AKC Pet Insurance Review

Our team researched AKC’s Pet Insurance Coverage, Cost, and Customer Satisfaction Scores

Better Business Bureau: A+

Trustpilot: 5 stars based on 391 reviews

Our Final Grade – B-

AKC Pet Insurance plans, administered by PetPartners, Inc. in Raleigh, NC and underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company or Independence American Insurance Company, offers comprehensive pet insurance plan options across the United States and Canada.

Known for their association with the American Kennel Club, AKC has offered their pet insurance policies since 2003, even offering 30 day accidental and illness coverage plans with new akc registration puppies.

AKC pet insurance has customizable plans with many different coverage limits, deductible choices, and monthly costs for pet owners to budget accordingly. Despite veterinary bill costs on the rise, paying for quality wellness care doesn’t have to be out of reach.

What’s New In 2021 For AKC Pet Insurance

AKC Pet Insurance is a leading insurance company with a year-on-year growth of 20%. Here’s a rundown of recent events: 

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How Has Covid-19 Affected AKC Pet Insurance

Thanks to COVID-19, AKC Pet Insurance had to create a remote workforce to answer customer queries and provide support. Going remote was necessary to ensure the safety of their employees and the immediate community. 

The good thing is this did not lower their quality of service. Pet owners could take advantage of a revamped Customer Portal and a 24/7 AKC Pet Insurance Vet Helpline.

New Products Or Changes

Depending on your state of residence, AKC Pet Insurance offers different pet insurance coverage plans. Common options on offer include wellness plans, accident and illness coverage, plus 30 days of pet insurance coverage programs. 

AKC Pet Insurance In The News

Recently, the AKC Pet Insurance and American Kennel Club (AKC) worked together to pioneer the AKC Breeder Rewards Program. It was put together to foster responsible dog training and ownership.

Speaking during the launch Mark Dunn, Executive Vice President of AKC Pet Insurance said, 

“Responsible dog ownership is key to the health and well-being of dogs, and registration is an important first step for new pet owners.”

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AKC Pet Insurance: Major Highlights

• There are no vet or medical records necessary prior to enrollment
• 5 % discount on more than one pet
• Wellness coverage and other extra add-on packages.
• Pets are covered when traveling through U.S. and Canada
• 30-day certificate to accident and illness coverage for new AKC registrations.

AKC Pet Insurance Plans

Similar to most pet insurance companies, AKC Pet Insurance offers comprehensive accident and illness plans. Pets have to be at least 8 weeks old to enroll and AKC does not have an upper age limit.

They also offer two different wellness plans for an additional cost, allowing you to customize your plan according to your pet’s individual needs.

AKC Offers Two Coverage Plans:

1 – The Companion Plus Plan

• AKC’s more comprehensive accident and illness and includes the following coverage:
• Accidents
• Exams
• Diagnostics (X-rays)
• Surgery
• Hospitalization
• Prescription Medication
• Illnesses
• Chemotherapy & Radiation Treatment
• Teeth extraction
• Treatment of Cherry Eye

The Companion Plus plan allows you to choose your own deductible, benefit limit and per-incident limit or payout limit, which can really help you budget your premium levels according to your pets’ needs.

2 – The Companion Select Package

The Companion Select package is for pets over nine years old and is an accident-only plan.

Of course, owners with pets under nine can also select this plan but AKC has tried to cater this plan to older pets who otherwise would not get coverage.

This Plan Covers:

• Accidents
• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• Medications

AKC Plan Add-On Packages

The add-ons to their basic insurance are the following:

The Exam Care Package Add-On

The Exam Care package adds additional coverage for the reimbursement of exam fees, hospital visit fees and vet visits.

But, this does not add coverage for the treatment – just the visits. You can purchase this for around $4.50 a month.

The Inherited Plus Package Add-On

The Inherited plus package which adds coverage for congenital and hereditary conditions. This package is an extra $10 a month.

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AKC Wellness Packages

The two wellness plans are the following:

The Defender Package

The Defender Package is their wellness package which reimburses for preventative and routine care.

The procedures covered are microchipping, wellness exams, and spay/neutering. It typically costs about $15 a month and allows you to spend up to $300 annually.

The Defender Plus Package

The Defender Plus package includes everything in the Defender package as well as heartworm testing, FLV testing, dental cleaning, flea/tick medication as well as vaccinations.

It costs around $26 a month and allows you to spend up to $535 on these procedures.

Related: 10 Things You Must Know Before You Buy Pet Insurance

AKC’s 30-Day Certificate

When you first enroll with AKC pet insurance, you will receive a 30-day certificate accident and illness certificate with shorter waiting periods to get your pet started immediately with coverage.

With the certificate, accident coverage begins after one day and illness coverage after a 5 day waiting period.

It has a $500 per incident benefit limit and a $1500 monthly limit. You have a $100 deductible and an 80% reimbursement.

Your pet is covered with these terms for the first 30 days and then you can choose if you want to continue under these terms or choose one of their other two coverage plans.  

Hereditary and Congenital Conditions

AKC does cover hereditary and congenital conditions that might occur in your pet but only at an additional fee. This includes hip dysplasia, elbow, and joint issues and eye disease.

