Pumpkin & Nationwide: Key Differences

While Pumpkin and Nationwide both offer pet insurance plans for accidents & illnesses and optional wellness packages or plans, there are some key coverage differences you should be aware of when choosing which provider is right for you and your pet. Nationwide has several legacy plans and corporate plans available, but their Modular Pet Insurance plan in this comparison is the one currently offered on their website in most states. Let’s dig in…

Pumpkin plans offer a 90% reimbursement rate option for covered vet bills. Nationwide plans may not.

Nationwide Modular Pet Insurance plans reimburse 50%, 70% or 80% of eligible vet bills for accidents & illnesses. At Pumpkin, we believe every pet parent deserves to get maximum cash back on eligible vet bills, which is why Pumpkin Pet Insurance plans only offer high 80% and 90% reimbursement rates. Let’s look at a hypothetical example – say your pet fractures their leg and surgery costs $5,700. Assuming you’ve already met your deductible and it’s a covered procedure, a Pumpkin insurance plan with a 90% reimbursement rate could pay you back for $5,130. A plan with a 50% reimbursement rate could pay you back for $2,850!

Pumpkin plans don’t charge extra to cover behavioral issues.

With an estimated 40% of pet owners reporting cats or dogs with behavioral problems,¹⁰ having coverage to treat common behavioral issues like separation anxiety and aggression can prove to be very valuable. That’s why Pumpkin insurance plans cover consultations, treatment, and Rx meds for behavioral issues. Treatment for behavioral issues isn’t automatically covered by Nationwide Modular Pet Insurance plans – it’s an optional add-on for an additional monthly fee.

Pumpkin plans don’t charge extra to cover congenital & hereditary conditions.

From cleft palate, to elbow dysplasia, to polycystic kidney disease – congenital and hereditary conditions are extremely common in both dogs and cats, and can show signs at any age. Due to the prevalence of debilitating conditions like these, we recognize how crucial this coverage is for pets. It’s why all Pumpkin insurance plans cover congenital and hereditary conditions. Congenital and hereditary conditions aren’t automatically covered by Nationwide Modular Pet Insurance plans – this coverage is an optional add-on for an additional monthly fee.

Pumpkin plans don’t charge extra to cover Rx food & supplements.

Rx food & supplements can be very helpful for pets suffering from a range of illnesses, from kidney disease to diabetes, but they can also be a costly recurring expense. As long as a food or supplement is prescribed to treat an eligible accident or illness and not for general health or weight maintenance, Pumpkin insurance plans can cover it. Nationwide Modular Pet Insurance plans only offer this coverage as an optional add-on for an additional monthly fee.

Pumpkin plans don’t limit illness coverage options for senior pets.

Veterinary care for aging pets and seniors is crucial, as pets are more prone to developing certain illnesses as they grow older. That’s why all pets 8 weeks and up are welcome to enroll in Pumpkin insurance plans for accidents & illnesses. With Nationwide Modular Pet Insurance plans, pets 8 years or older are not eligible to enroll in illness coverage

Pumpkin plans don’t have a 365-day waiting period for knee injury coverage.

Knee injuries, like CCL tears or meniscal ruptures, are extremely common in cats and dogs and can happen at any age. If surgery is needed to repair the knee, it can cost thousands. With a Pumpkin insurance plan, there is only a short waiting period of 14 days or less for knee injury coverage.* With Nationwide Modular Pet Insurance plans, your pet has to wait a year after they enroll to be eligible for this coverage.

Pumpkin plans offer a 10% multi-pet discount. Nationwide plans offer a 5% multi-pet discount.

We know pet care can be expensive – especially when you have more than one four-legged family member to budget for. That’s why Pumpkin offers a 10% multi-pet discount for each additional pet you enroll. Nationwide offers a 5% multi-pet discount when you enroll 2-3 additional pets, and a 10% discount when you enroll 4 or more pets.

It’s ALWAYS possible to get full value each year from Pumpkin’s optional wellness package.

Pumpkin worked with leading vets to create a wellness package called Preventive Essentials. It’s not insurance, but an optional benefit you can add to your insurance plan for a monthly fee. Designed to help you plan and pay for crucial routine care that keeps your pet healthy, Preventive Essentials gives you a 100% refund each year for an annual wellness exam (we cover the exam fee), key vaccine(s), and important parasite screenings test(s). To get the most out of your package – all you have to do is use these 3 benefits.

Nationwide offers 2 optional wellness plans that can be added to their insurance plans for a monthly fee. The lower-priced option offers reimbursement for 8 different services up to a capped amount per service per year, up to a maximum annual limit of $450. The higher-priced option offers reimbursement for 11 different services up to a capped amount per service per year, up to a maximum annual limit of $850. These plans can be helpful if you use most of the services offered, but not everything on the menu is a typical yearly expense (e.g., deworming, microchipping, behavioral exam). Whatever benefits you don’t use in the year term, you lose – there are no carryovers.

Compare Plans


Type of Insurance	Accident & Illness	Accident & Illness or Accident Only
Reimbursement Rate	80% or 90% of covered vet bills	50%, 70%, or 80% of covered vet bills
Annual Coverage Limit	$5k-unlimited	$5k or unlimited for accidents $5k or unlimited for illnesses
Deductible	Annual Deductible with flexible pricing options	Annual Deductible with flexible pricing options
Illness Waiting Period	14 days in most states*	14 days in most states*
Accident Waiting Period	14 days in most states*	14 days in most states;* 365 days for knee ligament injuries
All Pets Ages 8 Wks. & Up Are Eligible to Enroll		Pets 8 years & up are not eligible to enroll in illness coverage
All Pets Eligible to Enroll, Regardless of Health
Hereditary & Congenital Conditions		Optional add-on for an additional monthly fee
Chronic Conditions		Only if optional illness coverage is purchased
Behavioral Issues		Optional add-on for an additional monthly fee
Dental Illnesses		Optional add-on for an additional monthly fee
Parasite Infections		Only if optional illness coverage is purchased
Exam Fees for Accident & Illness Related Vet Visits
Diagnostics, including Radiology & Lab Tests
Surgery, Emergency Services & Hospitalization
Specialized Care
Alternative Therapies		Optional add-on for an additional monthly fee
Prescription Meds
Prescription Food to Treat Covered Conditions		Optional add-on for an additional monthly fee
Prescription Supplements to Treat Covered Conditions		Optional add-on for an additional monthly fee
Microchip Implantation		^*
End of Life Services
Wellness Package or Plan	*Preventive Essentials package:* (Not insurance, but an optional add-on) 100% refund of the following routine care services each year: + 1 Annual Wellness Exam Fee + 4 Vaccines for Puppies, 2 for Dogs, 1 for Cats + 1 Fecal “Poop” Test for Intestinal Worms + 1 Blood Test for Heartworm & Tick Diseases or Heartworm Only (for Dogs)	*Wellness coverage lower tier:* Reimburses $25-$100 per service per year from a list of 8 different routine care services up to a maximum reimbursement limit of $450 *Wellness coverage higher tier:* Reimburses $25-$250 per service per year from a list of 11 different routine care services up to a maximum reimbursement limit of $850
Discount for Multiple Pets	10% off for each additional pet	5% off for 2 or 3 pets, 10% off for 4 or more
Money Back Guarantee	30 days, as long as you have not received approval or payment for a claim (except in NY)	30 days, as long as you have not received approval or payment for a claim
Claim Submission Period	270 days (in states that permit time restrictions)	90 days (in states that permit time restrictions)