Let’s welcome another smart pet insurer to our list – the amazing newcomer Toto!
With affordable pet coverage that has no hidden gotchas, Toto is an incredible option for all pet owners who require an easy-to-use pet insurance policy accessible with any licensed vet and not limited to an exclusive vet network.
Additionally, with Toto, you’ll find extras that other pet insurers don’t include in their cat and dog insurance plans. One of their best assets is that they don’t try to upsell you anything.
Toto is best for pet owners who feel guilty of not providing enough protection for their fur family, by including all the necessities so they can stay permanently healthy and happy.
Using Toto’s services is so straightforward that you’ll get up to 90% on your vet bills back in no time. Their most basic plan starts as low as $1 a day and everything above that is completely transparent.
To learn all about the rest, follow through with this Toto pet insurance review where we explain everything that this pet insurance agency has to offer.
Toto’s Pros & Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
No veterinary exam is required prior to enrollment | Long waiting period for orthopedic conditions – 6 months |
Fast claim processing time (3-4 days on average) | Hereditary conditions, alternative therapies, and coverage for behavioral problems have a waiting period of 30 days |
Short waiting period for accidents (2 days) | Bilateral conditions are excluded from coverage |
Travel coverage available for USA, Puerto Rico, and Canada | $3.00 monthly transaction fee |
Coverage includes veterinary exam fees, alternative therapies, behavioral issues, and final respects at no extra fee | No mobile apps are available |
No upper pet age limits | |
Two wellness pet care options | |
5% discount for enrolling multiple pets | |
30-day free look period |
Toto’s Key Attributes
- Underwriter: Independence American Insurance Company
- AM Best Rating: A-
- BBB Rating: A+
- Exam period: Toto is pretty relaxed with its requirements for who can become one of their insurees. The thing is, everyone can! There are no strict rules for how old your pet’s medical records should be and Toto will be more than happy to welcome you even if you haven’t taken your pet for a thorough physical exam for over a year. However, after you sign up, they might require you to take them to the vet for such an exam so they can determine if your pet has any pre-existing conditions;
- Increase in monthly premium: For Toto to be able to keep providing you with excellent coverage for your pet, they might bump up the price of your premium with time. Many factors go into that decision, but the main ones are the age of your pet and the inflation of veterinary costs in your area.
- Claim submission time limit: You’ve got 180 days from the moment your pet visited a vet’s office and had a check-up, examination, or a veterinary treatment. You can file a claim for that given veterinary invoice within those 18 days. Making sure you have all the paperwork here is crucial; you won’t be approved for a claim that’s missing some of the following information: necessary medical records, itemized invoice including everything you paid for at the vet’s office, and payment receipts.
- Claim processing times: Toto is one of the fastest claim processors out there by being totally upfront with you. When you gather all the requirements and hit “submit”, Toto will ensure your claims within 3-4 days on average;
- Waiting periods: Toto’s waiting periods are pretty decent when it comes to regular coverage. Most pet insurers lock their coverage for accidents on 14 days or more while Toto allows their policyholders to enjoy it only 2 days after enrollment. Their waiting period for illnesses is within the average according to the industry standard – 14 days, and coverage for some orthopedic conditions like intervertebral disc disease and cruciate ligament becomes available after 6 months of waiting.
Toto has other waiting periods as well. Their coverage for behavioral issues, alternative therapies, and hereditary conditions have a waiting period of 30 days as well.- Accidents – 2 days;
- Illnesses – 14 days;
- Wellness – no waiting period;
- Orthopedic conditions – 6 months.
- Pet insurance coverage with Toto can be used with any licensed veterinarian in the USA and the rest of its territories (Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Island, and Guam), and in Canada. Toto doesn’t have a network comprised of veterinary locations, but allows their customers to use their policies with any vet clinic, emergency center, and specialty clinics;
- Bilateral conditions are excluded from Toto’s pet insurance coverage if they were observed on one side of the pet’s body before enrolling with Toto or during the 6-month waiting period. That means that in case the other side is affected in the future, it won’t be covered by Toto. Bilateral conditions include lameness, hip and elbow dysplasia, knee conditions, cherry eye, glaucoma, cruciate ligament conditions, and more.
Toto’s Insurance Plans
Toto’s pet insurance plans that provide coverage for accidents and illnesses are all simple, concise, and easy to build. There are three of those and on each of them, you are to select one of the three available choices for annual deductibles and reimbursement levels.
In that sense, the Most Affordable, the Most Popular, and the Most Coverage accidents and illnesses pet coverage plans only differ in the annual claim benefit amounts that they provide.
The following is what’s available on each of Toto’s plans:
- Most Affordable:
- Per incident and lifetime claim limits: Unlimited;
- Annual claim benefit limits – $2,500;
- Reimbursement percentages – 70%, 80%, and 90%;
- Annual deductibles – $100, $250, and $500.
- Most Popular:
- Per incident and lifetime claim limits: Unlimited;
- Annual claim benefit limits – $7,500;
- Reimbursement percentages – 70%, 80%, and 90%;
- Annual deductibles – $100, $250, and $500.
- Most Coverage:
- Per incident and lifetime claim limits: Unlimited;
- Annual claim benefit limits – $15,000;
- Reimbursement percentages – 70%, 80%, and 90%;
- Annual deductibles – $100, $250, and $500.
The above-mentioned plans are available to every pet owner with a pet that’s under the age of 9. The pet also must be free of the following diagnoses – Cushing’s Disease, Diabetes, or FIV/FeLV. All pets that don’t meet these two conditions are entitled to an Accident Only pet insurance plan.
The Accident Only pet insurance plan is a gem in its own regard. We’re impressed with how affordable it is for the amount of coverage that it provides. Check out its detailed characteristics to see what we’re talking about here:
- Accident Only:
- Per incident and lifetime claim limits: Unlimited;
- Annual claim benefit limits – $15,000;
- Reimbursement percentages – 90%;
- Annual deductibles – $100.
And, of course, let’s cover all the conditions that come with using Toto’s pet insurance packages.
First, there are the waiting periods. With Toto, veterinary treatments for accidents become available after 2 days of a waiting period, coverage for illnesses is unlocked 14 days after the date of your enrollments, and taking care of IVVD and cruciate ligament events becomes available after 6 months of waiting.
Hereditary conditions, alternative therapies, and behavioral treatments which are also covered by Toto have a waiting period of 30 days.
All kinds of cats and dogs can get on their preferred Toto pet insurance plan. The only condition regarding their age is that they must be at least 8 weeks old. There is no restriction for upper age limits.
Once they’re ready to use their Toto pet coverage, they can do so across the entire US and its territories (like Puerto Rico and Guam), and in Canada as well. You’re not limited to a network of selected veterinarians, but you can use all licensed vets wherever you travel across the countries mentioned above.
When it’s time to be reimbursed for your veterinary costs by Toto, the options include paper checks that you can receive via regular mail or ACH transfers (direct deposits) to your preferred bank account.
What’s Covered With a Toto Policy
Toto is simply incredible for covering our furry friends with great care and attention. The service offers coverage endorsement for healthcare benefits that even top-tier companies in the industry don’t provide.
In this section, we’ll list all of the important instances that Toto includes in its policies.
Let’s first start with the Accident Only plan as everything that’s covered in it is also included in the three pet insurance plans for accidents and illnesses.
Toto’s Accident Only plan coverage:
With this plan, you can expect to be covered for all accidents and injuries that need veterinary attention. Toto will certainly reimburse you for the costs for treatments for injuries caused by car accidents, cuts and lacerations, burns, poisoning (including insect and snake bites), ingestion of hard bodies and toxic materials, facial fractures and broken bones, sprains and tears, and much more.
However, that’s definitely not all. Toto wants to be sure you get a premium treatment at the vet clinic and get coverage for even the tiniest details so your pet can surely and safely recover its way back to happiness and optimal health.
The other instances covered on this plan include the following:
- Outpatient and emergency care;
- Veterinary exam fees for check-ups, physical examinations, diagnostics, consultations (even telephone consultations), and follow-up visits;
- Diagnostic and laboratory exams and testing such as blood and urine work, MRI and CT scans, ultrasound, radiology and X-days, and much more;
- Tooth extractions for teeth broken or damaged during an accident;
- Prescription medications prescribed by your vet and authorized by the FDA;
- Prescribed nutritional supplements and vitamins recommended for a swift recovery;
- Surgery including hospitalization and follow-up hospital care;
- Complimentary therapies such as:
- Alternative therapies and holistic treatments for rehabilitative purposes including acupuncture, hydrotherapy, chiropractic therapy, naturotherapy, homeopathy, and more;
- Costs for diagnosing and treating behavioral issues such as aggression, uncontrolled biting, excessive chewing and licking, depression, anxiety, and more (limited to $1,000 annually).
- Ground transportation (pet ambulance) for emergencies;
- Euthanasia to elevate suffering (only if recommended and approved by a licensed veterinarian).
The accidents and illnesses plans include all of the coverage included on the Accident Only plus and much more:
- Illnesses that occur after the given waiting period (14 days) like diarrhea, vomiting, skin conditions, respiratory and urinary tract infections, other viral and bacterial infections that affect the pet’s throat, ears, and eyes, kidney stones, and many more;
- Cancer and growths treatments that include diagnosing, biopsy, and therapies like medications, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy;
- Chronic conditions like allergies, arthritis, asthma, epilepsy, and many more;
- Orthopedic conditions like cruciate ligament events and hip and elbow dysplasia after the given period of 6 months;
- Hereditary and congenital conditions – breed-specific conditions such as elbow and hip dysplasia, thyroid disease, diabetes, respiratory infections, and genetic disorders such as heart disease, liver disease, cataracts, disorders of the nervous system, and many more.
- Pre-existing conditions after a 12-month waiting period;
- Complimentary coverage for:
- Inherited and congenital conditions* – Illnesses such as diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts, thyroid disease, spondylosis, luxating patella, and everything else that’s passed to your pet by its birth parents will be covered after a 30-day waiting period;
- Final respects** – coverage for expenses such as necropsy, cremation (including urns), and burial (including memorials) for up to a total of $300 subject to the annual claim benefit limit.
*inherited and congenital conditions are covered for pets that enrolled with Toto before they reached the age of 9.
**expenses for final respects are covered for pets that enrolled with Toto before they reached the age of 5. This coverage is not subject to coinsurance and deductible.
Besides the comprehensive coverage contained in all Toto plans, the best thing about their pet insurance policies is their approach to pre-existing conditions.
While most companies never reinstate pre-existing conditions, and some include them in your coverage after a certain waiting period and a statement from a licensed veterinarian that your pet has been cured, Toto reinstated pre-existing conditions after a waiting period of 365 days without the need of a doctor’s approval.
What’s Excluded From Toto’s Coverage
To keep fraudulent behavior at bay and maintain their credibility, Toto imposes some exclusions in their pet insurance policies, just like all other insurance providers do:
Read the following list to learn what those exclusions include:
- Pre-existing conditions that occurred before enrolling and during the waiting period (will be reinstated after 365 days from the date of enrollment);
- Bilateral conditions and Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) if they were present on one side of the pet’s body before enrollment and during a 6-month waiting period (lameness, hip and elbow dysplasia, knee conditions, cherry eye, glaucoma, cruciate ligament conditions, etc.);
- Preventable injuries and illnesses and those caused by neglect or intentionally by you or any of your household members;
- Grooming, bathing, and nail clipping;
- Costs for diagnosing and treating injuries and illnesses that are a result of breeding, pregnancy, and birth-related complications (including nursing);
- Costs for dental disorders and related treatments including gingivitis, periodontal disease, crown and cap filling, root canals, vital pulpotomies, abscessed teeth, deciduous teeth, etc.;
- Routine and preventive care that includes physical exams, vaccines, microchipping, deworming, dental cleaning, and similar wellness procedures (available as an optional add-on);
- Spaying/neutering (available as an optional add-on);
- Anal gland expression;
- Pet foods (whether prescribed or not);
- Costs for diagnosing and treating external and internal parasites like tick, flea, roundworm, heartworm, giardia, and more;
- Organ and tissue transplantations and prosthesis;
- Experimental and investigational procedures;
- Cloning of pets;
- Cosmetic procedures including declawing, ear cropping, tail docking, and more;
- Involvement in unauthorized activities such as organized fighting, law enforcement, racing (sled and track), working, etc.
Toto’s Wellness Plans
An endorsement add-on for wellness procedures is also available with Toto. This optional coverage is important if you want to minimize stressful situations and future trips to the veterinary clinic because by being proactive you can enhance your pet’s health and make them, basically, disease-proof.
Toto offers two pet wellness plans for routine and preventative healthcare treatments. The Wellness – Basic and the Wellness – Prime plans. Depending on what type of coverage do you need and how much you think you should use, you can choose one of these plans and add it to your base pet insurance plan.
You can review everything that comes on both plans and decide which one is a better fit for you.
Wellness Benefits | Wellness – Basic Plan | Wellness – Prime Plan |
---|---|---|
Spay/Neuter – Teeth Cleaning* | $0 | $150 |
Rabies | $15 | $15 |
Flea/Tick Prevention | $50 | $65 |
Heartworm Prevention | $30 | $30 |
Vaccination/Titer | $30 | $40 |
Wellness Exam | $50 | $50 |
Heartworm test or FELV screen | $25 | $30 |
Blood, fecal, parasite exam | $50 | $70 |
Microchip | $20 | $40 |
Urinalysis or ERD | $15 | $25 |
Deworming | $20 | $20 |
Total Annual Benefit | $305 | $535 |
The good thing about this coverage is that it is not subject to deductible or coinsurance. If you haven’t used your pet insurance coverage for any treatments for accidents or illnesses this year, you can still use your wellness coverage without participating with your share of the vet bill and paying your deductible.
There are also no waiting periods on it. It starts as soon as your Toto pet policy becomes active.
*you can choose to cover one of the two instances mentioned here (either the costs for spaying/neutering or the costs for dental cleaning) or combine the costs for both instances up to the annual limit indicated in your policy ($150)
Extra Features
There’s one amazing feature offered by Toto that we haven’t witnessed with any other pet insurance provider out there. With its help, you can get a better sense of how much pet coverage you might require throughout the lifespan of your pet.
We’re talking about Toto’s Breed Cost Calculator. The tool is brilliant for providing pet parents with information about their pet breed and the average veterinary costs they might accumulate throughout their lifetime.
Simply enter your dog or cat breed and you’ll be informed on their average lifespan, how high the risks of developing a condition are (low, medium, high, or anything in between), and an estimate on the total veterinary costs throughout their entire life.
That way, you can better understand what to look for in a pet insurance plan. For example, a French Bulldog has a medium-high risk of developing certain conditions over time and the total average cost for veterinary treatments for their healthcare is estimated at $5,028.8.
Note that this tool provides only estimates. Each individual pet is unique with its own sets of pre-existing and hereditary conditions that might have a big impact on what you’ll pay at the vet over the years. But still, it’s very helpful to have an estimate so you can budget properly for your insurance plan.
Toto’s Pricing Quotes
When it comes to pricing their pet insurance policies, Toto is right in the middle of things. Premiums for both regular pet insurance (accidents and illnesses) and pet wellness care are priced with what’s the average on the current market.
That goes for cats and dogs of mixed breeds and pure breeds as well. While mixed breeds (around $40/month for dogs and $25/month for cats) always have lower premiums than pure breeds (around $70/month for dogs and $45/month for vats), Toto’s prices are neither affordable nor too expensive.
What’s really affordable is their accident-only plan. Even pure breeds can get on this plan for an incredibly low fee (as low as $10/month for dogs and $5/month for cats).
The quotes that we’ve used to evaluate Toto’s services are based on 90% reimbursement and a $500 deductible. But you can pick from the rest of the options that are available and order coverage that’s more suitable to your budget.