This is a definite downside to their insurance as almost every other provider we have reviewed and all in our Top 10 Pet Insurance Companies list cover hereditary and congenital conditions in their basic insurance plans.

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AKC’s Chronic Conditions Coverage

AKC does cover chronic conditions in its core package which includes:

• Cancer Treatment
• Broken Bones
• Hypothyroidism
• Allergies
• Other Chronic Diseases

AKC Benefit Limits

AKC pet insurance has both annual and per-incident limit caps depending on the plan you choose.

We typically prefer pet insurance companies that offer unlimited annual limits like Healthy Paws so you know you are always covered.

The Companion Plus package has a per-incident limit of up to $8,000 and annual limits ranging from $3000 to $16,000.

The Companion Select package has a $3,000 per incident limit and an annual limit of up to $11,000.

While these limits are acceptable, the whole point of pet insurance is to cover the big unexpected vet bills and there is a chance that your dog or cat could have a medical expense that is much higher than those limits.

Further, the per-incident limits are for your pets’ life and therefore if your dog has repeat visits for a certain accident or procedure, you will most likely be paying the balance out-of-pocket.

Reimbursement Method

AKC has one reimbursement choice of 80% on all of their plans.

While this is an acceptable level, we always prefer plans that allow you to customize your reimbursements choice like Embrace pet insurance does.

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Deductible Type

The deductible needs to be met once annually and vary depending on the plan you choose.

With the Companion Plus plan, you can choose a deductible from $100 to $1,000 with a co-pay of 20% after your deductible has been met.

The Companion Select plan has one annual deductible choice of $100.

What Is The Cost Of AKC Pet Insurance?

The cost of AKC Pet Insurance ranges greatly depending on the plan you choose and the age of your dog or cat.

However, even considering the basic plans without all the additional coverage add-ons, AKC is fairly expensive.

The Companion plus offers many different variations to change your premium charges since it is very customizable.

The typical premium range for a solid plan ranges from $30 – $60 for a dog and $20 – $40 for a cat.

The Companion Select premiums typically range from $30 – $60 for dog and $20 – $50 a month for a cat.

There is a 5% discount if you enroll more than one pet.

AKC Claims Process

The claims process is similar to most and you fill out an online form and email, fax or mail it directly.

It usually takes about 2 weeks for a claim to be processed and they send a check by mail which can take longer than direct deposit.

It is surprising that they don’t have direct deposit set up in this day and age. Some of the policyholders have complained about this.

Reviews have been mixed with some policyholders claiming that they have been denied coverage frequently.

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Enrollment and Waiting Period

You can enroll your dog at 8 weeks or older or your cats at 10 weeks old.  There is an upper age restriction for dogs and cats at 9 years old which is very limiting and unusual among providers.

If you do have a dog that is 9 years old, you can enroll him but only in the Companion Select accident plan.

The waiting period for illness is fourteen days and for accidents is three days.

There is a 6-month waiting list for hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament issues.

FAQ

Does AKC Pet Insurance cover Alternative Therapy?

Unlike most pet insurance providers, AKC Pet insurance does not include all alternative therapies but will cover laser therapy, hydrotherapy and physical therapy in the comprehensive plan.

Healthy Paws and many other pet insurance companies include all alternative therapy options holistic, acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal and homeopathy.

Is Dental care covered with AKC?

Their normal policies include dental coverage if it is accident-related.  Teeth cleaning and other dental care treatments are provided with the Defender Plus package, their higher-end wellness add-on.

How can I get in touch with AKC?

You can reach customer service with AKC at 1-866-725-2747 Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm EST or Saturday 10:00 am to 3 pm EST and they are closed on Sunday.

Are there any policy exclusions?

Similar to most pet insurance providers, any pre-existing conditions or elective procedures are not covered. Further, hip dysplasia and some other inherited conditions are only covered for an additional expense which is very unusual for a pet insurance company and a definite negative.

What is the maximum age for pets to enroll?

You can enroll your pet up to 9 years old.  However, if you are an existing policyholder, your pet can still be covered as your dog or cat ages past 9 years old as long as you keep up with your payments.

Does AKC have a 30-day look period?

Yes.  If you decide after 30 days, you do not want to enroll your pet with AKC pet insurance, you are guaranteed a 100% reimbursement.

Is behavioral therapy covered with AKC?

Some of their plans offer behavioral therapy such as aggression and compulsive behaviors.  However, it must be diagnosed by a veterinarian and it is not available in all states.

Are prescription food and medication covered?

Prescription medication is covered but not prescription food is not.

Is AKC Pet Insurance For Your Pet?

And that is our review of AKC Pet insurance.

While the more comprehensive plans are very flexible, we are not happy with all the add-ons that you need to include to your base insurance just to have coverage that is any normal pet insurance policy. And, it can get very expensive to get there.

However, take a look at AKC Pet Insurance at www.akcpetinsurance.com. And, if you don’t think they are a good fit for you, make sure to take a look at our pet insurance comparison chart so you can see how some of our other providers compare in one quick look.

 

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