If you’re looking to insure your dog or cat, two pet insurance companies that have comprehensive plans with competitive rates are Pumpkin pet insurance and the ASPCA. But how do you decide which one is right for you?
There are pros and cons to both companies, and the right insurance plan for your pet comes down to what exactly you’re looking for.
To help you understand your options so you can decide, here, we cover the reimbursement rates, deductibles, coverage limits, and more for both Pumpkin and ASPCA pet insurance plans.
While Pumpkin pet insurance might not be a household name, it provides a top-notch pet insurance plan to every pet that applies. It offers 90% reimbursement rates and maximum annual reimbursements start at $10,000.
Even better, you can up the maximum annual reimbursement to be as high as you want, and it covers many events, including dental problems, behavioral issues, and even alternative therapies, so you can choose whatever you feel is right for your pet without worrying about the price.
Finally, while Pumpkin is a great pet insurance brand, it also has a wellness package, to help ensure that you can catch any problems early on. It wants you to keep up with your pet’s annual checks, so it covers 100% of the costs associated with these visits, including tests.
The ASPCA is a top name in the pet industry, and it has a pet insurance policy with tons of flexibility. Not only do you get to pick your own deductible, but you also get to pick reimbursement and coverage levels.
This extra flexibility enables you to get a pet insurance plan with a premium that fits into your budget, instead of skipping pet insurance altogether because you can’t afford it.
ASPCA also makes using your pet insurance easy because you can submit claims online, by mail, or even by fax, and it will send direct deposit reimbursements right into your bank account. Even better, you can use whatever vet you like, as the ASPCA doesn’t limit coverage to select facilities.
As we’ve stated, no two pet insurance companies are the same. They all have their own protocols and procedures, as well as their own plans and what they cover. Let’s take a look below to compare the two regarding the plans available within each company.
Pumpkin offers one pet insurance plan and then enables you to customize the annual limit and deductible. Pumpkin plans cover about anything that you can think of, including hereditary problems, behavioral issues, alternative treatments, dental problems, and much more.
ASPCA
The ASPCA offers one pet insurance plan, but you can customize the reimbursement rate, annual deductible, and annual limit to get a plan that you can afford. Its plans cover dental issues, behavioral issues, illnesses, accidents, and even heredity conditions.
Pumpkin vs. ASPCA: Reimbursements and Deductibles
Pumpkin
% of Medical Expenses
90%
Annual Deductible Options
$100
$250
$500
Maximum Coverage Options
$7,000
$10,000
Unlimited
Pumpkin has a straightforward system. Every plan comes with a 90% reimbursement rate on all treatments. Moreover, the maximum annual reimbursement starts between $7,000 and $10,000, but you can raise it to an unlimited annual limit if you want. Finally, there are three deductible options to choose from: $100, $250, or $500.
ASPCA
% of Medical Expenses
70%
90%
Annual Deductible Options
$100
$250
$500
Maximum Coverage Options
$3,000
$15,000
The ASPCA offers extremely customizable insurance plans. Annual coverage limits range from $3,000 to $15,000, and reimbursement rates range from 70% to 90%. Finally, it has the same deductible range as Pumpkin at $100, $250, or $500.
Pumpkin vs. ASPCA: Additional Perks
Pumpkin
The most notable perk that Pumpkin offers outside of its insurance reimbursements is its wellness package. This covers vaccines, wellness exams, and even fecal tests to ensure that your pet doesn’t have any underlying conditions. Even better, this add-on has a 100% reimbursement rate.
ASPCA
One of the top perks of the ASPCA is how easy it is to use its plans. You can go to any vet that you want, and you can file claims in various ways. It also sends money to you via direct deposit, making getting your reimbursement extremely fast and easy!
Company Verdict: Which One Has the Edge?
Customer Service
Edge: ASPCA
It’s a tough decision here, but due to the comprehensive way that the ASPCA takes claims, it gets the slight edge here. While its online claim submission is easy, if you’re not technologically inclined, it also takes claims through the mail or even fax. It looks out for all of its customers this way.
Price of Plans
Edge: ASPCA
When you compare the prices of the ASPCA and Pumpkin plans, they’re practically identical. However, since the ASPCA offers lower-end plans while Pumpkin makes you go with the premium option, the ASPCA has an advantage in the price category. But they’re similarly priced for similar coverage.
Areas of Coverage
Edge: Pumpkin
While both the ASPCA and Pumpkin cover multiple issues, Pumpkin covers alternative therapies, giving them a slight edge here. Both companies cover dental illnesses, behavioral issues, illnesses, and accidents, though.
Both plans do not cover any pre-existing conditions that your pet has. Still, no matter what plan you go with, you’re getting great coverage regardless of what happens with your pet.
Perks
Edge: Pumpkin
Neither pet insurance company has many perks, but with its optional wellness package, Pumpkin gets the slight edge here. It covers preventative care, so you can catch issues early before they have a chance to progress to more severe illnesses.
There’s no wrong choice between Pumpkin and ASPCA pet insurance plans. If you’re on a tight budget, the ASPCA pet insurance plan can get your pet covered, even if it’s not the best possible plan out there.
However, if you’re going for a top-notch plan, go with Pumpkin. Not only does it offer one of the most comprehensive insurance plans out there, but it also has a wellness package to help you catch problems early, reducing the chances that you’ll need to use your pet insurance in the first place.
Nicole is the proud mom of 3 rescue fur babies, Baby, a Burmese cat; Rosa, a New Zealand Huntaway; and Mac, a Lab/Mastiff. A Canadian expat, Nicole now lives on a lush forest property with her Kiwi husband and new baby daughter in New Zealand. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes (and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship) and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe.