You should also note that your pet’s breed, age, and home address are huge factors that play a great role in building the price of your Toto policy premium.
Pricing Quotes for Dogs
Breed | German Shepherd | French Bulldog | Labrador Retriever |
---|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | Male | Female |
Age | 2 years 4 months | 4 years 2 months | 6 years 6 months |
Location | New York | California | Colorado |
Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 |
Reimbursement | 90% | 90% | 90% |
Toto’s Most Affordable pet insurance coverage ($2,500 Annual Benefits) | $49.18/month | $62.57/month | $62.26/month |
Toto’s Most Popular pet insurance coverage ($7,500 Annual Benefits) | $67.14/month | $85.62/month | $85.94/month |
Toto’s Most Coverage pet insurance coverage ($15,000 Annual Benefits) | $74.29/month | $94.80/month | $95.39/month |
Toto’s Accident Only pet insurance coverage ($15,000 Annual Benefits) | $11.22/month | $19.34/month | $14.22/month |
Toto’s Basic Wellness pet coverage plan | $15.00/month | $14.00/month | $16.00/month |
Toto’s Prime Wellness pet coverage plan | $28.00/month | $25.00/month | $27.00/month |
*quotes obtained in December 2021
Pricing Quotes for Cats
Breed | Siamese | Persian | Abyssinian |
---|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | Male | Female |
Age | 2 years 5 months | 4 years 1 month | 8 years 2 months |
Location | New York | Colorado | California |
Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 |
Reimbursement | 90% | 90% | 90% |
Toto’s Most Affordable pet insurance coverage ($2,500 Annual Benefits) | $31.60/month | $27.04/month | $38.83/month |
Toto’s Most Popular pet insurance coverage ($7,500 Annual Benefits) | $42.86/month | $36.59/month | $53.62/month |
Toto’s Most Coverage pet insurance coverage ($15,000 Annual Benefits) | $47.35/month | $40.38/month | $59.91/month |
Toto’s Accident Only pet insurance coverage ($15,000 Annual Benefits) | $7.04/month | $5.73/month | $12.40/month |
Toto’s Basic Wellness pet coverage plan | $11.00/month | $12.00/month | $14.00/month |
Toto’s Prime Wellness pet coverage plan | $23.00/month | $22.00/month | $25.00/month |
*quotes obtained in December 2021
Discounts and Savings
In each of our pet insurance reviews, we strive to provide our readers with means that help lower their policy premiums. We’re doing the same with Toto. We performed some extensive research of the service and made sure we discovered every possible means to save up on a Toto pet policy.
With that, we spotted two ways available to every aspiring customer so they can lower the price of their Toto monthly premium:
- 5% multi-pet discount: If you have a big pet family, you’d certainly not insure only one of your pets and exclude the rest. Toto allows for multiple pets to be enrolled on a single pet insurance policy, and for that, they’ll grant you a 5% discount on the entire policy. Most pet insurers give discounts to the additional pets that you sign up with them, but Toto includes even the initial pet in their discount program;
- Annual billing savings: Given that Toto imposes a monthly transaction fee of $3.00 (most pet insurers do), it would be really nice if there was a way to override that rule. Luckily, there is a way. If you opt for annual billing and pay your pet insurance premiums for an entire year, Toto will waive the monthly transaction fee and you’ll save up to $36/year.
Ultimately, Toto offers a 30-day free look period for all policyholders to get a chance at first-hand testing of their custom-built Toto pet insurance policy. Within this timeframe, you can explore your policy and even contact Toto to learn all about your coverage. If something isn’t up to your standards, you can cancel anytime and receive a full refund on your initial premium. No questions asked.
How Does Toto Compare With Its Competitors?
No matter how unique and original pet insurance agencies try to get, they’re all pretty similar at their core. However, there are alternative pet coverage providers that are quite different from traditional pet insurers.
Either way, comparing pet coverage products can bring you closer to discovering the most suitable solution for your pet and your budget.
With that in mind, we’ll compare Toto with three prominent pet coverage providers that are all quite popular on the pet insurance scene.
Check out below how Toto stacks up against SPOT, Prudent Pet, and Pet Assure.
