Fetch Pet Insurance Information & Review: Everything You Need To Know
General Information
Fetch by the Dodo is the largest pet health insurance provider worldwide and has been operating in the U.S. since 2006, with policies administered by Fetch Insurance Services, LLC. Chris and Natasha Ashton of Fetch Inc. were awarded the exclusive license for the Petplan brand in North America in September 2003 as the sister company to Petplan UK (founded in 1976).
Fetch is a pet insurance provider founded to protect animals and their families from life’s most unexpected moments (and unexpected vet bills). Similar to health insurance for humans, Fetch offers flexible pet insurance policies that cover the cost of medical treatment for unexpected illnesses and injuries.
Fetch's goal is to provide “tooth-to-tail” protection for pets from when they’re born to their senior years and beyond.
They further this goal by partnering with AARP, National Police Dog Foundation, North Shore Animal League America, and Morris Animal Foundation, amongst others, to improve pet welfare throughout the United States.
What kinds of pets are eligible for Fetch pet insurance?
The Fetch insurance company offers dog insurance and cat insurance plans to cover unexpected veterinary bills and treatment costs for injuries, illnesses, and other health issues. All domestic dogs and cats in the U.S. and Canada are eligible for Fetch’s coverage (though certain breed-specific risks and pre-existing conditions may be excluded).
Key Takeaways
How Much Does It Cost?
Pet insurance prices for Fetch Pet Insurance vary based on your pet's breed, age, gender, and the zip code you live in. Use Pawlicy Advisor to lock in the best price, and compare Fetch to other leading pet insurance brands for free.
The cost of Fetch’s pet insurance varies based on your pet’s age, breed, location, and the reimbursement options of the policy you select. The average monthly premium begins at $20 and goes up to over $100 depending on unique factors.
Plans with low deductibles, high annual limits, and low co-pays cost more in monthly premiums but offer a more robust financial safety net for when your pet needs veterinary care.
Use Pawlicy Advisor to guarantee the best price, and compare Fetch to other leading pet insurance brands for free.
What makes Fetch pet insurance worth it?
You can’t predict when your pet will need treatment, and U.S. families spend over $18 billion a year on veterinary care.
Fetch covers exam fees for injury or illness (a perk that can save you $50-$250 on average per visit) where as many other providers won’t cover the cost of the veterinary exam to treat or diagnose your pet.
Additionally, Fetch lists a “curable exclusionary period” of 12 months - which means some curable pre-existing conditions can be covered after the exclusionary period! This benefit alone makes their costs worth it for any who have curable existing conditions.
They’re also one of the oldest providers with 42 years in business.
How does the price compare to other plans?
Fetch’s total monthly premium tends to be a bit more expensive than other options.
However, you should factor in the perks mentioned above as well as benefits such as homeopathic & alternative therapies, and comprehensive periodontal disease coverage. You can use Pawlicy Advisor to find and compare a range of Fetch coverage options with context on why they’d be recommended for you.
Important Information to Know About Fetch Pet Insurance
How good are Fetch pet insurance reviews?
As of 2020, Fetch reviews have an average rating of 4 out of 5 on Trustpilot (from 425 reviews).
*Keep in mind that pet insurance reviews only offer a shade of context. Simple review aggregators do not illuminate the real data points and fine print as it relates to your unique pet, location, and financial standing. To get a data-driven, personalized recommendation you can use Pawlicy Advisor’s free policy scanner.
Have an existing Fetch policy? Write a review to help other pet owners.
What to know before investing in Fetch pet insurance
- You must take your dog to the vet within 48 hours of noticing symptoms of an injury or illness for coverage to apply.
- Payment for claims will be delayed until you submit an invoice from your vet.
- Dogs must have an annual dental and health checkup for coverage to apply.
When should you consider insurance for your pet?
The sooner the better, as earlier consideration will also help prevent future exclusions due to pre-existing conditions. In other words, you should consider pet insurance before injuries, diseases, or illnesses arise to ensure that any future veterinary bills will be covered by your chosen plan.
Ideally, you should consider pet insurance within the first six months of adopting your pet - regardless of whether you adopt from a shelter, rescue, or breeder.
Customer Service
Premium customer support is at the heart of Fetch’s core values. A customer service team provides 24/7 support for pet owners and veterinarians through phone, email, and live chat. Members also get a free membership to PetCoach, where pet owners may find access to veterinary experts and pet medical records.
Discount Opportunities
What's Covered
Coverage under Fetch policy includes prescription medication for life, including all brand names like Denamarin®, Atopica®, and Rimadyl®. This is contingent on a veterinarian prescribing medication as a treatment for a behavioral disorder, covered injury, accident, or illness.
However, Fetch does consider spaying and neutering as elective surgery.
List of treatment and conditions covered by Fetch Pet Insurance plans
*Veterinarians use Pawlicy Advisor to streamline the pet insurance conversation. There’s simply too many variables for any one person to truly understand what’s covered and what’s cost-effective across the hundreds of policy variations that exist.
What's Not Covered
Fetch doesn’t cover the cost of a related treatment associated with rupture or damage of luxation of the patellas, cruciate ligaments or soft tissue disorders of the knee where the first signs appeared six months before the insurance coverage is in effect. They also do not cover physical harm from normal activity.
Like other pet health insurance plans, Fetch does not cover pre-existing conditions - however, certain curable pre-existing conditions are eligible for coverage 12 months after the condition was cured.
Claims Reimbursement
To file a claim, log in to your account panel, print a claim form, complete, sign and submit via email or through the Android or IOS app.
What information do you need to submit your claim?
- Completed claim form
- Paid itemized receipts
- Medical records release form for the past two years
How long might it take for your claim to be reimbursed?
If your paperwork is in order, there’s a waiting period of 30 days from the date when Fetch receives your claim. However, most pet owners who wrote reviews on Fetch insurance say the company pay the reimbursement within 5-7 days.
To submit your claim, the following information is needed:
Visit a vet within 48 hours after first noticing clinical sign(s) related to an illness or injury. Mail or submit electronically by including your name, description of your pet, policy number, description of claimed illness or injury, an itemized veterinary invoice and proof of payment showing (1) the treatments administered; (2) the fees charged; and (3) receipt showing zero balance due after payment.
Cancellation Information
To cancel your pet policy, contact Fetch at 1.844.251.5462. If you haven’t submitted a claim, you will receive a full refund when you cancel during the first 30 days of your policy. After 30-days, you’ll be refunded at a prorated amount or the total premium you’ve paid minus your re-enrollment fee where it's applicable.
Below is their official cancellation policy:
You may cancel this policy at any time. Fetch will return to you the unearned portion of any premium paid. If you notify Fetch within the first thirty (30) days from the start date, and you have not submitted any claim against this policy, Fetch will refund the entire premium.
Fetch has continuous coverage over the lifetime of a pet so long as a pet owner does not commit fraud or file a misrepresentation of the facts.
Pre-existing conditions
Again, while Fetch doesn’t offer a specific plan that covers pre-existing conditions, certain curable pre-existing conditions are eligible for coverage 12 months after the condition was cured (as long as there is no recurrence of clinical signs within that waiting period).
The specific language used to describe what is considered a pre-existing condition is specified per-policy. Below is Fetch Pet Insurance's latest definition of a "pre-existing condition":
A medical condition which first occurred or showed clinical sign(s) before the effective date of this policy or which occurred or showed clinical sign(s) during the policy waiting period.
Compare Fetch Pet Insurance To Other Top Providers
If you'd like to see how Fetch Pet Insurance stacks up against other top providers, we've made it easy. Take a look at the links below:
