Nationwide Pet Insurance Review 2025

Nationwide earned 4.6 stars out of 5 for overall performance, thanks to its broad and customizable coverage.

Nationwide is one of the oldest and largest pet insurance companies in the U.S. It offers customizable plans for dogs and cats that can include accident, illness and wellness coverage.

Unlike most pet insurers, Nationwide sells policies for dozens of species, not just cats and dogs. So if you own parrots, rabbit, birds or guinea pigs, they can get coverage, too.

The highest percentage of vet bills that Nationwide will pay in most states is 80%, which is lower than the 90% reimbursement rate many other pet insurers offer. That means you’ll have to cover more of your vet bills yourself. Nationwide also has a longer waiting period for cruciate ligament injuries — 12 months — than most other companies.

» MORE: The best pet insurance companies

Nationwide offers a variety of pet insurance plans.

Modular

Nationwide’s Modular plan allows you to pick the coverage you want. For example, you could choose accident coverage only or add coverage for illnesses, prescription food and wellness. (Some options may be available only by phone.) The Modular plan pays you back for a percentage of your vet expenses.

Depending on the options you select, Nationwide’s Modular plan can cover:

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

• Hereditary and congenital conditions.

• Diagnostic tests.

• Prescription medication, food and supplements.

• Behavioral exams and therapies.

• Alternative therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic.

• Routine and preventive care expenses such as vaccinations, blood work and heartworm prevention.

• Dental diseases, as long as there were no previous signs before the effective date of your pet’s coverage.

Whole Pet

Whole Pet is Nationwide’s most comprehensive plan, covering the broadest range of illnesses and injuries. However, it’s currently available only in New York.

Like the Modular plan, it will reimburse a percentage of your vet bill for accidents or illnesses. However, you can't add wellness coverage to pay for things like routine exams or heartworm prevention.

Nationwide’s Whole Pet plan covers:

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

• Hereditary or congenital conditions.

• Diagnostic tests.

• Prescription medication.

• Nutritional supplements or therapeutic diets that your vet prescribes.

• Dental diseases such as gingivitis.

• Behavioral exams and therapies.

• Alternative therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic.

Major Medical

The Major Medical plan pays based on a benefit schedule, which lists a maximum annual reimbursement amount per condition. You won’t get more than that amount for a claim regardless of how much your vet charges you. This plan is available only in New York.

Major Medical plans may cost less than other plans, but they don’t offer as much coverage. For example, Major Medical plans won’t pay to treat congenital conditions (disorders your pet is born with). Nationwide’s other plans will.

Nationwide’s Major Medical plan covers:

• Treatment for injuries and illnesses listed in your benefit schedule, including cancer.

• Diagnostic tests.

• Prescription medication.

• Some hereditary conditions.

• Some dental conditions, but not gingivitis.

Wellness

Nationwide’s optional wellness coverage can reimburse you for vaccinations, microchipping and other routine services. Where available, you can buy a wellness plan along with a Modular or Major Medical plan. You can’t add wellness coverage to a Whole Pet plan.

Depending on the plan you choose, Nationwide’s wellness plans may cover:

• Routine checkups.

• Vaccinations or titers.

• Heartworm or FeLV/FIV testing.

• Fecal testing.

• Deworming.

• Microchipping.

• Flea or heartworm preventives.

• Additional screening tests.

• Spay or neuter surgery.

• Dental cleaning.

Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on where you live and the age and breed of your pet.

» MORE: What does pet insurance cover?

Nationwide pet insurance generally doesn't cover:

• Pre-existing conditions.

• Grooming.

• Boarding.

• Knee problems within the first 12 months of coverage.

• Wellness and preventive care (unless you’ve purchased a wellness plan).

• Experimental treatment.

• Waste disposal.

• Taxes.

The Major Medical plan also excludes:

• Congenital or developmental disorders.

• Some hereditary conditions.

• Various dental issues such as gingivitis or treatment of baby teeth.

• Behavioral therapies.

• Age-related changes to an animal’s eyes or ears.

• Treatment for parasites such as heartworms.

• Prescribed nutritional supplements or pet foods.

• Expenses associated with breeding or pregnancy, such as cesarean sections.

• Any conditions specifically excluded in your benefits schedule.

» MORE: How much does pet insurance cost?

Deductibles: The default deductible is $250 for Modular, Whole Pet and Major Medical plans. Other options may be available online or by phone.

Reimbursement amounts: Modular plans can pay 50% to 80% of your vet expenses once you’ve met your deductible. For Whole Pet plans, you can opt to be reimbursed 50% or 70%. Major Medical reimbursement is based on your schedule of benefits.

Coverage limits: Unlike many other pet insurers, Nationwide doesn’t offer plans with unlimited annual coverage. With a Modular plan, you can choose a limit between $2,500 and $10,000. There's a $10,000 annual coverage limit for Whole Pet plans. Wellness coverage has various annual limits depending on the plan you choose. Maximum coverage for Major Medical plans is on a per-condition basis.

Age restrictions: Depending on the plan, your pet may need to be at least 8 weeks old to get coverage. A maximum age of 8 or 9 years may apply.

Waiting periods: A pet insurance waiting period is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage starts. Depending on your plan, you may have to wait 14 days before coverage begins.