Toto vs. SPOT
Just like Toto, SPOT reinstates pre-existing conditions in their coverage. Toto is better at it for not asking for a veterinarian’s approval for doing this (while SPOT does ask for a vet’s statement), but SPOT is faster in this regard. Toto reinstates pre-existing conditions after a 365-day waiting period and SPOT reinstate them after 180 days after they’ve been deemed as “cured”.
SPOT is also terrific for offering a 10% discount for enrolling additional pets and a free 24/7 telehealth line by whiskerDocs®.
Feature | Toto | SPOT |
---|---|---|
Coverage Effective | USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and US Virgin Islands | USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and US Virgin Islands |
Reimbursement | Choice of 70%, 80%, or 90% of covered expenses | Choice of 70%, 80%, or 90% of covered expenses |
Co-Payment | 10%, 20%, or 30% | 10%, 20%, or 30% |
Deductible | $100 – $500 | $100 – $1,000 |
Type of Deductible | Annual | Annual |
Claim Limit Options | $2,500, $7,500, or $15,000 | $2,500 – Unlimited |
Accident-Only Plan | Available | Available |
Wellness Plan | Available | Available |
Unlimited Benefits Plan | No | Yes |
Accidents | Yes | Yes |
Illnesses | Yes | Yes |
Illness Waiting Period | 14 days | 14 days |
Accident Waiting Period | 2 days | 14 days |
Orthopedic Conditions Waiting Period | 6 months | 14 days |
Bilateral Exclusions | Yes | Yes |
Chronic Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Hereditary and Congenital Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Cancer | Yes | Yes |
Dental Coverage | Yes | Yes |
Prescription Medicine | Yes | Yes |
Alternative/Holistic Therapy | Yes (30-day waiting period) | Yes |
Behavioral Issues | Yes (30-day waiting period) | Yes |
Exam Fees | Yes | Yes |
Exam Required for Enrollment | No | No |
Available At Any Vet Clinic | Yes | Yes |
Microchip | Optional add-on | Yes |
Minimum Pet Age Limit | 8 weeks for dogs and 10 weeks for cats | 8 weeks |
Maximum Pet Age Limit | 9 years for accidents and illnesses coverage; No limit for accident-only coverage. | No limit |
Entry Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Monthly Transaction Fee | $3.00 | $2.00 |
Multi-Pet Discount | 5% on multi-pet policies | 10% for each additional pet |
Claim Repayment | Within 3-4 days on average | Within 30 days (10-14 days on average) |
Direct Vet Bill Payment | Not available | Yes |
Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
AM Best Rating | A- | A |
BBB Rating | A+ | B |
*companies compared in December 2021
Read the full SPOT Pet Insurance review.
Toto vs. Prudent Pet
Prudent Pet climbs the top of the chart on Trustpilot for being the best-reviewed pet insurance company.
They deserve that honor for an all-encapsulating pet insurance coverage for affordable prices. A 24/7 live vet chat, 10% multi-pet discount, and generous annual claim benefits are only a few of having Prudent Pet on board.
