(WSVN) – They spent thousands of dollars to make sure their pets’ medical needs were covered. But now, when their pets need it most, they got word their insurance policies would not be renewed. Not knowing where to turn, some reached out to us. 7’s Heather Walker investigates.
People are posting on TikTok, Reddit and Facebook, and they are angry.
An estimated 300,000 pet owners received letters in the mail saying their Nationwide pet insurance policies would “not be renewed.” The company blames “economic pressures from inflation, higher interest rates and rising costs.”
Robin Tobias and Scott Proxy were notified the policy for their dog, Ginger, was not being renewed.
Robin Tobias: “Absolutely an injustice. If this happened to anybody’s child, I’m sure a lot more action would be taken.”
When they brought Ginger home to Aventura, they wanted to give her the best life possible.
Robin Tobias: “We took a 90% policy with wellness, so we took the best policy that they offered at the time. We wanted to make sure she was covered for everything.”
Scott and Robin got the policy for Ginger when she was younger to make sure she was covered for anything that developed as she got older.
She now has a heart murmur, among other issues, which will make getting a new policy nearly impossible.
Robin Tobias: “So under those two conditions, nobody is going to cover them.”
They contacted Nationwide to see if Ginger could get a new insurance plan, but they were told no.
7Investigates reached out to the company to ask about any options for pet owners.
Nationwide ignored our question and instead sent a statement saying in part, “We are taking the necessary actions that ensure long-term viability. These are tough decisions, but the right decisions that will enable us to be here long term for our customers.”
But not everyone is convinced.
Mark Lewis just signed up for Nationwide pet insurance for his dog Tommy.
Mark Lewis, Nationwide custom: “Now, we’re obviously concerned.”
Heather Walker: “What’s your concern?”
Mark Lewis: “That we might need to look for a new insurance company. It’s not easy to to find an insurance company. We went through, you know, we did a lot of research and spent a lot of time doing it and thought we were happy.”
Pet insurance for the most part is not regulated in the U.S., and any effort to pass legislation in Florida has failed, leaving pet owners at the mercy of the insurance companies.
Robin Tobias: “We’re not asking you for much. Just make sure we’re covered. In some capacity, make sure we’re covered.”
Robin and Scott aren’t sure how they’re going to pay for Ginger’s future vet bills, because they say Nationwide is definitely not on their side, at least for now.
Heather Walker, 7News.
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