I’m a loud and proud mom of Kaiya, my goldendoodle. She’s been with me everywhere from Disney to Vegas and Miami, and with all these trips, I want to make sure she’s always covered if something happens on the road.
Whether that be a hurt paw or a tummy ache (doodles are prone to tummy issues!), she deserves nothing but the best pet care out there–and I know I’m not the only furbaby mom who feels this way. So, I pitted the best coverage options against each other: Wagmo, Nationwide, and Lemonade. Time for the reveal:
If you’re looking for the best coverage… Wagmo
This is where Wagmo really shines. As far as wellness plan options go, Nationwide and Lemonade will cover only up to $650 and $500 respectively, whereas Wagmo will cover up to $1,100.
Wagmo’s insurance coverage is pretty great, too–they cover up to $10,000 per incident and up to $100,000 in claims over your pet’s lifetime. Plus, Wagmo is the only provider to offer 100% coverage after you hit your deductible. Wagmo has three deductible options– $250, $500, or $1000. In other words, if Kaiya’s bill is $2,000 and I chose the $500 deductible, I’d pay the $500 and Wagmo will cover the remaining $1,500.
Wagmo’s insurance covers things like:
- Prescription medications
- Emergency vet visits
- Virtual, in-home, or in-office care
- Hospital stays
- Surgeries
- X-Rays
- Ultrasounds
- Lab tests
- CT scans
- Cancer treatment
- Hereditary & congenital conditions
- Prosthetics & orthopedics
- Hip dysplasia
- End-of-life care
- Pet ambulance
If you only need coverage for routine care... Wagmo
There’s so much that goes into taking care of your pet, like grooming and dental cleanings. Wagmo is the only option out of the three that offers wellness plans unbundled from your standard insurance plans, so you can customize your coverage and only pay for what you need.
With Nationwide, you can only sign up for their Wellness Plus services as an add-on to your insurance policy. Plus, Nationwide’s wellness plan doesn’t cover grooming except for nail trims. I tend to spend over $700 per year on grooming for Kaiya, so Wagmo’s wellness option, which covers wash & cut grooming, nail trims, & gland expressions is huge for me.
On top of that, Wagmo reimburses me for things like routine exams, vaccines, blood work, urinalysis, and dental cleanings. Wagmo’s wellness plans are by far the most comprehensive I’ve seen.
If you want the quickest and easiest claims reimbursements … Wagmo
With Lemonade, I can submit my claim via their app only and will get 100% reimbursement immediately, but that applies to ~30% of claims in a given day. With Nationwide, I can submit my claim either via their website or their customer service and I will get my reimbursement within five days via a check or bank transfer.
However, if you’d rather not live in the Stone Age, Wagmo will pay my reimbursement as soon as within the hour via Venmo, PayPal, or a bank transfer after submitting my wellness claim via their app, website, or customer service. And to top it off, Lemonade doesn’t offer human processing claims, but Wagmo and Nationwide do.
If you want to bundle with other insurance... Lemonade
There are some insurance providers that let you bundle and get a special discount if you’re ensuring various parts of your life. If you’re looking for that option, Lemonade will get you a 10% discount if you bundle pet insurance with their renters, homeowners, life or even car insurance. Nationwide and Wagmo, on the other hand, don’t offer this option, though you can save 5% on a new Nationwide pet insurance policy if you’re a current member.
If accessibility is your top priority ... Wagmo
While I have to hand it to Nationwide for offering telehealth, Wagmo takes it a step further by offering both telehealth services (free with Deluxe Wellness plans) and virtual appointments, so Kaiya can visit any registered vet in the nation. So even if it’s 2 in the morning and Kaiya can’t sleep because she’s having stomach issues, I know someone, somewhere can help her out.
My overall winner … Wagmo
After careful consideration, Wagmo came out on top. Not only do I have access to virtual appointments with their vets and can visit any office in the country, but they cover pretty much everything.
Wagmo recognizes that pet health isn’t just surgeries and vet visits, it’s also vaccines, grooming, and end-of-life care. Kaiya and I would get Wagmo coverage over and over again!
