Odie Pet Insurance Review 2022

Available Riders/Add-ons

Exams, holistic care, and wellness care aren’t covered under Odie’s accident and illness policies. However, you can get some coverage by adding the following options to your policy: 

• Extra Coverage: The extra coverage rider will reimburse you for emergency veterinary exams and office visits, take-home medications, and rehabilitative care like physical therapy, acupuncture, and laser therapy administered by a veterinarian. 
• Routine Care: The routine care plan is Odie’s wellness option. It reimburses you up to a certain amount for preventative care like teeth cleanings, vaccinations, and wellness exams. Depending on which tier you choose (Routine Care or Routine Care Plus), you can get up to $305 or $535 in annual reimbursement. 

Waiting Periods

Like all other pet insurance companies, Odie has waiting periods for accidents and illnesses. 

For illnesses, the waiting period is 14 days, while the waiting period for injuries is just three days. 

There is an exception for cruciate ligament events—cruciate ligament conditions have a six-month waiting period. 

Cancellation Policy

After purchasing an Odie pet insurance policy, you have 30 days from the policy effective date to change your mind. Odie will issue you a full refund of all premiums paid as long as you cancel within 30 days. 

After that, you can cancel at any time by sending a written notification via email, mail, or fax. Odie will send you a prorated refund based on the effective cancellation date. 

Plan Exclusions

Odie doesn’t cover pre-existing or bilateral conditions, meaning if your pet had a pre-existing condition affecting a limb, Odie won’t cover any future conditions affecting the limb on the other side of the body. 

Although Odie’s extra coverage plan does cover prescription medications, it only reimburses you for medications that are on its formulary. Other medications are not covered. Prescription diets and treatment for behavioral issues aren’t covered either.

Pre-Existing Conditions

Odie identifies pre-existing conditions by looking at medical records for your pet from 18 months prior to the policy effective date. Conditions evident during that period—and any that appear during the policy waiting periods—are considered pre-existing, and any treatments for those conditions will not be covered. 

Plan Pricing

When choosing a plan from Odie, you have three tiers to choose from with varying annual limits:

• Annual limit of $5,000
• Annual limit of $10,000
• Annual limit of $40,000

For all three plans, reimbursement percentages range from 70% to 90%, and deductibles range from $50 to $1,000. 

According to Odie, its plans are 15% to 30% cheaper than those offered by other companies providing the same or similar coverage. We found Odie’s premiums to be better than the industry average, with an average monthly premium of $36.68 for its accident and illness policies (using an average of prices for three pet personas—two dogs and a cat). But be aware that premium costs can vary widely based on the age and breed of your pet, along with your location.

You have the option of adding wellness plans and extra coverage to your policy. Routine Care plans start at $14 per month, while Routine Care Plus plans start at $23 per month. 

Odie has a multi-pet discount: When you enroll more than one pet, you’ll get 5% off your premiums. 

How Premiums Are Set

When it comes to pet insurance premiums, companies determine your rates based on several factors, including: 

• Pet species: In general, cats are cheaper to insure than dogs. 
• Breed: Purebred animals are often more expensive to insure than mixed breeds, and some specific breeds are more costly because they are at a higher risk of developing certain conditions. 
• Age: The younger your pet is when you enroll it, the better. Younger pets have significantly lower premiums than older pets, as they are more likely to develop health issues as they age. 
• Location: Pet insurance rates can vary by state and even by zip code. In general, individuals that live in urban areas will have higher premiums due to the higher cost of veterinary care in that area. 
• Benefits: Your premium is also dependent on the annual reimbursement limit, reimbursement percentage, and deductible you choose. 

Claims

Members have 180 days from the treatment date to submit a claim. You can submit your claim through the member portal, by emailing [email protected], or by faxing the claims form to 530-285-4258. 

For your initial claim, you will have to submit the last 18 months of your pet’s medical records, as well as your veterinarian’s invoice and receipt. 

According to Odie, it aims to process claims within five business days. Reimbursement is issued in the form of a check sent through the mail, which you can expect in one to two weeks. 

