Is USAA Pet Insurance Good? Here's How It Stacks Up

Read on to learn more about USAA pet insurance plans, prices, exclusions, and more to decide if this provider is the right choice for you and your pet.

Table of Contents

• Does USAA offer pet insurance?
• USAA Pet Insurance review
• What we like about this coverage
• What could be improved
• Is USAA’s pet insurance worth it?

Does USAA offer pet insurance?

The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) has provided financial services such as affordable banking, investment solutions, and insurance policies to servicemembers for almost 100 years — and now, the company offers protection for pets, too.

USAA partnered with Embrace Pet Insurance to offer this new product to its customers, joining the likes of other well-known insurance companies, such as Nationwide, Geico, and Progressive, who have recently entered the pet marketplace.

Even though USAA doesn’t administer pet insurance directly, customers still have the option to bundle multiple USAA products together, including renters, homeowners, and automobile insurance policies. With its new partnership, USAA pet insurance policies are underwritten by American Modern Insurance Group Inc., a company that received an A- rating by AM Best.

USAA Pet Insurance review

Available plans

USAA pet insurance is available in two different plans: Accident & Illness and Accident-Only.

• The Accident & Illness plan covers most essential veterinary services needed to treat injuries and illnesses, including chronic conditions (like allergies), cancer treatment, congenital conditions, MRIs, CT scans, ultrasound, and X-rays, hospitalization and surgery, exam fees, and so on. The required waiting period before customers can file an insurance claim for illness is two weeks (six months for orthopedic conditions). The waiting period for accidental injuries is only 48 hours, which is much shorter than the 14-day period offered by most pet insurance providers.

• Accident-Only coverage comes with a 90% reimbursement rate, a $100 deductible, and a coverage limit of $5,000 per year — but it only covers injuries, such as those related to poisoning, foreign body ingestion, bloating, cuts, and lacerations. Dogs over 14 will automatically convert to to this type of coverage, so USAA'S pet insurance for older pets does not include illnesses. However, you can also select this plan at the time of enrollment as a low-cost way to offset the financial risk of expensive pet emergencies.

USAA also offers its members a Wellness Rewards plan for coverage of preventive pet care. This plan allows you to set funds aside for routine health services such as:

• Routine vet visits
• Core vaccinations for dogs
• Dog microchip costs
• The cost to spay or neuter
• Grooming and nail trimming
• Massage therapy
• Dog training classes
• Teeth cleaning costs
• Burial or cremation

Customers can choose an annual limit of $250, $450, or $650. It should be noted though that any funds left in your account at the end of the year are non-refundable.

Exclusions

Like most pet insurers, USAA does not cover pre-existing conditions. However, the company offers some coverage for certain pre-existing conditions that are considered curable. The list includes UTIs, respiratory infections, diarrhea, vomiting, and other GI disorders. It should be noted though that USAA will cover the treatments for these conditions if your four-legged friend is symptom-free and treatment-free for a year.

Pricing

When it comes to pet insurance cost, USAA’s pet insurance pricing is determined by Embrace. In general, prices are affordable, with monthly rates starting at $13 for dogs and $8 for cars. Prices vary based on the policy, the coverage you select, the reimbursement rate, as well as the pet’s age. The Wellness Reward program is offered at a flat rate for all pets regardless of their breed and age.

Discounts

USAA members qualify for a 15% discount for accident and illness, accident-only, and wellness coverage. In addition, Embrace offers a 10% multi-pet discount, as well as an additional 10% if your employer offers Embrace Pet Insurance as an employee benefit, which means that discounts can extend up to 25%.

In addition, your annual deductible is automatically reduced by $50 for each year your pet goes without receiving a claim reimbursement. You can also save an additional $12 by paying the annual premiums upfront.

Reimbursement times

Claims are filed directly with Embrace via its website, smartphone app, postal mail, email, or fax. Embrace usually takes between ten and 15 days to process a claim.