If you've been looking into pet insurance options for your four-legged friend, you might have come across the term “underwriter” more than once. We’re here to clarify what a pet insurance underwriter is so you can make the best decision for you and your pet.
We'll explain how underwriters can work with several insurance companies at the same time under different brand names, along with an index of all pet insurance underwriters in the U.S. and their various partners (as of March, 2022).
Click on a link below for information in each company profile, or jump ahead to learn about pet insurance underwriting in the United States:
- U.S. Pet Underwriters & Insurance Partners (2022 List)
- The North River Insurance Company
- United States Fire Insurance Company (Crum & Forster)
- Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC)
- CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc.
- Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc.
- American Modern Property and Casualty Insurance Company
- XL Specialty Insurance Company
- Chubb Group Companies
- Accredited Surety and Casualty Company
- National Casualty Company
- Veterinary Pet Insurance Company
- PrimeOne Insurance Company
- Clear Blue Insurance Company
- American Pet Insurance Company (APIC)
- Markel Insurance Company
- Marsh USA Inc.
- National Specialty Insurance Company
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Takeaways
See partnerships between pet underwriters, licensed insurance agencies, and branded carriers in the table below.
U.S. Pet Underwriters & Insurance Partners (2022 List)
| Pet Insurance Underwriter | Plans Administered By… |
|---|---|
| The North River Insurance Company | 24PetWatch (Programs) Pets Plus Us |
| United States Fire Insurance Company (Crum & Forster) | 24PetWatch (Emergency care) ASPCA Pet Insurance Doggo Hartville Petco PetPremium Pets Plus Us Pumpkin Spot Waffle |
| Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC) | AKC Pet Insurance Figo MetLife (previously PetFirst) PetPartners Toto |
| CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc. | Bivvy |
| Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc. | Companion Protect |
| American Modern Property and Casualty Insurance Company | Embrace USAA Allstate American Family Geico |
| XL Specialty Insurance Company | Fetch by The Dodo |
| Chubb Group Companies | Healthy Paws |
| Lemonade Insurance Agency LLC | Lemonade |
| Accredited Surety and Casualty Company | ManyPets |
| National Casualty Company | Nationwide (in all states except California) |
| Veterinary Pet Insurance Company | Nationwide (in California) |
| PrimeOne Insurance Company | Odie |
| Clear Blue Insurance Company | Odie (Wishbone Pet Insurance program) |
| American Pet Insurance Company (APIC) | Pets Best Trupanion |
| Markel Insurance Company | Prudent Pet |
| Marsh USA Inc. | Trusted Pals |
| National Specialty Insurance Company | Wagmo |
Directory of Pet Insurance Underwriting Companies
The North River Insurance Company
The North River Insurance Company is an insurance company based in New Jersey which operates as a subsidiary of Crum & Forster. Established in 1972, it provides marine, fire, property, and casualty insurance to customers.
- Year Established: 1972
- A.M. Best Rating: A
- Plans Administered By: 24PetWatch (Programs), Pets Plus Us
- Website: https://www.cfins.com/
- Phone Number: +1 973-490-6600
- Address: 305 Madison Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960, United States
United States Fire Insurance Company (Crum & Forster)
The United States Fire Insurance Company (Crum & Forster) is an underwriting company with a 200-year-old history that provides a variety of insurance products and services, including property, disability, life, travel, medical, pet insurance, etc.
- Year Established: 1822
- A.M. Best Rating: A
- Plans Administered By: 24PetWatch (Emergency care), ASPCA Pet Insurance, Doggo, Hartville, Petco, Pet Premium, Pets Plus Us, Pumpkin, Spot, Waffle
- Website: cfins.com
- Phone Number: +1 973-490-6600
- Address: 305 Madison Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960, United States
Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC)
Independence American is a pet insurance underwriter that offers customizable coverage for every dog or cat breed and budget. It also offers policies with pre-existing condition coverage after 12 months.
- Year Established: 1973
- A.M. Best Rating: A-
- Plans Administered By: AKC Pet Insurance, Figo, MetLife (previously PetFirst), Pet Partners, Toto
- Website: independenceamerican.com
- Phone Number: +1 212-355-4141
- Address: 485 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022 United States
CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc.
Cumis is a trusted partner to credit unions and their members for insurance protection — financial, business, and personal — for over 80 years.
- Year Established: 1960
- A.M. Best Rating: A
- Plans Administered By: Bivvy
- Website: cumis.com
- Phone Number: +1 905-632-1221
- Address: P.O. Box 5065, 151 North Service Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4C2
Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc.
Liberty Insurance Underwriters Inc. operates as an insurance company offering property and casualty insurance products including motorcycle, automobile, homeowner, and mobile home.
- Year Established: 1978
- A.M. Best Rating: A
- Plans Administered By: Companion Protect
- Website: libertymutualgroup.com
- Phone Number: +1 617-357-9500
- Address: 175 Berkeley St Boston, MA, 02116-5066 United States
American Modern Property and Casualty Insurance Company
American Modern is a national leader in the specialty insurance business with nearly 50 years of experience. The company offers its insurance products through a number of property and casualty companies that serve over 1.7 million policyholders. One of their newest lines is pet insurance.
