OVMA Pet Health Insurance Review 2024

OVMA offers coverage for unexpected illnesses and injuries under three different plans and includes:

• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• X-rays and other diagnostics
• Medication (up to six months)
• Dental treatment for any condition of teeth and/or gums, including tartar or gingivitis.
• Exam fees.
• Specialist referrals
• Medical devices (with prior approval)
• Chronic conditions.
• Wellness care, including annual exam, vaccinations, routine bloodwork and urinalysis (only with Unlimited+ plan)
• Alternative treatments, such as physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and acupuncture
• Behavioural training by a certified behavioural therapist
• Lost pet advertising
• Boarding/kennel fees for a medical emergency
• Holiday cancellation in the event your pet becomes ill or injured and you need to cancel or cut short your trip
• Cremation and burial costs
• Coverage while travelling in the U.S. and Canada

You can use any licensed vet in Canada, not only an OVMA clinic.

There are no extra riders or add-ons.

Like all pet insurance companies, OVMA does not cover pre-existing conditions, defined as “any condition that starts or shows symptoms, with or without a confirmed diagnosis” prior to enrollment or within any applicable waiting periods. With an OVMA policy, your pet’s medical history is reviewed at enrolment, so there are no surprises with pre-existing conditions or other coverage exclusions.

In addition, OVMA does not cover:

• Food, including prescription or therapeutic diets
• Cosmetic and maintenance procedures, such as nail trims
• Spay or neuter surgery
• Euthanisia, unless recommended as a result of an insured accident or illness
• Flea control, unless covered by Unlimited+ plan
• Expenses resulting from pregnancy and associated conditions
• Treatment for umbilical hernias or congenital conditions that would have been evident during a comprehensive exam before the start of your policy
• Any accident or illness resulting from competitive, professional, occupational or business uses of your pet
• Any claim due to war activities, nuclear incident or natural disaster

Pet insurance companies have what’s called a waiting period, which is the amount of time before your policy is effective and you can be reimbursed for claims.

With an OVMA policy, the following waiting periods apply:

• 48 hours for accidents
• 14 days for illnesses
• 14 days for behavioural therapy
• Six months for dental coverage (14 days for treatment for deciduous (baby) teeth conditions)
• Six months for cruciate ligament and intervertebral disc disease to be covered.

There is no waiting period for preventive care coverage on the Unlimited+ plan.

Maximum annual limit options

• Comprehensive: $2,500 per accident, $2,500 per illness, $300 dental
• Extended: $5,000 per accident, $5,000 per illness, $400 dental
• Unlimited+: Unlimited per accident, unlimited per illness, $600 dental, $450 wellness

Deductible options

For Comprehensive and Extended plans:

• $100 *
• $300

For Unlimited+ plan:

• $250
• $400

Reimbursement options

• 80% **

* An age-based deductible adjustment is applied to your policy as your pet gets older. Your $100 deductible increases to $300 at five years of age and $500 at 10+ years.
** As part of the company’s claims risk management process, OVMA conducts a review of all policies every six months to assess the number and cost of claims made during the previous 24-month period. If you make a lot of expensive claims, your reimbursement may drop to 70%, 60% or 50%.

You can also choose a higher deductible to reduce your monthly premiums. For example, using a $500 deductible, the Comprehensive plan costs $66.15 and the Extended plan costs $98.57 per month. Using a $550 deductible, the Unlimited+ plan costs $182.11 per month.

There are a few ways to save money. OVMA offers a 10% multipet discount if you sign up three or more pets. With six or more pets, you’ll receive 15% off your monthly premiums. You’ll also earn a 3% loyalty discount after the first year and a 5% discount after the second year.

The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) is Canada’s foremost veterinary association. OVMA Pet Health Insurance is the only insurance designed and backed by Ontario’s veterinarians. Launched in January 2018, OVMA Pet Health Insurance is underwritten by Petline Insurance Company, the only licensed insurance company in Canada to focus solely on pet health insurance. Over the past 28 years, Petline Insurance Company has protected over 1.3 million pets.

OVMA does not have any external partnerships.

To find the best pet insurance we reviewed each company’s policy wording and used data provided by PetInsurer.com to score each pet insurance company based on the following:

Pet insurance rates: 40% of score. We calculated average rates for plans with $5,000 or unlimited coverage, a $100 deductible and an 80% reimbursement level, or the closest options available. 

Special waiting period: 10% of score. Many pet insurance companies have a special waiting period for problems such as cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia. Plans that had no waiting period, a waiting period of six months or less, or the ability to have the waiting period waived scored higher.

Direct payment to vet: 10% of score. Pet insurance companies that have the ability to pay a vet directly earned points.

24/7 vet health line: 10% of score. Insurers that provide access to a 24/7 vet health line scored in this category.

Routine wellness plans: 10% of score. Insurers that offer wellness plans, either included with a plan or as a rider, earned points.

Dental coverage for illness: 10% of score. While most insurers cover dental accidents, not all insurers cover dental illnesses, such as gum disease or cleanings. Plans with more extensive dental coverage scored higher.

Pet ownership assistance: 5% of score. Insurers that include coverage for pet owner expenses, such as advertising and reward for lost pets, boarding for medical emergencies, end of life expenses and/or vacation cancellation, scored in this category.

Any discount: 5% of score. Insurers that offer any kind of discount, including a multi-pet discount, healthy pet discount, loyalty discount, etc., earned points.