When you invest in pet insurance, you’re investing in peace of mind. You’re not just protecting your finances—you’re safeguarding the health and well-being of your beloved furry family member. Pet owners rely on their insurance to be there when the unexpected happens.

So what happens when your insurance company isn’t there for you and your pet?

Imagine that you’ve just adopted a new puppy named Tango. You take Tango in for her first veterinary exam, and she gets a clean bill of health.

At your appointment, the vet encourages you to purchase a pet insurance plan. If you get an insurance policy now, she won’t have any pre-existing conditions, and everything will be covered. You might not need it right away (or maybe you will, if Tango can’t resist chowing down on a squeaky tennis ball or a tasty-looking shoe), but it will probably come in handy later. So you get a few quotes, compare policies, and choose the one that works best for your pet.

Before you know it, Tango the puppy is celebrating her 10th birthday. The past decade with her has been better than you ever could have imagined. You’ve watched your tiny puppy become a sweet and loyal senior pet (but she’ll always be your baby).

Overall, she’s still a healthy, happy pup—but she’s got some arthritis, she gets monthly allergy shots, and she’s had a UTI here and there. Over the years, having pet insurance has paid off—especially when Tango ate part of a tennis ball and needed expensive tests and emergency surgery to remove a blockage. Your premium costs more now that she’s 10 years old, but you’re in a position where you can get her the best care without worrying about thousands of dollars in vet bills.

Then, you get an email from your pet insurance company. Effective three months from now, your policy is being dropped, and Tango will be uninsured unless you find another provider. But most pet insurance companies won’t cover any pre-existing conditions (arthritis, allergies, recurrent UTIs, etc.). Some won’t even cover older pets.

What do you do now to make sure your pup is taken care of?

This situation has unfolded again and again for 100,000 pet parents insured by Nationwide’s Whole Pet with Wellness policy, which is now being discontinued. According to Nationwide, their “Whole Pet with Wellness plan covers injury, illness and preventive care in a single plan, with 90% reimbursement on eligible veterinary expenses.”

Many pet insurance companies offer catastrophic coverage for illness or accidents, and some provide limited or full wellness packages that you can add on. Other pet insurance companies do not cover preventive care at all to keep costs down. Nationwide’s Whole Pet with Wellness package is one of the most comprehensive plans on the market. It offers coverage for many routine costs that other companies or policies don’t cover: wellness exams and vaccinations; flea, tick, and heartworm prevention; prescription food; and more.

But on June 14, 2024, Nationwide issued a statement (which has now been removed from their website) saying that dropping these 100,000 policies was a difficult decision but “necessary to ensure a financially sustainable future for our pet insurance line of business” while claiming that “the future is bright for Nationwide Pet.”

Losing your pet insurance is devastating, especially when you’ve paid your premiums for years so that you would have coverage when you need it most. Nationwide’s decision to end these policies is short-sighted: there are now 100,000 ex-Nationwide customers who can confidently say that Nationwide is *not* on your side. Additionally, ex-customers are exploring legal options, including a potential class-action lawsuit against Nationwide for unfair or deceptive business practices, breach of contract, violation of consumer protection laws, and more.

If you’ve recently lost your Nationwide pet insurance policy and your dog has pre-existing conditions that require treatment, there are a few coverage options for your pup. Admittedly, none of these are ideal and each may incur additional costs compared to the insurance coverage you had before.

1. If your pet is under the age of 9, you can get a quote from the American Kennel Club (AKC), which offers pet insurance policies that cover pre-existing conditions. Most pet insurance companies don’t offer coverage for pre-existing conditions. Those that do may require proof that the condition is curable or that your pet has been symptom-free and untreated for a specific period. AKC’s Pet Insurance is likely your best option here: it’s the only pet insurance company on the market that “offers coverage for curable and incurable pre-existing conditions* after 365 days of continuous coverage.” This means you would be on the hook for any costs incurred as a result of treatment for these pre-existing conditions during your first year of coverage. Afterwards, your pet would be covered. Note that pets over nine years of age are only eligible for Accident coverage through AKC.
2. If you get a policy for MetLife Pet Insurance through your employer, your pet’s pre-existing conditions may be covered. Aside from AKC, MetLife Pet Insurance is your only other option (as of September 2024) if you need a policy that covers your dog’s incurable pre-existing conditions. Their website has added a page for Nationwide policyholders exploring alternatives to their now-defunct plan. They state that “MetLife Pet Insurance may be able to cover certain pre-existing conditions previously covered by another provider, for policyholders who switch to MetLife Pet and sign up for pet insurance through their employer.”
3. Get a quote from a different pet insurance company—with the knowledge that pre-existing conditions won’t be covered. If your pup is generally healthy with few pre-existing conditions, it might be easier (and more affordable) to choose a policy with no coverage for pre-existing conditions. Before signing up for a new policy, it’s important to get a copy of your pet’s medical records, review them to anticipate what previous issues might be considered a “pre-existing condition,” and have your vet amend the records if needed.
4. Forgo pet insurance altogether and start investing in a makeshift health savings account for your pet. The upside to this approach is that you can control how much you put into savings and how you spend that money on your pup. The main downside is that as veterinary treatment becomes more advanced, prices will continue to increase. It can also be difficult to budget for expensive health issues, like cancer, where costs add up quickly. If your pet develops multiple health issues, the costs may outpace what you save up, putting you in a difficult financial position. If your goal is peace of mind, then opting for some kind of insurance policy, even a limited catastrophic policy, might be a better investment.

Nationwide’s decision to leave 100,000 of its most long-standing and high-paying customers high and dry is a puzzling business decision. While Nationwide claims to understand what it means to be a pet lover, putting pet parents in a position where they are left with no other option but “economic euthanasia” means that Nationwide is putting profits over the lives of pets.

News of Nationwide’s policy cancellation notices have spread across the internet, especially in Facebook groups and on Reddit. As a result, pet parents are prematurely canceling their Nationwide policies, getting quotes from other pet insurance companies, or even spamming Nationwide’s social media pages in an attempt to hold them accountable for failing their customers.

It looks like the future for Nationwide Pet may not be so bright after all.