- Year Established: 1965
- A.M. Best Rating: A+ (Superior)
- Plans Administered By: Embrace, USAA, Allstate, American Family, Geico
- Website: amig.com
- Phone Number: +1 800-543-2644
- Address: American Modern Insurance Group, PO Box 5323, Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-5323
XL Specialty Insurance Company
XL Specialty Insurance Company is based in Stamford, Connecticut. Established in 1979, the company operates as a subsidiary of XL Reinsurance America and offers insurance products primarily for marine, aircraft, burglary, and credit.
- Year Established: 1979
- A.M. Best Rating: A+
- Plans Administered By: Fetch by The Dodo
- Website: axaxl.com
- Phone Number: +1 800-622-7311
- Address: 70 Seaview Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902, United States
Chubb Group Companies
Chubb Group of Insurance Companies is a global provider of insurance products covering accident and health, property and casualty, life insurance, and reinsurance. With 3,694 employees and 740 companies in the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies corporate family, it is the largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company in the world.
- Year Established: 1967
- A.M. Best Rating: A++
- Plans Administered By: Healthy Paws
- Website: chubb.com
- Phone Number: +1 908-903-2000
- Address: 15 Mountain View Road, Warren, NJ 07059, United States
Lemonade Insurance Agency LLC
Based in NYC, Lemonade homeowners insurance, offers renters, pet, term life, and car insurance. It has about one million customers and 70% of them are under the age of 35.
- Year Established: 2015
- A.M. Best Rating: not rated
- Plans Administered By: Lemonade
- Website: lemonade.com
- Phone Number: +1 844-733-8666
- Address: 5 Crosby St., 3rd floor, New York, NY 10013, United States
Accredited Surety and Casualty Company
Accredited Surety and Casualty Company, Inc. is a provider of property and casualty insurance services located in Orlando, Florida. The company specializes in the underwriting of notary bonds, bail bonds, non-contract commercial bonds, and child custody bonds.
- Year Established: 1971
- A.M. Best Rating: A-
- Plans Administered By: ManyPets
- Website: accredited-inc.com
- Phone Number: +1 407-629-2131
- Address: P.O. Box 140855, Orlando, FL 32814, United States
National Casualty Company
National Casualty Company is an insurance company which provides property and casualty insurance products. It operates as a subsidiary of Freedom Specialty Insurance Company.
- Year Established: 1904
- A.M. Best Rating: N/A
- Plans Administered By: Nationwide (all states except California)
- Website: nationwide.com
- Phone Number: +1 480-365-2106
- Address: 18700 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, United States
Veterinary Pet Insurance Company
Founded by a group of veterinarians from across the U.S. in 1980, VPI is the nation's oldest and largest pet insurer, offering a variety of plans to the owners of dogs, cats, birds and exotic animals.
- Year Established: 1980
- A.M. Best Rating: A
- Plans Administered By: Nationwide (in California only)
- Website: petinsurance.com
- Phone Number: +1 800-540-2016
- Address: 1800 E Imperial Hwy Ste 100 Brea, CA, 92821-6069 United States
PrimeOne Insurance Company
PrimeOne Insurance Company is a privately held, specialty commercial lines carrier experienced in general liability, liquor liability, and commercial property insurance. The company is managed and operated by Norse Specialty Insurance Services and has more than 35 years of experience in the industry.
- Year Established: 2009
- A.M. Best Rating: B+
- Plans Administered By: Odie
- Website: primeoneinsurance.com
- Phone Number: +1 888-310-4668
- Address: 136 East South Temple #1400, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Clear Blue Specialty Insurance Company
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Clear Blue Specialty Insurance Company offers property and casualty insurance services. The company provides property excess and surplus products, as well as property underwriting services.
- Year Established: 2015
- A.M. Best Rating: A-
- Plans Administered By: Odie (Wishbone Pet Insurance program)
- Website: clearblueweb.azurewebsites.net
- Phone Number: +1 980-299-9520
- Address: 200 South College Street, Suite 2250, Charlotte, NC 28202, United States
American Pet Insurance Company (APIC)
Established in 2000, APIC provides pet insurance underwriting service, as well as pet insurance services and insurance for fire, theft, accident, and health.
- Year Established: 2000
- A.M. Best Rating: not rated
- Plans Administered By: Pets Best, Trupanion
- Website: americanpetinsurance.com
- Phone Number: +1 877-589-1841
- Address: 6100 4th Ave S, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98108
Markel Insurance Company
Markel Insurance Company underwrites innovative property and casualty solutions serving the particular needs of its various clientele, including basic property coverage, liability, and key employee replacement.
