Nationwide partners with Petco, programs to be available in 2023

Nationwide and Petco Health and Wellness are partnering to co-develop affordable pet health, wellness and protection solutions. The programs will be available in 2023.

"Forty years ago, Nationwide issued the first pet health insurance policy in the U.S. for TV's Lassie. For every year since, more customers have trusted us to protect their pets than any other insurer. Sustaining our market leadership has been driven by continuous, customer-focused innovation — including as the first to offer voluntary benefits plans, avian and exotic coverage, telehealth, and preferred pricing on prescription drugs," said Nationwide pet insurance President and Chief Pet Officer Heidi Sirota, in a statement. "Our partnership with Petco is another game-changing move that will reshape the pet care industry by expanding access to care, delivering actionable health insights, and improving outcomes for millions of pets and their families."

The partnership will combine Petco's integrated pet health and wellness solution, which includes about 1,500 pet care centers and Nationwide's claims data and insurance capabilities. The offering will include pet care services provided through Petco's pharmacy, veterinary hospitals and clinics.

About 4.4 million pets are insured in the U.S. and Canada at the end of 2021, an annual growth rate of about 28%, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association's annual State of the Industry Report. 

"With a growing number of pets in U.S. homes, and a need and desire from their loving families for them to live as healthy and happy as possible, expanding pet parents' access to the care that supports all elements of a pets' whole health — including access to veterinary care as well as physical, mental, social and home health — is a key component of Petco's focus on purpose-driven performance," said Dr. Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, DACVPM and Chief Veterinarian at Petco, in a statement. "Nationwide's proven track record of enabling extraordinary care for millions of pets is perfectly aligned with our mission of improving lives. With our combined efforts focused on what's best for pets, we aim to streamline the pet insurance process not only for our customers but the veterinary community at large."

Nationwide is expected to be the exclusive insurer available to Petco customers and its employees.