Feature | Toto | Prudent Pet |
---|---|---|
Coverage Effective | USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and US Virgin Islands | USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico |
Reimbursement | Choice of 70%, 80%, or 90% of covered expenses | Choice of 70%, 80%, or 90% of covered expenses |
Co-Payment | 10%, 20%, or 30% | 10%, 20%, or 30% |
Deductible | $100 – $500 | $100 – $1,000 |
Type of Deductible | Annual | Annual |
Claim Limit Options | $2,500, $7,500, or $15,000 | $10,000 or Unlimited |
Accident-Only Plan | Available | Available |
Wellness Plan | Available | Available |
Unlimited Benefits Plan | No | Yes |
Accidents | Yes | Yes |
Illnesses | Yes | Yes |
Illness Waiting Period | 14 days | 14 days |
Accident Waiting Period | 2 days | 5 days |
Orthopedic Conditions Waiting Period | 6 months | 6 months |
Bilateral Exclusions | Yes | Yes |
Chronic Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Hereditary and Congenital Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Cancer | Yes | Yes |
Dental Coverage | Yes | Yes |
Prescription Medicine | Yes | Yes |
Alternative/Holistic Therapy | Yes (30-day waiting period) | Yes |
Behavioral Issues | Yes (30-day waiting period) | Yes |
Exam Fees | Yes | Optional add-on |
Exam Required for Enrollment | No | No |
Available At Any Vet Clinic | Yes | Yes |
Microchip | Optional add-on | Included on the Accident-Only plan |
Minimum Pet Age Limit | 8 weeks for dogs and 10 weeks for cats | 6 weeks |
Maximum Pet Age Limit | 9 years for accidents and illnesses coverage; No limit for accident-only coverage. | No limit |
Entry Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Monthly Transaction Fee | $3.00 | $2.00 |
Multi-Pet Discount | 5% on multi-pet policies | 10% for each additional pet |
Claim Repayment | Within 3-4 days on average | Within 30 days (10-14 days on average) |
Direct Vet Bill Payment | Not available | Not available |
Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
AM Best Rating | A- | A |
BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
*companies compared in December 2021
Read the full Prudent Pet Pet Insurance review.
Toto vs. Pet Assure
Pet Assure is seemingly a much better option than a pet insurance product such as Toto but offers only a 25% discount for your pet’s veterinary expenses.
While it is not much, it is also not expensive at all. You can insure your entire pet family for under $20/month and get discounted vet services for everything your pets need. Pre-existing conditions and other instances that are usually excluded from pet insurance, are all covered by Pet Assure.
Feature | Toto | Pet Assure |
---|---|---|
Coverage Effective | USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and US Virgin Islands | USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico |
Reimbursement | Choice of 70%, 80%, or 90% of covered expenses | 25% (in the form of a discount) |
Co-Payment | 10%, 20%, or 30% | 75% |
Deductible | $100 – $500 | $0 |
Type of Deductible | Annual | Not applicable |
Claim Limit Options | $2,500, $7,500, or $15,000 | Unlimited |
Accident-Only Plan | Available | Available |
Wellness Plan | Available | Available |
Unlimited Benefits Plan | No | Yes |
Accidents | Yes | Yes |
Illnesses | Yes | Yes |
Illness Waiting Period | 14 days | No waiting period |
Accident Waiting Period | 2 days | No waiting period |
Orthopedic Conditions Waiting Period | 6 months | No waiting period |
Bilateral Exclusions | Yes | No |
Chronic Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Hereditary and Congenital Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Cancer | Yes | Yes |
Dental Coverage | Yes | Yes |
Prescription Medicine | Yes | Only for those administered while in the vet clinic |
Alternative/Holistic Therapy | Yes (30-day waiting period) | Yes |
Behavioral Issues | Yes (30-day waiting period) | Yes |
Exam Fees | Yes | Yes |
Exam Required for Enrollment | No | No |
Available At Any Vet Clinic | Yes | No |
Microchip | Optional add-on | Yes |
Minimum Pet Age Limit | 8 weeks for dogs and 10 weeks for cats | No limit |
Maximum Pet Age Limit | 9 years for accidents and illnesses coverage; No limit for accident-only coverage. | No limit |
Entry Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Monthly Transaction Fee | $3.00 | $0.00 |
Multi-Pet Discount | 5% on multi-pet policies | Not available |
Claim Repayment | Within 3-4 days on average | Discount is effective immediately |
Direct Vet Bill Payment | Not available | Not applicable |
Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 45 days |
AM Best Rating | A- | Not available |
BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
*companies compared in December 2021
Read the full Pet Assure Pet Insurance review.
Customer Service
When it comes to customer service, Toto ticks all the boxes. They’re packed with communication options that you can choose from to contact one of their representatives whenever you have questions regarding your Toto Pet insurance policy.
Below are all of the available communication channels with Toto:
- Phone: 1-888-TOTOPET
- Fax: 1-919-741-6363
- Email: hello@totopetinsurance.com
- Address:
PO Box 37489,
Raleigh, NC 27627-7489 - Working hours:
Monday through Friday: 8:30 am – 8 pm (EST)
Saturdays: 10 am – 3 pm (EST)
Sundays: Closed
Even though Toto’s contact options are in abundance, you’ve probably noticed that a live chat feature is missing. This is something most pet products offer so their customers have easy access to customer support.
