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History of Petfirst

The Petfirst insurance company started in 2004 with its headquarters in Jefferson, Indiana. The founders are Lansdon Robbins and Brent Hinton.   Brent was the CEO of the Kentucky Humane Society prior to PetFirst. The current CEO is Katie Blakeley.

Some Interesting Background Facts on Petfirst:

  • The Society of Animal Welfare Administrators chose Petfirst as their preferred insurance partner

Policy Coverage:

Policy Coverage Major Medical, Optional Wellness
Plans Offered US
Underwriter New Hampshire Insurance Company Est 1869
Headquarters Jeffersonville, Indiana
Where Plans Offered US
Deductible Type Per Incident
Deductible Options 50, 100, 250, 500
Reimbursement Option 70%, 80%, 90%
Policy Limit Options 5000, 10000, 20000
Lifetime Payout Limits up to the policy limits
Wellness Coverage Yes (125, 250, 400)
Upper Age Limits No
Vet Exam Fees Yes
Covers Yes
Hereditary/Congenital Yes
Hips Dysplasia Yes. No waiting period
Prescription Medications Yes
Cancer Treatments Yes
Emergency Visits Yes
Hospitalization Yes
Surgery Yes
Prescription Food No
Specialists Yes
Outpatient Care Yes
Alternative Yes
Waiting Periods 1 day for accidents
14 days for illnesses
No wait for hips dysplasia
14 days patellar luxation
1 year cruciate ligaments
1 year in-vertebral disc disease (IVDD)
Customer Service Monday to Friday 9 am to 9 pm eastern
Saturday 10 am to 6 pm eastern
Email, live chat, Facebook messenger, phone call
Filing Claims Options Download claim form-then mail, email, fax, online
*You must submit a claim within 90 days of the treatment or invoice date in order to be eligible for reimbursement.
Enrollment Requirements No exam to enroll, but if it’s the first claim, Petfirst requires the last 12 months of veterinary records.
Years in Business 2004 – 14 Years
30 Day Free Look Period No. but offers 14 day free look
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Sample Policy

Here are Petfirst’s strengths:

  • Offers vet exam fee coverage
  • Offers coverage for bilateral conditions
  • Offers multiple pet discount, healthy pet discount, military family discount
  • Offers “Policy Share”-Up to 3 household pets under the age of 10 can be together on 1 policy
  • Offers great coverage for senior pets: no upper age limits, short waiting periods for hips dysplasia and patellar luxations, and budget-friendly customizable plans
  • Offers short waiting periods: no wait for hips dysplasia, 1 day for accidents, and 14 days for orthopedic coverage.
  • Offers dental disease coverage
  • Allows upgrade in coverage with no penalty for changing your plan, however, will be subject to the new 14-day illness waiting period. Also, when you increase your limit, any conditions that developed under the old limit will be covered at the limit from the policy year in which that condition developed.
  • Has an A-plus-rated established underwriter, New Hampshire Insurance Company. Est 1869

Here’s what great to have, but is not offered by Petfirst:

  • Does not offer unlimited coverage option, the highest payout plan maxes out at $20,000 per incident.
  • Does not offer a mobile app for claims processing or record keeping
  • Does not offer short waiting periods for cruciate ligaments and disc disease. The waiting period is 12 months.
  • Does not offer 24/7 customer service. No customer service hours on Sunday.
  • Does not offer pre-approvals
  • Varied customer satisfaction reviews online.
  • Claims must be submitted within 90 days of the invoice date or treatment in order to be eligible for reimbursement.

A Quick Overview on Petfirst:
Although Petfirst is one of the earlier pet insurance companies in America, customer satisfaction reviews are varied. In addition, if you would file multiple claims on your pet, Petfirst’s per incident deductible would require the pet owner to meet a deductible for every incident. It is also important to note that Petfirst requires policy owners to file a claim within 90 days after the treatment or invoice date for the claim to be eligible for reimbursement. However, Petfirst counters all this by offering the most budget friendly customizable plans, offering the easiest and most lenient enrollment process, offering the most discounts for multiple pets, and one of the few insurance companies to cover bilateral conditions. Finally, Petfirst boasts one of the shortest waiting periods for accidents, illnesses, and hips dysplasia, and provides great coverage for senior pets. So if you are a multi pet owner,and seeking a budget friendly plan for all your pets regardless of age, with one of the shortest waiting periods, and the easiest enrollment process, click on Get Quote from banner link below and see if Petfirst’s plans and prices may work for you.

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