Hartville Pet Insurance Review: Customizable Complete Pet Insurance

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While today’s pet parents take caring for their four-legged friends very seriously, they may also underestimate the cost of owning one. The ASPCA puts a $1,400 price tag on the average annual cost of pet ownership, a figure that’s sure not only to fluctuate based on the size, age, and breed of your pet but also by any accidents or illnesses that come up.

With pet ownership soaring to new heights, the perks of Hartville Pet Insurance — including cash back on out-of-pocket vet bills — are worth looking into. Keep reading to see if it’s the best pet insurance option for you.

Introduction to Hartville Pet Insurance

Hartville Pet Insurance has been offering pet insurance since 1997, underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, which has an A (Excellent) financial stability rating from AM Best. Policies are available in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

Hartville stands out for customizable coverage limits, deductibles, and reimbursements across its complete coverage and accident-only policies, with an optional preventive care rider. That said, it doesn’t have any options for unlimited coverage, limiting annual reimbursements to $10,000. 

Hartville’s prices fall roughly in line with the average cost of pet insurance. It’s worth noting that Hartville offers a 10% discount for each additional pet you insure, making a decent option for multi-pet insurance. 

Types of Insurance Plans From Hartville Pet Insurance

Pets, like humans, have evolving healthcare needs as they grow. Considering the myriad unexpected events that can occur over the course of your pet’s lifetime,  make sure you get the coverage that best meets your needs and your budget. 

Hartville offers the following pet insurance plans:

Complete coverage: This plan offers comprehensive medical coverage, from nose to tail, in the event of an accident or illness involving your pet. This includes not only exam fees but also the costs associated with diagnosing and treating your pet when they get hurt (think broken bone, lodged foreign object, or toxic ingestion) or sick (with a UTI, digestive issues, even cancer).

Complete coverage also picks up the tab for advanced and alternative treatments — from chemotherapy to acupuncture — and includes coverage for genetically transmitted hereditary conditions (like heart disease and hip dysplasia) as well as behavioral issues (such as excessive licking and destructive chewing). Exclusions include pre-existing conditions, cosmetic procedures, and the costs associated with breeding. 

Accident-only coverage: This coverage includes exam fees and costs associated with diagnosing and treating your pet’s injuries in the event of an accident — from bite wounds to torn ligaments, just to name a few. This is the more bare-bones option.

Both types of coverage will commence on the 15th day following the policy effective date. 

Additional Coverage Options (Riders) From Hartville Pet Insurance

Hartville also offers this pet insurance rider:

Preventive care: This add-on, available in two tiers, provides a fixed amount of cash back for a number of routine services intended to keep your pet healthy and protect against illness — from wellness exams and vaccines to routine dental cleaning. 

Here’s a breakdown of the preventive care coverage plans:

How Much Does Hartville Pet Insurance Cost?

The average cost of pet insurance (including both accident and illness coverage) is $53.34 per month, but that average doesn’t take breed and other factors into account.

The cost of Hartville pet insurance is based upon multiple factors, a trio of which you can customize to best meet your needs and budget. This includes a choice when it comes to your: annual deductible ($100, $250, or $500); reimbursement percentage (70, 80, or 90% of covered costs); and annual coverage limit (from $5,000 to $10,000).

To get an idea of how much Hartville’s Complete Coverage plan cost, we’ll look at how much it costs to insure the most common dog breeds for an owner in New York City. Covering a dog under Hartville’s plans with 80% reimbursement, $250 deductible, and $5,000 annual limit would cost the following: 

While searching for quotes, we found that prices for accident insurance don’t vary by breed or age. Prices stay steady at $39.97 per month. Additionally, Hartville premiums don’t vary based on the sex of the dog. 

We also looked at how much it costs to insure a cat by getting quotes for the most common breeds. Quotes are for complete coverage of a New York City cat with an 80% reimbursement, $250 deductible, and $5,000 annual limit. 

Similar to the quotes for dogs, premiums for cat insurance didn’t vary by sex.

Costs for basic preventative care are an additional $9.95 monthly for the basic plan and $24.95 monthly for the Prime Preventative Care package. Coverage is the same price between cats and dogs. 

How to Purchase and Manage a Hartville Policy

To purchase a Hartville pet insurance policy, you’ll first have to obtain a quote on its website. You’ll need to give the following information about yourself and your pet:

• Species (Cat/Dog)
• Pet name
• Your ZIP code
• Pet age
• Gender of pet
• Breed of Pet
• Email address

Once Hartville takes you to the quote page, you can start customizing your deductible, annual limit, and reimbursement. You’ll also be able to add one of Hartville’s preventative care packages to your policy.

