A 2019 Missouri filing shows that Zurich entered the pet insurance market with a new illness and injury product marketed through TrustedPals, a brand operated by Marsh.

The filing, submitted on April 25, 2019, sought approval for Zurich’s new pet insurance program with a requested effective date of July 1, 2019. The product offered reimbursement for veterinary expenses related to illnesses and injuries, with an optional wellness endorsement covering preventive care. Benefits extended to prescription drugs, nutritional supplements, prescription pet food, behavioral treatments prescribed by veterinarians, and limited end-of-life benefits.

What stands out in the filing is Zurich’s approach to pricing. Because the program was new and lacked its own claims experience, Zurich told Missouri regulators it relied on territory relativities used by Westchester Fire Insurance Company, the Chubb carrier behind Healthy Paws pet insurance.

“Since this is a new program, we are relying on the territory relativities observed in Westchester Fire Insurance Company’s experience / rating plan,” Zurich Project Manager Paula Bartell wrote in an August 2019 response to regulators. “We will evaluate these factors with our own experience as it becomes available.”

After regulators requested additional justification, Zurich further explained that “Westchester Fire Insurance Company was selected because it is part of Chubb’s Healthy Paws program. Outside of Nationwide, Chubb is one of the largest writers of pet insurance (~12% market share).”