Mobile apps are also not there. While they’re not necessarily needed, lots of pet parents find it easier to manage their policy and file a claim if they have an app on their smartphone.
Customer Reviews
In each of our reviews, we try to include real customer reviews about the pet insurance companies that we evaluate on our site. Our intention here is to provide our readers with reliable and verifiable information on every single aspect of pet insurance products, and testimonies from genuine customers are a crucial part of our assessment.
However, we cannot do that for Toto. The pet insurance provider is still a novice on the market and not a very popular option between pet parents across the country, so there isn’t much to read about them. Their customers are still shy of posting about their experience with Toto.
So, this review will take a raincheck on this segment here and we’ll update it as soon as more reviews are available to us.
Conclusion
We’re finally wrapping up the Toto pet insurance review. After inspecting all the company has to offer, we’re concluding that they are truly worthy of becoming your best friend’s best friend.
Toto’s pet insurance plans offer everything you’ll ever need when leaving your vet clinic. They’ll cover you for all veterinary treatments your pet ever received including alternative therapies, fees for veterinary exams, costs for behavioral treatments, even prescription meds and natural supplements.
With Toto, even the final moments with your pet are made easier. The pet insurer will help you offset the costs for euthanasia (if needed), cremation, burial procedures, and even memorial ceremonies.
The only downside with Toto are the many waiting periods imposed by their policy.
If that breaks the deal for you, feel free to visit Protect My Paws where you can dig deeper and discover another pet insurance solution that’s more adequate to your requirements.
Toto’s Alternatives
If you don’t like Toto’s policy on waiting periods, 24PetWatch could make a huge difference to you. Their waiting periods are barely even there. Coverage for accidents becomes available only 1 day after you enroll with the company and the waiting period for illnesses is just 3 days. When speed is concerned, 24PetWatch’s claim processing speed is similar to that of Toto which is a very convenient one.
Trupanion is our second alternative to Toto. Even as a traditional pet insurer, Trupanion is as unique as it can be. Their approach to deductibles is different from the rest of the pet insurance world as their deductibles are per incident. That might not be everyone’s type of cookie, but if you choose the $0 deductible option that they offer, you might never worry about this segment of insurance. Trupanion, unlike Toto, provides coverage for bilateral conditions and that can be very useful sometimes.
Lastly, Pawp can substitute Toto’s coverage for accidents. They represent an emergency fund of $3,000 that you can use once per year to take care of one emergency situation. No deductibles and no coinsurance are involved in Pawp’s coverage, so you can remove all of the hassle that comes with dealing with a pet insurance plan. However, Pawp is quite more expensive than Toto’s accident-only coverage so make sure to evaluate your choices before you make them.
F.A.Q.
What can I use as a payment method for paying my Toto monthly premiums?
Toto accepts all credit cards, debit cards, electronic checks, and paper checks as methods for paying for their services. They accept paper checks only if you wish to be billed annually. Note that by paying with this method, you can save up to $36 a year.
Do I have to pay my deductible even if my veterinary costs this year were barely significant?
It’s your personal choice to decide whether you’d like to file a claim for your veterinary costs or not. We do recommend filing a claim every time you have veterinary expenses. That would entail paying your deductible but would also go toward your future claims. Whenever you have to file a claim later in the same year, your deductible will already be taken care of.
How do I increase or decrease my pet coverage with Toto?
Toto is pretty liberal when it comes to changing your pet insurance coverage. You’re allowed to contact them anytime you want to increase or decrease your annual deductible, annual claim benefit limit, or reimbursement level, and upon underwriting approval, it will be done. Pet wellness coverage, however, can only be increased or decreased at policy renewal.
I am aware of my annual claim benefit limit, but does Toto impose a lifetime maximum on claim benefits?
No. There is no limit on your lifetime claim benefits which is the case with annual limits.