How to File a Claim With Hartville Pet Insurance

Reaping the benefits of coverage from Hartville Pet Insurance is quick and easy. In the event of a covered visit to your veterinarian, follow these steps:

1. Pay your bill in full — and be sure to request an itemized invoice.
2. Submit a claim form — via fax (1-866-888-2495); email (claims@hartvillepetinsurance.com); or by mail:

Hartville Pet Insurance 

1208 Massillon Rd. 

Suite G 200 

Akron, Ohio 44306

To expedite processing, be sure to: 

• Sign your claim form.
• Include copies of paid invoices.
• Attach your pet’s medical records.
• List your account number on all documents.
• Complete your claim within 270 days of treatment.

You’ll get reimbursed depending on the specifics of your selected deductible and reimbursement percentage.

To check the status of your claim (or to sign up for direct deposit), visit the online Member Center. Still got questions? Call customer service at 1-800-799-5852.

Hartville Customer Service and Claims Experience

Hartville received an average of 4.2 stars out of five on its Trustpilot page. While a few reviews talk about how Hartville did not pay out for a condition they claim to cover, most customers reported pleasant experiences with Hartville’s claims.

Additionally, Hartville’s customer service team regularly responds to customer reviews, both positive and negative. That said, most of the responses look like stock messages, and we have no way of knowing if any claims denials were overturned because of a customer review. 

How Hartville Pet Insurance Compares

Let’s see how Hartville stacks up against some of the best pet insurance companies.

Hartville vs. Lemonade Pet Insurance

Pet parents welcoming a newborn to the fold might be keen on The Puppy/Kitten Preventative Package from Lemonade Pet Insurance, boasting coverage for myriad first-time pet-related expenses from spaying/neutering to microchipping — plus a pair of wellness visits; six vaccinations (or boosters); a pair of fecal/internal parasite tests; and flea/tick and heartworm medications. Lemonade’s additional coverage options — like End-of-life and Remembrance which helps with expenses associated with euthanasia, cremation, even commemorative items like urns and tattoos — coupled with its extremely competitive low prices are alluring for particular pet owners. 

Hartville remains more customizable, allowing for customizable costs and benefits instead of Lemonade’s set tiers of coverage across deductibles, coverage limits, and reimbursements. 

Read our Lemonade pet insurance review here.

Hartville vs. Fetch Pet Insurance (by The Dodo)

When compared with Hartville, Fetch Pet Insurance comes with relatively higher annual coverage limits (they max out at $15,000); higher deductibles ($300, $500, and $700); and zero wellness options. It offers a few niche benefits not seen elsewhere — like coverage for routine vet visits, boarding/kennel fees up to $1,000, and advertising, in the event your pet is lost or stolen, also up to $1,000.

Fetch also offers FetchForward, a predictive health platform that generates a Fetch Health Report to help pet owners anticipate and understand their companions’ future health concerns and care needs, and DodoVet, a fee-based subscription service boasting unlimited 24/7 virtual veterinary care — from vet-supervised technicians — via video chat, text or phone.

If your pet’s breed is prone to certain hereditary hindrances (including cruciate ligament issues, patella issues, and/or hip dysplasia), you’ll likely want to stick with Hartville to avoid the long — and painful — six-month waiting period at Fetch. Ditto if access to wellness plans and a 24/7 veterinary helpline rank high on your list of options. 

Read our Fetch pet insurance review here.

Hartville vs. Pumpkin Pet Insurance

While both pet insurance companies offer comparable accident and injury coverage for cats and dogs, Pumpkin Pet Insurance boasts a generous 90% reimbursement level across the board for pets eight weeks and older — making the company a top pick for senior cat and dog owners.

While Pumpkin is a relative newcomer to the pet insurance game (it was founded in April 2020), its plans are underwritten by the United States Fire Insurance Co., which is a veteran in the insurance industry. It’s also the same underwriter for Hartville.

Read our Pumpkin pet insurance review here.

Hartville Pet Insurance Frequently Asked Questions

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Hartville Pet Insurance 

Sorting through pet insurance providers takes time and patience. In compiling this review, we considered multiple factors including the following (in no particular order): 

• Policy offerings (both standard and additional)
• Coverage limits and exclusions
• Available options (for deductible and reimbursement percentage levels) 
• Waiting periods (for coverage to commence)
• Overall rates and multi-pet discounts
• Reviews and overall customer satisfaction 

Read on for more about how we rate insurance products.