Paw Protect vs Figo

Paw Protect vs Figo: What do the plans cover?

Pet insurance from both Paw Protect and Figo covers a huge range of health issues, including most injuries and illnesses that might happen to your cat or dog, from the seemingly trivial to the most severe. 

The sorts of health conditions insured include:  

• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Cataracts
• Dermatitis
• Diabetes
• Diarrhea
• Ear infections
• Gastroenteritis
• Kidney disease
• Ligament injury
• Limping
• Liver disease
• Lymphoma
• Pancreatitis
• Seizures
• Vomiting

Both will reimburse the cost of treatment for congenital, hereditary and chronic ailments. They also cover curable pre-existing conditions if your pet hasn’t suffered any symptoms or had any related treatment for a period of 12 months.

Figo and Paw Protect both have vet telehealth lines available 24/7, cover behavioral therapy, and have optional wellness plans to keep your pet in tip-top condition.

Beyond these benefits, Paw Protect goes the extra mile by covering the cost of examination fees.

Paw Protect also won’t withhold treatment if your pet has not been spayed or neutered. With Figo, prostate and hormonal skin conditions, along with a host of other treatments, are not covered unless your pet is spayed or neutered before their first birthday.

Do Paw Protect and Figo have a wellness plan?

Both insurers offer optional routine wellness packages, which cover regular and preventative treatments. These are not insurance plans, just a cost-effective way of ‘bulk-buying’ wellness treatments for your pet and can save you a lot of money on care each year if you utilise all the benefits.

With Paw Protect, Wellness Rewards is offered as a supplementary, non-insurance benefit administered by Embrace Pet Insurance Agency in the United States. Wellness Rewards is not available in Rhode Island. You can select from $250, $450 or $650 coverage per year, and it covers things like: 

• Routine wellness exams
• Vaccinations
• Flea, tick and heart worm prevention
• Spay/neuter surgery
• Grooming
• Dental cleaning
  

Paw Protect vs Figo: What are the coverage limits?

The two companies offer the same range of annual maximum coverage limits: $5,000, $10,000 and Unlimited.

The higher the limit, the higher the premium, so it might be worth consulting your vet on the most cost-effective choice, based on your pet’s condition, age and breed.

Paw Protect vs Figo: Deductibles

Figo offers deductible options from $100 to $750, while Paw Protect’s deductible options are $100, $250 and $500. The bigger the deductible you pay, the less you’ll pay for your premium, so think about what you can afford to pay out of your own pocket. 

With most insurers, the deductible is paid first, and then the insurer pays out its percentage of the remaining amount. However, Figo subtracts the copay, then the deductible. In this way, the customer would typically receive a 7-10% smaller pay-out.

Always claim for treatment, no matter how small the cost. The deductible is annual so once those small claims add up to your chosen amount, any further bills will be covered by your policy. And claims on your pet insurance never affect your premium.

What are Paw Protect and Figo’s reimbursement percentage options?

Figo and Paw Protect both have 70%, 80% and 90% reimbursement levels, but Figo offers a 100% option, too. With 100% reimbursement, you have to select a $500 or $750 deductible. 

Do Paw Protect and Figo have any exclusions?

Pre-existing conditions are typically excluded from all pet insurance policies, and these two insurers are no different. However, both Paw Protect and Figo cover some curable conditions if your pet hasn’t had symptoms or treatment for the condition in the preceding 12 months.

Figo excludes pet examinations, dental care and most prescribed foods, which Paw Protect will pay for. Figo also doesn’t offer accident-only plans, whereas Paw Protect does.

Paw Protect’s wellness offerings, like Figo’s, cost extra, but they are a great way to save on the annual treatment and checks you’ll be having anyway.

Cosmetic procedures like tail and ear modifications, along with pregnancy and breeding, are excluded by both insurers, and Figo limits its treatments for pets that aren’t spayed or neutered by their first birthday. 

Figo also requires an annual dental examination by a vet before dental illness coverage can be offered. These dental checks are at the owner’s expense.  

How expensive are Paw Protect and Figo?

Paw Protect offers arguably the most comprehensive coverage and service on the market, so it tends to cost a little more (depending on factors like your pet’s age, breed, and location). However, the price differential to Figo isn’t huge, so one treatment payment that’s excluded elsewhere could easily make up for several years of extra monthly fees.

Both plans offer plenty of flexibility to manage the annual premium, but only Paw Protect will pro-rata repay your premium if you cancel.

All quotes are based on a $500 deductible and 90% reimbursement. Prices correct as of May 2023

Paw Protect vs Figo: How quickly are claims paid?

The speed with which an insurer repays its share of your treatment costs is a crucial factor when choosing pet coverage. Paw Protect claims are typically paid out within 10-15 days for accident and illness and just five days for wellness claims. 

Figo says its average claim is closed within 2.6 working days, which would make it the best in the sector by some margin. However, several Trustpilot reviewers seem to contest that view. Also, as Figo claims are paid by check, there may be a short delay in receiving your payment in the post.

Do Paw Protect and Figo offer any discounts?

Paw Protect has multi-pet and military personnel discounts, giving reductions of 10% and 5% respectively.

Figo’s discounts vary by state, so they are not published. Instead, you have to contact its Customer Experience department to find out what discounts might apply.

Paw Protect vs Figo: Standard waiting periods

Figo has a one-day wait for treatment for any pet injured in an accident, and a more standard 14-day wait for treatment related to illness. With Paw Protect there is a two-week illness waiting period which begins on your policies’ effective date. Orthopedic conditions have additional waiting or exclusion periods that vary by state.

The wait for orthopedic treatment with Figo is six months. However, they do offer ways to reduce this to the standard 14 days by having your pet undergo an orthopedic exam. Figo requires this in the first 30 days of your policy.

Do Paw Protect and Figo’s plans include behavioral treatments?

Happy, calm and healthy pets are inevitably the nicest to have around. If your pet suffers from anxiety, aggression or any other behavioral issue, Paw Protect will pay for therapy or training, as long as it’s delivered by a veterinarian for a condition covered by the policy.

Figo covers up to $500 for behavioral treatments. If you take out its optional Vet Examinations ‘Powerup’, this is increased to $1,000.

Paw Protect vs Figo: Is there a maximum age for enrollment?

For accident and illness cover, Paw Protect limits new enrollments to pets aged 5 years and under. 

At Figo there’s no maximum age for enrollment of a pet.

Paw Protect vs Figo: Customer reviews

Figo scores 3.7 on Trustpilot, which is one of the lowest ratings in the sector – complaints seem to be mainly around obtaining payouts for treatments. On Forbes it’s scored at 4.5.