MetLife Pet Insurance Review

MetLife Pet Insurance Ratings at a Glance

MetLife is a major nationwide insurance company offering pet insurance options for dogs and cats. Unlike many other pet insurance providers, MetLife offers a single accident and illness insurance policy choice for cats and dogs. This feature can make MetLife appealing for pet owners looking for a simple, single policy choice that offers holistic coverage.

Like most pet insurance policies, MetLife’s pet insurance comes with a list of included and excluded conditions, illnesses and accidents. Dog and cat insurance policy coverages include:

• Accidents
• Illnesses
• Hospitalizations
• Surgeries
• Diagnostic tests
• Exam fees
• Cruciate ligaments
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Medial cruciate ligament (MCL)
• X-rays
• Ultrasounds
• Medications
• Holistic care and alternative treatments
• Emergency care
• Parasite prevention and parasite treatment
• Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)
• Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
• Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL)

Coverage for illnesses also includes most hereditary and chronic conditions. Exclusions you’ll find on your pet insurance policy include:

• Elective procedures
• Expression or removal of anal glands
• Breeding or conditions related to breeding
• Vitamins and mineral supplements
• Grooming costs and bathing
• Illness or injury resulting from racing, coursing, commercial guarding or organized fighting
• Organ transplants
• Pre-existing conditions may not be covered.

When you purchase your pet insurance policy, you can also add preventive coverage during checkout. Preventive coverage helps you pay for recurring, anticipated expenses that your pet needs to stay healthy. Preventive care from MetLife is available for cats and dogs and also covers the cost of routine checkups. Depending on the basic price of your policy, you could be able to add preventive care coverage from MetLife for just a few extra dollars a month.

MetLife provides you with a range of options that you can use to fully customize your policy, balancing costs and coverage. After entering a bit of information on your pet, you’ll see a few of MetLife’s most popular policy choices and have the option to customize your policy to fit your budgetary and household needs. Each part of a MetLife policy includes three features that you can adjust when creating a policy. 

• Deductible: If you’d like to adjust the amount that you pay out-of-pocket when you receive service, you can do so by changing your deductible. MetLife offers policies with $50, $100, $250 and $500 deductibles. Choose a higher deductible to unlock more affordable monthly pricing. 
• Annual benefit: Your annual benefit is the maximum amount of money that you can claim in reimbursements from your pet insurance provider for a single year. MetLife offers policies with $2,000, $5,000 and $10,000 annual maximum benefits.
• Reimbursement percentage: Pet insurance policies include reimbursement percentages that dictate how much you’ll receive in reimbursements when you file a claim. For example, if you choose a policy with an 80% reimbursement percentage and you file a claim for a $100 vet bill, your insurance will pay $80 towards this bill (80% of the total cost). You would be responsible for paying the remaining 20% out of pocket after meeting your deductible. MetLife offers policies with 70%, 80% and 90% reimbursement levels.

Overall, MetLife’s pet insurance policies offer basic protection with a streamlined online application process. While policies are currently only available for cats and dogs, pet owners will have no trouble getting online and customizing their policy to fit the needs of their household.

MetLife provides its pet insurance customers with a few different methods to contact customer service, including the following.

• By phone: To get in contact with MetLife by phone, call 855-270-7387.
• By fax: If you need to submit an insurance claim, you may need to fax documents to MetLife. To transmit documents to MetLife via fax, send them to 877-281-3348.
• Via email: To contact MetLife’s customer service team through email, send a message to pet_info@metlife.com.
• By chat: Using the Chat option on MetLife’s site or Mobile App

If you’re a MetLife pet insurance policyholder, you also have access to 24/7 veterinary chat features.

The average price of pet insurance is quite competitive. However, the specific price that you’ll pay will vary depending on your pet. Some of the factors that can influence the price that you’ll pay for coverage might include the following.

• Age: As your pet gets older, the odds that they will need surgery, medication or other expensive medical treatments increases. This means that the older your pet is, the more you’ll pay for your insurance coverage. Most pet insurance companies put maximum age limitations on policies that limit how old your pet can be at the time they are approved for insurance coverage, but MetLife Pet Insurance has no age restrictions. Your pet is eligible for MetLife Pet coverage regardless of their age. 
• Breed: Some breeds of dogs and cats are more prone to certain injuries and illnesses. Your pet insurance provider might charge you more for insurance if you own a breed that’s predisposed to more types of injuries and illnesses. If you do own a pet that’s part of a breed with well-known recurring health issues, your insurance company might place limitations on how your coverage can be used for these developments.
• Your deductible: Your policy’s deductible is the amount of money you need to put towards your pet’s medical care costs before your insurance begins to cover your care costs. MetLife and other pet insurance companies allow you to choose your own policy deductible to balance premium costs with protection. If you choose a lower deductible, you’ll pay less at the time of service but more each month to maintain your policy.