On the Modular plan, coverage for spaying, neutering and dental cleaning generally starts 90 days after you buy the policy. A 12-month waiting period applies to cruciate ligament issues in most states.

On the Major Medical plan, there may be a 12-month waiting period for hereditary conditions.

The cost of Nationwide pet insurance depends on where you live, the coverage limits you choose, and your pet’s breed and age.

Sample rates for dogs

To give you a rough idea of how much you might pay, we gathered quotes for several popular dog breeds at ages 2 and 8. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for dogs living in Katy, Texas.

For younger dogs, our sample plan was for accident and illness coverage with a $250 deductible, $5,000 of annual coverage and an 80% reimbursement rate. Because of their age at the time of enrollment, the older dogs were eligible only for accident coverage. However, they had the same deductible, coverage limit and reimbursement rate. Your own price will vary.

Sample rates for cats

We also gathered rates for a variety of cat breeds with the same coverage limits as above. Cats at age 8 at the time of enrollment were eligible for accident coverage only. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for cats living in Katy, Texas.

» MORE: The best cheap pet insurance

Discounts

You can save 5% on a new pet insurance plan if you currently have another Nationwide policy such as auto or homeowners insurance.

You may also be able to save 5% to 10% if you insure more than one pet with Nationwide.

If your employer offers Nationwide pet insurance as a benefit, you can get a 5% discount.

You may be able to save on fees by paying your premium in full once a year instead of in monthly installments.

» MORE: Is pet insurance worth it?

Nationwide sells pet insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. However, the availability of specific plans may vary by state.

Availability may change at any time. Coverage may not be available to all pets in a given state.

Website: Nationwide's website is relatively easy to use, with information and FAQs about its plans and an online claim submission process. You can also get a quote and buy a policy. Policyholders get free access to the VetHelpline service, which connects you with vets for advice and consultations.

Mobile app: You can use the Nationwide app to check claim status, view policy information, and see perks and rewards.

You can file a claim online or download a form to email, fax or mail. You can check your claim status through your online account. The company says it generally handles claims within five days but notes that the process may take 30 days or more in some cases. You can opt to be reimbursed electronically or by paper check.

When calculating your claim payout for a Modular or Whole Pet plan, Nationwide generally subtracts your deductible from your vet bill before applying your reimbursement rate. That means a larger claim payout for you than the method some other companies use.

Here’s how the math would work if you had a $2,000 vet bill, a $250 deductible and 70% reimbursement.

Phone: Nationwide’s customer service number is 800-540-2016. It’s staffed Monday through Saturday.

Email: You can send an email through the contact page on Nationwide’s pet insurance website.

» MORE: Does pet insurance cover surgery?

Reddit is an online forum where users share their thoughts in “threads” on various topics, including financial subjects like pet insurance. We used artificial intelligence to browse Reddit forums for posts about insurers, then manually sifted through the results and summed up consumer sentiment about each company. People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances.

Reddit feedback on Nationwide pet insurance is mixed. Many people share positive experiences, praising the company’s 24-hour vet helpline and smooth handling of claims.

But other pet owners complain about major rate increases, poor communication and denied claims. There are also numerous reports of Nationwide dropping people’s coverage or discontinuing their plans. In some cases, these nonrenewals left pets without coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.

Here’s how Nationwide stacks up against a few other popular pet insurance companies.

Nationwide vs. Trupanion pet insurance

The primary differences between Nationwide and Trupanion pet insurance are:

Deductibles. Like most pet insurers, Nationwide has an annual deductible. Trupanion offers lifetime deductibles per condition in most states. The latter could save you money if your pet develops a chronic condition that needs ongoing treatment every year.

Availability of wellness coverage. If you’re looking for preventive care coverage, Nationwide is a better bet. Trupanion doesn’t cover wellness expenses.

» READ MORE: Trupanion pet insurance review

Nationwide vs. Healthy Paws pet insurance

The biggest differences between Nationwide and Healthy Paws pet insurance are:

Reimbursement and coverage limits. The Healthy Paws plan has no annual or lifetime limits, while Nationwide’s coverage has a maximum of $10,000 per year. It can offer up to 90% reimbursement for some pets, which is a higher rate than any of Nationwide's plans offer.

Coverage. The Healthy Paws won’t pay for exam fees, wellness expenses, some dental health care, behavioral therapies or prescription food. These are all things Nationwide’s Modular plan can cover.

» READ MORE: Healthy Paws review

Nationwide vs. ASPCA pet insurance

The key differences between Nationwide and ASPCA pet insurance are:

Animals covered. While both companies offer plans for dogs and cats, ASPCA also covers horses in many states. Meanwhile, Nationwide sells plans for a wide variety of “exotic” pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

Scope of plans. While you can tailor Nationwide’s Modular plan to be more or less inclusive, ASPCA’s default plan has some of the broadest coverage in the industry. For example, it covers vet exam fees, alternative and behavioral therapies, and prescription food. You can also add wellness coverage.

» READ MORE: ASPCA pet insurance review

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How we review pet insurance

Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines that ensure fairness and accuracy to help you choose the financial products that work best for you. In our pet insurance reviews, we consider coverage, consumer experience and more to determine our star ratings.

In our evaluation, we:

Our rating system rewards companies that cover a wide range of potential expenses, offer many ways to customize your plan and have a strong consumer experience. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.

Dive deeper with our criteria for evaluating pet insurance companies.