Customer Service

Odie’s customer support is provided via email, phone, or chat. Its customer service team is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. CST. To contact customer support, email [email protected] or call (877) 327-0471. 

Current policyholders can use the customer portal to make changes to their policies and to access the 24/7 televet service to chat with a licensed veterinarian and ask questions about their pet’s health. 

Third-Party Ratings

Odie is a pet insurance program, but it doesn’t underwrite the insurance policies it sells. Instead, its program is administered by Norse Specialty Insurance Services, and its policies are underwritten by Clear Blue Insurance Group. 

Clear Blue Insurance Group is a relatively young company that was launched in 2015. It offers property and casualty insurance, and partners with companies like Odie to underwrite various insurance products. 

As of 2022, Clear Blue Insurance Group has an A- (Excellent) financial strength rating from AM Best, a credit rating agency that evaluates insurance companies. This rating shows that AM Best believes the company has an excellent ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations. 

Odie has zero complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It has only a handful of reviews on Trustpilot, but comments are generally positive. One customer wrote: 

“This is my first time with insurance. Odie has been very good, very helpful, sincere, and caring about animals. I would recommend 100% to anyone with pets.” — Claudio D.

Alternative Choices

Choosing the right pet insurance company can be overwhelming. As you evaluate your options, make sure you consider the following variables: 

• Payment method: In general, pet insurance uses a reimbursement model; you’re responsible for paying for your pet’s care when it’s provided, and the insurance company will reimburse you for eligible expenses. However, there are a handful of companies that offer direct veterinarian payments, so you don’t have to pay the upfront cost. 
• Exclusions: Policy coverages and exclusions vary by company, so make sure you read policy documents. For example, some policies won’t cover hip dysplasia in dogs past a certain age—regardless of when the pet was enrolled in a policy. 
• Care requirements: Some companies require you to take your pet to the veterinarian at least once a year for wellness and dental exams; otherwise, your claims will be denied. 
• Annual and condition limits: When choosing a plan, consider how much care your pet will likely need. Most companies have annual and lifetime limits, such as $10,000. Others have per-condition limits, reimbursing only up to a certain amount per health issue.
• Deductibles: Your deductible is how much you have to pay—without reimbursement—before your insurance company will start covering your pet’s claims. Depending on the company, pet insurance deductibles can range from $0 to $1,000. 
• Reimbursement percentage: The reimbursement percentage is how much you will be reimbursed for your pet’s medical expenses after reaching your deductible. For example, say you had a plan with a $500 deductible and 70% reimbursement, and your pet had a $1,000 expense. You have to cover the $500 deductible, then the insurance will reimburse you 70% of the remainder. In this scenario, you’d receive $350 in reimbursement. 

Competition

	Odie	Lemonade	Wagmo
Annual Deductible Options	$50–$1,000	$100, $250, $500, $750	$250, $500, $1,000
Reimbursement Percentage	70%, 80%, 90%	60%, 70%, 80%, 90%	90%, 100%
Average Claim Turnaround Time	12–17 days	12-18 days	7 days
Illness Waiting Period	14 days	14 days	15 days
Injury Waiting Period	3 days	2 days	15 days
Exam Coverage	Add-On	Add-On	Yes
Dental Illness Coverage	Yes	No	Yes
Max Enrollment Age Limit	None	14 years	None

Final Verdict

For dog and cat owners looking for basic coverage against accidents and illnesses, Odie provides affordable coverage. Those that want coverage for alternative therapies or office exams will have to purchase routine care or extra coverage riders, which can add to your monthly cost. And the lack of direct deposit for reimbursements may be a significant drawback for some.

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Our Methodology: How We Review Pet Insurance Carriers

Investopedia is dedicated to providing consumers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews of pet insurance companies. We rated 25 providers and collected over 2,000 data points, including information about plan options, company features, and fees and limits, to ensure that our reviews help users make informed decisions for their pet insurance needs.

Our full pet insurance methodology, including our data collection process and weighted data points, is available for review.