To help you get an idea of what you can expect to pay for your pet insurance policy through MetLife, Benzinga requested a few sample quotes for coverage. Check out the table below to learn more about what you might pay for your policy depending on the specifics of the pet you need to insure before you claim your free quote. 

Though you have multiple choices when it comes to pet insurance, MetLife’s pet insurance policy options come with a number of benefits, including the following.

• No waiting periods for accident and wellness coverage: As the owner of a furry friend, you purchase pet insurance because you want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’ll have help paying your pet’s vet bills. MetLife’s coverage includes no waiting periods for wellness and accident coverage, which means that your benefits go into effect as soon as you’re approved for a policy. This period is shorter than many other pet insurance providers, which require a 2- to 14-day waiting period before accident coverage takes effect.

Every pet insurance policy that doesn’t require a medical exam will have a waiting period before illness benefits go into effect. MetLife’s waiting period for illness coverage is 14 days. This is shorter than many competing pet insurance providers, which require up to 30 days before illness coverage takes effect. If you’re looking for a pet insurance policy that goes into effect as soon as possible, you might want to consider coverage from MetLife.

• Fast claims payment: Unlike health insurance, you must pay your pet’s medical bills upfront and request reimbursement for your bills from your insurance company later. This is true even if you have pet insurance. MetLife pays out 80% of its approved claims in 10 days or fewer.
• Family plan pricing: MetLife is one of the only pet insurance companies Benzinga has seen that provides bundling discounts and family pricing when you insure multiple pets under a single policy. Add multiple pets onto a single pet insurance application and get coverage for a single low price each month. This structure can be advantageous for anyone who needs to insure multiple animals and who’s looking for the most convenient policy option possible.
• Proven track record of success in insurance: When you purchase your pet insurance through MetLife, you also enjoy the stability that comes with insurance through one of the largest coverage providers in the country. MetLife has more than 100 years of experience in the realm of insurance, and has been offering pet insurance policies for more than 15 years, which means that it is also well-versed in the realm of pet insurance claims and processing.

While MetLife makes it exceptionally easy to enroll in a policy and explore coverage options, filing a claim is a bit more complicated since you have to submit your bills for reimbursement.  If you need to use your pet insurance benefits, you must pay for treatment at the time of service and follow up by filing a claim with MetLife using the steps below. Keep in mind that MetLife Pet has a convenient mobile app that you can use to file claims, track progress, and keep track of all your pet’s records. 

• Download and complete your claims form: MetLife’s claims form contains details on all the information that you’ll need to provide when you request a reimbursement. Download and complete the claims form to begin your request.
• Collect supplementary information: In addition to your signed and completed claims form, you’ll need to request veterinary medical records (SOAP notes) from the appointment as well as a complete itemized inventory of charges. You can request this information from your veterinary practitioner at the time of service.
• Send your information to MetLife: After you’ve collected all the information you need to submit your claim, you can complete the process using the MetLife app, your online account portal or by email. You can also mail or fax your claims form if you choose. From here, a MetLife representative will take a look at your policy inclusions and exclusions and compare them with your submission to be sure that you qualify for a reimbursement.

All claims must be submitted within 90 days of the time that you received service.

MetLife Pet Insurance vs. Competitors

While MetLife does have more than 100 years of experience in the insurance industry, it is not the only widespread and accessible insurance provider offering pet insurance. Names like Nationwide, the ASPCA and Figo Pet Insurance all offer pet insurance for dogs and cats in most parts of the country.

Before you purchase a pet insurance policy, be sure that you’re working with the best possible insurance provider for your needs. Benzinga offers insights and reviews on the following pet insurance providers. You may want to explore a few links and get multiple quotes before you choose where you’d like to purchase your pet insurance coverage.

If you’re looking for a quick option to get pet insurance coverage, MetLife can offer online coverage with a simple, all-inclusive policy. Unlike many other pet insurance providers, MetLife doesn’t require you to purchase two separate policies for accident and illness coverage, instead providing a single policy for everything. You can even provide preventive care for your pet with the click of a button when you sign up for coverage.

MetLife Pet Insurance’s customization options make it easy to create the perfect policy for your pet. Adjust deductible, annual benefits and reimbursement percentages when you enroll in a plan online. Most users will be able to find themselves covered in as little as a few minutes after they begin their application, which can be a major benefit for anyone looking to get protection fast.

Frequently Asked Questions