 90%
  

The higher the reimbursement rate, the more coverage will cost.

Maximum annual payout options

Also called the annual coverage limit, this is the max amount of vet bills your pet insurance company will reimburse you in a 12-month period. When you sign up for a Complete Coverage plan from Hartville, you can choose from the following annual coverage limits:

• $2,500
• $4,000
• $5,000
• $7,000
• $10,000
• Unlimited*
  

*According to Hartville's website, pet parents can select an unlimited coverage option. When we applied for our quotes, we weren't offered this option. However, the quote page included a phone number pet parents can call for more coverage options.

Important note: Choose your annual coverage limit carefully! If you choose to raise your coverage limit in the future, you'll need to take out a brand new plan with Hartville instead of amending your existing one. This means any previously diagnosed conditions (even while your pet was insured) will be considered pre-existing and won't be eligible for coverage.

Add-ons

If you want coverage for routine veterinary costs, you have the option of adding Preventive Care coverage to your policy for an additional fee. (We'll cover the Preventative Care add-on later in this article.)

Discounts

If you want to insure more than 1 pet, Hartville pet insurance offers a 10% discount.

Hartville pet insurance plans are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company. Let's take a closer look at Hartville's coverage, exclusions, and wellness add-on.

Covered expenses

If you choose a Complete Coverage plan, this provides cover for a wide range of expenses and treatments, including:

• Vet exams and consultations
• Laboratory fees
• IV fluids and medications
• Prescription medications
• MRI or CT scans and X-rays 
• Surgery and hospitalization
• Broken bones
• Cuts and bite wounds
• Toxic ingestion
• Digestive problems
• Diabetes 
• Cancer
• Dental disease
• Hereditary conditions
• Hip dysplasia
• Tooth extractions 
• Behavioral issues

Exclusions

Of course, there are also treatments and situations where Hartville pet insurance will not provide any cover, such as:

• Pre-existing conditions
• Cosmetic procedures
• Breeding costs
• Elective procedures
• Funeral services
• House call fees
• Prescription food
• Training

For a full list of exclusions, check out a sample policy on Hartville's website.

Add-ons

If you add Preventive Care to your plan, you’ll also be covered for things like:

• Dental cleaning
• Wellness exams
• Vaccinations
• Deworming
• Canine heartworm or feline FELV test
• Fecal test

There are two levels of Preventive Care to choose from: Basic and Prime. Prime adds coverage for expenses such as urinalysis, blood tests, heartworm/flea prevention, and spaying/neutering.

You can apply for a Hartville policy online. The first step is to get a quote by providing:

• Your pet’s name, age, breed, and gender 
• Your zip code
• Your email address

You can then choose whether you want Complete Coverage or Accident-Only Coverage. If you opt for Complete Coverage, you can take out a standard plan ($5,000 annual limit, 80% reimbursement, $250 annual deductible) or customize your annual limit, reimbursement rate, and deductible amount.

The next step is to review the details and cost of your quote before proceeding with payment. You can pay your monthly premium with your credit card or via bank account withdrawal.

If your pet needs veterinary treatment, you can take them to any licensed veterinary clinic in the U.S. or Canada. You can then submit your pet insurance claim in 5 ways:

Online through the Hartville Pet Insurance Member Center

Using the My Pet Insurance app

Email: claims@hartvillepetinsurance.com

Fax: 1-866-888-2495

Mail:
Hartville Pet Insurance
1208 Massillon Rd. Suite G 200
Akron, Ohio 44306

You’ll need to submit your claim within 270 days of your pet receiving treatment. Hartville says it processes most claims in 30 days or less. You’ll also receive email updates on the progress of your claim, or you can check its status by logging into the insurer’s online Member Center.

Claim reimbursements can be paid by direct deposit or check.

Complete Coverage and Accident-Only Coverage both go into effect 14 days after you enroll your pet in a plan. If you choose to add the Preventive Care package to your policy, the coverage it provides will come into effect the day after you enroll.

Hartville Pet Insurance has an average review score of 4.3/5 from 260 customer reviews on Trustpilot. Those who left positive reviews praised Hartville for its prompt claims handling and friendly customer service. However, some customers do complain about slow claims processing.

Hartville Pet Insurance is a brand of Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group, which was founded in 1997. The group is Better Business Bureau accredited with an A+ rating. However, the bureau had closed over 45 complaints against Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group in the 3 years prior to writing.

Whether you’re looking for comprehensive pet insurance or accident-only cover, Hartville pet insurance is worth a look. However, you’ll need to compare Hartville pet insurance with plans from a range of other insurers before deciding whether it’s right for your pet.

Here's a quick recap of the pros and cons of Hartville's policies:

Pros

• Offers a range of plans and customization options to fit your needs and budget
• Lets you choose your own veterinary clinics, hospitals, and specialists
• Covers a wide range of conditions, including some "alternative" treatments like acupuncture
• No lengthy waiting periods for issues such as cruciate ligament conditions
• Rated highly on Trustpilot

Cons

• Unlimited annual coverage option doesn't appear to be available for quotes through the website
• 14-day waiting period for accidents