- Year Established: 1980
- A.M. Best Rating: A
- Plans Administered By: Prudent Pet
- Website: markelinsurance.com
- Phone Number: +1 800-431-1270
- Address: 4521 Highwoods Parkway, Glen Allen, VA 23068
Marsh USA Inc.
Marsh USA is a subsidiary of Marsh McLennan Companies (MMC), a global professional services insurance and providing risk management, risk financing, insurance program design, and insurance program management services. Marsh has about 40,000 employees in over 130 countries.
- Year Established: 1923
- A.M. Best Rating: A-
- Plans Administered By: TrustedPals
- Website: marsh.com
- Phone Number: +1 212-345-6000
- Address: 1166 Avenue OF The Americas New York, NY, 10036-2708 United States
National Specialty Insurance Company
Headquartered in Texas, the National Specialty Insurance Company operates as part of the State National Group. The company serves clients nationwide offering the most advanced insurance solutions and services.
- Year Established: 1973
- A.M. Best Rating: A
- Plans Administered By: Wagmo
- Website: statenational.com
- Phone Number: +1 817-265-2000
- Address: 1900 L Don Dodson Dr Bedford, TX, 76021-5990 United States
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pet insurance underwriter?
A pet insurance underwriter is a person who assesses the risk of insuring a potential policyholder. Essentially, they evaluate applicants to determine whether a company can accept the risk and insure an animal, and if so, under what terms.
The underwriting company also accepts responsibility for clients’ potential losses and is responsible for paying pet insurance claims. Therefore, when you compare pet insurance options, it’s important to research the underwriter and confirm the company is in good financial health.
Throughout your research, be aware that the actual plans (or “programs”) are often administered through a separate insurance company, also known as an insurance carrier or branding entity. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, branding entities can have programs underwritten by multiple insurers, and insurers may underwrite for multiple brands.
For example, Geico Pet Insurance is administered by Embrace and underwritten by, whereas Walmart Pet Insurance is Fetch by The Dodo.
In some cases, as with Nationwide Pet Insurance, an insurance company serves as their own underwriter, in which case the company names will be the same.
What does a pet insurance underwriter do?
Pet insurance underwriters evaluate risk by assessing an animal’s age, breed, and medical history. This helps them establish premium insurance rates and identify any pre-existing conditions that may need to be excluded from the policy coverage.
Note: The cost of pet insurance is also contingent on where you live, and pre-existing conditions are ineligible for insurance coverage.
How long does policy underwriting take for pet insurance?
Generally, this process is fairly straightforward. A skilled professional can underwrite a pet insurance policy rather quickly (within a few hours) with the help of computer software that calculates risk variables.
However, the underwriter must review and analyze your pet’s information before they can issue an insurance policy, which could delay the issuance of your policy. In some cases, qualifying for enrollment can be as simple as filling out an online form with few-to-no upfront questions. Most of the time, however, the underwriting company will ask for your vet’s information so they can reach out to access your pet’s official medical records.
They might also ask you to submit pet health records you have from events that occurred before adopting your cat or dog (for example, limb amputation or cataract surgery), as well as services that took place outside of a traditional vet office (like proof of vaccination at a pop-up clinic or a spay/neuter procedure performed at a local animal shelter).
Underwriting pet insurance policies moves faster or slower depending on how long it takes to receive all of the necessary information, though some companies are more expedient than others.
Keep in mind that coverage does not begin on the pet insurance effective date, as all underwriting companies enforce a mandatory waiting period before pet insurance kicks in and claims become eligible for reimbursement.
How do you compare pet insurance underwriters?
There are several places where you can research companies that underwrite pet insurance in the United States, including:
- Pawlicy Advisor’s pet insurance directory for company profiles and contact information
- A.M. Best Rating’s Center, created by the largest and most established insurance rating and information agency
- Better Business Bureau (BBB), which publishes both positive reviews and negative complaints
- State Department of Insurance Regulation to see if they are licensed for business and whether they’ve had any issues in your state
Who regulates pet insurance underwriters?
Every state has its own department that’s tasked with regulating insurance companies, including pet underwriters. If you need to file a complaint, you can do so by visiting your state department’s website.
You can contact the appropriate regulatory agency for all pet insurance companies in the U.S. by finding your state below.
Still have questions? Chat with a Pawlicy Advisor customer service representative who can help.
Key Takeaways
- Insurance underwriting refers to the process of asking questions about your pet’s age, breed, medical history, etc., in order to determine the premium and whether any exclusions should be applied.
- Insurers may underwrite for multiple brands, and some insurance companies underwrite their own policies. Generally, the underwriting process is performed with the help of computer software that calculates risk variables and is fairly quick (a few hours).
- Insurance companies (including insurance underwriters) in the U.S are regulated by the individual states, rather than by the federal government.
You can use Pawlicy Advisor to research companies that underwrite pet insurance by using our insurance directory for company profiles and contact information. Pawlicy also allows you to compare pet insurance plans side-by-side and provides detailed profiles on all leading U.S. pet insurers to help you find the best deal for your pet and your budget.
