A relative newcomer to the pet insurance industry, Figo was founded in 2012 by Howard Sproat with the aim of becoming a tech-driven service for modern pet parents. So far, the Chicago-based provider has reimbursed more than $80m in vet bills.
There are a couple of features that set Figo apart from other insurers. For starters, the Figo Pet Cloud app has everything a pet parent needs in one place, from a 24/7 telehealth line and an appointment calendar to a social networking tool to help you meet other local pet parents. The app is also where parents make claims, which on average are processed in less than three days.
Added to this are optional add-ons for routine care and exam fees, plus no per-incident caps, which is one less thing to worry about in the event of a major accident or illness. There’s even a 100% reimbursement percentage option, which is rare in the industry.
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What does Figo Pet Insurance cover?
Unlike other pet insurance providers, Figo doesn’t offer an accident-only plan. Pet parents can only sign up for an accident-and-illness policy, which will provide reimbursements for the following costs:
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Accidents
Common examples include broken bones, attacks by other animals, poisoning and traffic collisions. -
Chronic Conditions
Figo will cover the costs of ongoing medical complaints that can’t be cured outright but only managed — allergies, diabetes, and arthritis are examples. -
Dental Issues
Including abscesses, oral cancer, root canals and broken teeth (but not routine treatment such as teeth-cleaning or dental exams). -
Cancer
One of the most expensive health conditions to treat, Figo’s coverage will reimburse pet parents for all the costs of cancer, including diagnostic testing, surgeries and medication. -
Alternative or Holistic Therapies
Complementary treatments, such as acupuncture and chiropathy are included in Figo’s accident-and-illness plan. -
Hereditary and Congenital Conditions
Providing it’s not a pre-existing condition — more on that later — Figo Pet Insurance will cover the costs of treating hereditary and congenital conditions, such as hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy and heart anomalies. -
Surgeries, hospitalization and rehabilitation
Figo will pay back veterinary bills for every stage of a pet’s accident or illness, from early testing and hospitalization to aftercare.
Additional pet insurance coverage from Figo Pet Insurance
Figo Pet Insurance has several add-ons, or PowerUps, that will broaden a parent’s coverage. These include:
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Vet Exam Fees
This will cover the cost of a veterinary appointment before any further costs are added for diagnostics, treatment and medication. -
Extra Care
This supplementary coverage will reimburse pet parents for costs linked to advertising and rewards in case of a missing pet, vacation cancellation, boarding fees, final respects, pet theft and third-party property damage liability. -
Wellness and Preventative Care
There are two wellness plans — Basic and Plus — and these cover pet parents for the costs of routine care, such as wellness exams, vaccines, spaying, testing, microchipping and deworming.
Does Figo Pet Insurance cover curable pre-existing conditions?
A pre-existing condition is an important term when it comes to pet insurance. It’s defined as a medical ailment that’s diagnosed before a pet insurance policy begins or during the waiting period.
The same is often true of symptoms as well as diagnosed medical conditions. For instance, an uninsured dog starts to limp and is taken to the vet. At a later point, their pet parent takes out a pet insurance policy — any future diagnoses of medical conditions of which limping is a symptom might not be eligible for reimbursements.
As with the vast majority of pet insurance providers, Figo Pet Insurance won’t provide reimbursements for veterinary costs related to pre-existing conditions. However, they distinguish between incurable and curable pre-existing conditions.
Curable
A curable pre-existing condition is a medical condition that can be successfully treated, such as a broken bone or a respiratory infection. Figo will reimburse veterinary costs linked to a recurrence of a curable pre-existing condition, provided the pet in question has not exhibited any symptoms for 12 months after the end of a round of treatment for a previous incidence.Incurable
Incurable pre-existing conditions cannot be successfully treated and have to be managed throughout a pet’s life — diabetes and arthritis are two prime examples. Figo Pet Insurance won’t offer reimbursements for incurable pre-existing conditions in any circumstance.Does Figo cover cancer?
Cancer is complicated to treat in pets, and unfortunately, this makes it particularly expensive. For example, chemotherapy alone can easily cost $5,000 for a dog and $3,000 for a cat. 1
Figo Pet Insurance will reimburse pet parents for every stage of cancer treatment, from initial diagnostic testing and visits to veterinary specialists to chemotherapy and medication.
The only exception to this is if the pet in question was diagnosed with cancer or displayed cancer symptoms prior to a pet insurance policy starting or during a waiting period.
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What about hereditary and genetic breed-specific conditions?
Some breeds of cats and dogs are more likely to inherit certain health conditions. For example, Miniature Schnauzers are particularly prone to Pancreatitis, while Maine Coons are more susceptible to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
These hereditary and genetic breed-specific conditions are eligible for reimbursements with Figo Pet Insurance. However, this isn’t true if the medical condition in question falls under the definition of a pre-existing condition.
