Bivvy Pet Insurance Review

Bivvy is going out of business.

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Written by Sarah Schlichter
Lead Writer
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Assistant Assigning Editor
Fact Checked

Editor's note: Bivvy is going out of business and will no longer sell new pet insurance plans. Existing policies will expire on the anniversary of the day you got the policy. Until then, the company will continue to process claims. Bivvy is encouraging new and existing customers to consider Spot pet insurance.

For more options, see all of NerdWallet's pet insurance reviews.

Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines that ensure fairness and accuracy in order to help you choose the financial products that work best for you. In our pet insurance reviews, our editorial team considers both the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account:

Plans offered. Pet insurance companies generally offer the following three types of plans:

  • Accident and illness policies reimburse you for medical treatment if your pet gets sick or injured.

  • Accident-only policies pay expenses if your pet is injured.

  • Wellness plans help you budget for preventive care costs.

Breadth of coverage. We looked for plans that cover a wide range of potential expenses.

Range of plan options. This category looks at how many ways you can customize what you pay for your plan and how you’re reimbursed.

Can pay your vet directly. This indicates whether an insurer can pay your vet directly for medical expenses. With this service, you don’t have to pay the money yourself upfront and then wait for reimbursement.

Dive deeper with our criteria for evaluating pet insurance companies.

Most pet insurance companies tailor your rate based on your pet’s age, size and breed, but Bivvy is different. It charges a single low rate for accident and illness coverage for every pet in a given state. That price is typically $13 to $15 per month, significantly less than the average national cost for accident and illness insurance.

What’s the catch? There’s little room to customize your policy, and coverage tends to be more limited than what other providers offer.

Here’s an example: In Colorado, Bivvy offers a single plan that will pay up to $2,000 per year for all covered expenses and up to $1,000 for a single illness or injury. So if your dog was hit by a car and needed a $2,500 surgery, Bivvy would pay no more than $1,000.

Even for smaller expenses, Bivvy’s coverage may come up short compared with other companies, with a 50% reimbursement rate in most states. (Most other insurers pay 70% to 90% of your vet bills once you’ve met the deductible.)

Despite these limitations, Bivvy may be a solid option for pet owners who can’t afford a more comprehensive plan and would rather have some coverage than none. Bivvy may also provide the cheapest rates for older pets, which tend to be much more expensive to insure than puppies and kittens.

Bivvy is also one of the only options for insuring pets other than cats and dogs, including rabbits, ferrets, potbellied pigs, turtles and most birds.

Pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Low monthly price regardless of your pet’s age or breed.

In most states, reimburses only 50% of vet expenses once you've met your deductible.

One of few companies to insure animals other than dogs and cats.

Has lifetime coverage limits on all plans.

No recent exam required for coverage.

Waiting period of up to 12 months for canine orthopedic issues.

Bivvy pet insurance plans

Accident and illness plan

This is Bivvy’s standard plan, which covers a range of illnesses and injuries. If your pet needed surgery or cancer treatment, this plan would likely cover it.

Bivvy Wellness Care

You can add Bivvy’s preventive care plan to cover well visits, vaccinations and other routine costs that the accident and illness plan won’t pay for. There’s no deductible for wellness care expenses.

Because coverage is limited, it’s worth adding up the cost of the wellness plan and comparing that with the cost of the services you expect to use in a given year. You might be better off funding your pet’s routine care on your own.

What Bivvy pet insurance covers

Bivvy’s accident and illness plan covers:

  • Exams, treatment, hospitalization and surgery for injuries and illnesses, including cancer.

  • Diagnostic tests and treatment.

  • Hereditary and congenital conditions.

  • Prescription medication.

  • Orthodontic treatment.

  • Alternative and complementary treatments.

Bivvy’s Wellness Care plan covers:

  • Wellness exams.

  • Vaccinations.

  • Flea, tick and heartworm prevention.

  • Screening for feline leukemia virus or heartworm.

  • Implantation of a microchip.

  • Deworming.

  • Urinalysis or early renal damage test.

What’s not covered

Bivvy’s accident and illness plan doesn’t cover:

  • Pre-existing conditions.

  • Preventive care (unless you add the Bivvy Wellness Care plan).

  • Spay or neuter surgery.

  • Food and supplements, even if prescribed by your vet.

  • Dental cleaning.

  • Grooming or cosmetic surgery.

  • Conditions arising from mistreatment, breeding, racing or organized fighting.

  • Experimental treatments.

  • Adrenal gland disease or endocrine neoplasia in ferrets.

Bivvy’s Wellness Care plan doesn’t cover:

  • Spay or neuter surgery.

  • Anything else not in the “what’s covered” list above.

Bivvy pet insurance plan options

Deductible options: In many states, Bivvy offers a single deductible of $250 per year. That means your plan won’t pay out until you’ve spent that much in a given year. But in other states, the deductible is set at $100 per approved claim. With this option, you’d have to pay the first $100 of each vet bill before Bivvy starts paying.

Reimbursement amounts: In every state except Georgia, Bivvy will reimburse 50% of your vet expenses after you reach your deductible, while you cover the other half of the bill. In Georgia, Bivvy will reimburse 80% of expenses post-deductible.

Coverage limits: Bivvy offers a set payout limit per year, regardless of how much care your pet needs. In some states, it’s $3,500; in others, it’s just $2,000. In Georgia, the limit is $5,000.

In a small handful of states, Bivvy also imposes a limit of $1,000 per incident. This is a cap on what Bivvy will pay for a single illness or injury within a given year.

Bivvy will pay no more than $25,000 over your pet’s lifetime, regardless of where you live.

Restrictions and waiting periods

Age restrictions: None.

Waiting periods: A waiting period is how long it takes your coverage to start after you buy your plan. In most states, Bivvy’s waiting periods are 14 days for accidents and 30 days for injuries, though there is some variation. Dogs also typically have a six- or 12-month waiting period for orthopedic injuries unless caused by direct trauma.

Bivvy pet insurance discounts

Bivvy doesn’t advertise any discounts.

Consumer experience

Website: Bivvy offers state-specific plan information and sample policies on its website, plus the ability to get an online quote. You can use your online account to file claims and update payment or contact information.

App: Bivvy doesn’t have a mobile app.

Claims: Claims can be filed by email or through your online portal. Bivvy will send a reimbursement check to you, not your vet.

Customer service: You can send an email to [email protected] or call 855-434-3744.

Other pet insurance companies to consider

Not ready to make a decision? You may be interested in these other pet insurance companies:

Frequently asked questions

Bivvy offers lower payout limits than most other insurers, so it won’t cover as big a share of your vet expenses. However, the company’s unique flat-rate pricing structure means it’s cheaper than the average pet insurance plan, especially for older animals. Individual pet owners can weigh whether the trade-off of coverage for price is worth it to them.

In most states, Bivvy will reimburse you for 50% of vet expenses if your pet is sick or injured, minus your deductible and up to the payout limits on the policy. Say you have a $250 annual deductible. If your dog needs a $2,000 surgery, Bivvy would subtract the $250 deductible ($2,000 - $250 = $1,750) and pay half of what’s left, for a total of $875. You would cover the remaining $1,125.

You can cancel your policy through your online portal.

Bivvy pet insurance reimburses you for the money you spend on vet bills, regardless of which clinic or hospital you visit. You can take your pet to any licensed veterinarian.

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