ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance's stated plan terms, checked October 22, 2026. Facts only: no rating, ranking, or price.
- Accident and illness
- Accident only
- Preventive add-on
- Dogs
- Cats
- Wellness add-on available
- Accident-only plan available
- Unlimited annual limit option
- No upper enrollment age stated
- Exam fees built into the plans
- 14 day knee wait in Alabama sample
The stated facts
| Company and underwriter, as the company states it | ASPCA Pet Health Insurance program. Its how-pet-insurance-works page says products are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company or United States Fire Insurance Company, and directs you to your policy forms to see which one is yours. |
|---|---|
| Species covered | Dogs, Cats |
| Plan types offered | Complete Coverage (accident and illness); Accident-Only Coverage; Basic and Prime preventive care add-ons |
| Accident waiting period, as stated | 14 days in the Alabama accident and illness sample form (PET-P-20000-1024), which applies one 14 day period to accidents, illnesses, and ligament and knee conditions. California, Maryland, and New Jersey publish their own forms, so check the one for your state. |
| Illness waiting period, as stated | 14 days from the first effective date of coverage in the Alabama sample form. |
| Orthopedic, cruciate, and other special waiting periods | No longer wait for knees in the Alabama form: ligament and knee conditions share the same 14 day period as other conditions. The form names no separate IVDD period. Other state forms can differ. |
| Eligibility, as the company states it | Dogs and cats from eight weeks old. The program's senior cat page says there is no upper age limit to enroll and that it does not limit or reduce coverage as a pet ages. |
| Deductible, reimbursement, and limit options, as stated | Annual deductible choices of $100, $250, or $500; reimbursement of 70, 80, or 90 percent; and annual coverage limits from $2,500 to unlimited, all as listed on the program's own pages. |
| Wellness or preventive option | Basic and Prime preventive care, sold only on top of Complete Coverage or Accident-Only. The program says preventive care is not a standalone insurance plan, has no waiting period, and is not subject to the deductible. Its sample endorsements list fixed amounts per service, such as a $50 annual exam on both tiers. |
| Pre-existing condition rule, as stated | Pre-existing conditions are excluded. The Alabama form treats anything that occurs during a waiting period as pre-existing, and lets a curable condition count as new after 180 days free of treatment and symptoms, except chronic conditions and ligament and knee conditions. |
One 14 day clock, knees included
The Alabama sample form from the ASPCA program uses a single waiting period: 14 days for accidents, illnesses, and ligament and knee conditions, counted from the first effective date. There is no 6 month knee clock in that form and no separate spinal wait.
For an owner of a Labrador or a Staffordshire, that means a cruciate tear in week three of the policy is covered on the same terms as any other illness, provided nothing in the record shows earlier signs. The trade-off sits in the definitions. The form calls knee conditions bilateral and related regardless of cause, so a problem in one knee before or during the wait affects both. California, Maryland, and New Jersey owners should read their own state form, which the program lists on its state documents page.
Exam fees in both plan types
The program's coverage page says exam fees for eligible conditions are built into its plans, and its accident-only page says that plan covers emergency vet care including exam fees. The Alabama form lists veterinary treatment including examinations, consultations, and laboratory tests as a covered expense.
For a breed that sees the vet often for skin or ear flare-ups, an exam fee on every visit adds up. Having it inside the reimbursed amount means each visit counts toward the deductible instead of sitting outside the policy.
Age at enrollment and premiums
The senior cat page answers the age question directly: no upper age limit to enroll, enrollment from eight weeks, and no limit or reduction of coverage as the cat ages. The senior dog page says the program covers dogs from 8 weeks old through their final years.
Premiums are a separate matter. The program states they may increase or decrease with the pet's age, species or breed, and home address, and the senior cat page says an older cat's monthly premium may be higher than a kitten's. An owner adopting a nine year old Greyhound can enroll, but should ask for the renewal premium history the program can show for that age band.
Claims: 270 days and an optional vet payment
The member top questions page says claims can be filed in the Member Center or the app, or sent by email, fax, or mail with the claim form, and asks members to submit within 270 days of the vet visit. Reimbursement goes by direct deposit if set up, or by mailed check.
The Alabama form adds that a veterinarian can submit a claim on the policyholder's behalf, and that the program can pay the veterinarian directly when the claim form says so. For a large surgical bill, ask the clinic in advance whether it will file that way.
What to get in writing from the ASPCA program
Which state form applies to your address, whether IVDD has any separate treatment in it, and how the 180 day cured condition rule would apply to a specific item in your pet's history. The form excludes ligament and knee conditions from that cure route, which matters for any dog with an old knee note.