Do Figo Pet Insurance plans include alternative therapies?
Alternative or complementary therapies are veterinary treatments that don’t fall under the definition of conventional medicine — common examples include acupuncture, hydrotherapy or chiropathy.
Figo Pet Insurance will reimburse costs for alternative and holistic therapies performed by a licensed veterinarian. However, anything that falls under the definition of experimental procedures will not be considered eligible by the provider.
24/7 pet telehealth
One of the perks of Figo Pet Insurance is that policyholders have access to a 24/7 telehealth line through the Pet Cloud app. Pet parents can seek advice from a licensed veterinary professional any time of the day or night via text.
Do Figo Pet Insurance plans cover vet exam fees?
Vet exam fees are only included within Figo Pet Insurance coverage if pet parents pay extra for the Vet Exam Fees add-on. Some pet insurance providers include vet exam fees within the base coverage.
Vet exam fees are the amount a veterinarian charges for an appointment. This varies from clinic to clinic, and across US states, but on average is between $55-$94. 2
There are usually additional costs on top of this fee, including diagnostic testing, surgery and prescription medication.
Figo Pet Insurance coverage levels
Although Figo only offers an accident-and-illness policy (along with three add-ons), pet parents can customize three aspects of this plan. This will affect the premium, which is the monthly or annual amount that you pay for insurance coverage.
For example, there are three choices when it comes to the annual limit (the total amount that Figo Pet Insurance will reimburse a parent over the course of a year). These are:
Pet parents also have four options for the reimbursement percentage (the proportion of an eligible claim that an insurance provider will reimburse). These are:
100% reimbursement is available with deductibles over $500 and annual coverage of up to $10k.
And finally, there’s a variety of deductibles available — this is the amount of money you have to pay once a year before an insurance provider will begin paying reimbursements. These are:
Deductibles of $1,000 and $1,500 are also offered for pets age 8+ and 10+.
Figo Pet Insurance waiting periods
Most pet insurance providers have waiting periods — these are a specified amount of time after a policy starts during which policyholders are unable to make a claim. This is to prevent people from knowingly enrolling sick pets onto a plan and making claims straight away.
With Figo Pet Insurance, the following waiting periods apply:
- 1 day for accidents
- 14 days for illnesses
- Six months for orthopedic conditions (although this can be waived if pets are subject to an orthopedic exam before a policy starts).
What doesn’t Figo Pet Insurance cover?
Aside from pre-existing conditions, there are other veterinary expenses that are ineligible for reimbursement with Figo Pet Insurance. This includes costs related to the following areas:
- Experimental Procedures
- Breeding, pregnancy or giving birth
- Cloning
- Cosmetic or elective procedures (such as tail docking)
Reviews about Figo Pet Insurance 3
‘I’m very impressed with Figo’
‘I’m very impressed with Figo. They have been responsive and no issues with submitting claims for our French Bulldog for our first year. We are very pleased with their customer service and hope to keep them for years to come. We have it [in] place mainly for major issues, in case they pop up (not for wellness items like shots or exams, although they did offer that as an option, which we opted out of). So far it’s been very great experience. We plan to renew and keep it in place. They did offer a bit of a discount with our Costco membership (something for others to look into). It is worth the money for our peace of mind and overall wellness of our pup.’
Heather
‘Very pleased’
‘I am very pleased to be carrying Figo Pet insurance on one of my dogs. I have worked with 2 other pet insurance companies in the past. I like Figo the best for these reasons: it’s super easy to file claims with the help of their AI person; they have promptly reviewed the claims I’ve sent in; if they need more medical information about the claim they call the vet office themselves; [and] they pay quickly and deposit it in the account that I specify.’
Penelope
‘Essential for covering my young dog’s disease’
‘I never needed insurance with my first dog but it has been essential in affording care for my new dog who was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease around 8 months after I adopted him and has a lot of tests and specialist vet visits. [Figo] is fast and transparent and covered over $5000 in the first year. I hope they will continue to be this good as I work to get an effective treatment for my dog’s weight loss.’
Kate
Figo Pet Insurance FAQs
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Figo Pet Insurance is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
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Figo Pet Insurance is underwritten by Independence American Insurance, Markel American Insurance and Markel Insurance.
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Figo Pet Insurance processes claims in an average of 2.6 days. Reimbursements either take between 3 and 5 days if pet parents choose to be paid straight into their bank account or 7 to 10 business days if they prefer to receive a check in the mail.
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Figo Pet Insurance offers a multi-pet discount, with 5% off the premium when more than one cat or dog is enrolled at any one time. There’s also a 5% military discount available, except for residents of New York, Tennessee, Washington and Florida.
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Figo Pet Insurance will only insure pets older than eight weeks. There are no upper age limits.