Compare AKC Pet Insurance

Comparison Fact Sheet
Updated 9/4/2024

To get the most from these sheets, please read the Guide to Pet Insurance first.



Company Info
Company Name AKC Pet Insurance
Also Known As / Affiliates / Partners AKC partnered with PetPartners in 2003 to form AKC Pet Insurance

Currently owned by JAB Holding (a German private equity firm)
Address AKC Pet Insurance
8051 Arco Corporate Dr #350
Raleigh, NC 27617
Phone 1-866-725-2747
Website www.akcpetinsurance.com
Plans That Provide Both Accident and Illness Coverage Companion Care *
(This is further divided into Basic vs Customized Plans)
States Covered Available in all states
Underwriter and AM Best Financial Strength Rating Insurance underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company.

Independence American Insurance Company has an AM Best Financial Strength Rating of "A-" and an Outlook of "Stable" as of 9/4/2024.

For the most recent ratings go to: AM Best
Year Company Started 2003

 

Policy Basics
Policy Term 12 months
Effective Date The Effective Date will be listed on the Declarations Page of your policy after you apply and are accepted.
Enrollment Age Dogs: 8 weeks
Cats: 10 weeks

Pets over 9 years of age at the time of enrollment are only eligible for their accident-only coverage.
Cancellation Policy Ask for a current copy of their insurance policy so that you may review their cancellation policy
Waiting Period 14 days for illnesses.

2 days for injuries.

Intervertebral Disc Disease and Cruciate Ligament related conditions have a 180 day waiting period.

There appears to be a 30 day waiting period for Alternative Therapy Coverage, Behavioral Coverage and HereditaryPlus Add On Coverage.

**Waiting Periods can vary by state. See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance to confirm the waiting periods for your state.
Waiting Period for Cruciate Injury Cruciate Ligament related conditions have a 180 day waiting period.

**Waiting Periods can vary by state. See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance to confirm the waiting periods for your state.
Coverage When Travel Out of State or Country? You may visit any licensed veterinarian in the US, its territories and possessions, and Canada.
Can the Price of the Policy Increase as my Pet Ages? Yes, the policy premium can increase as your pet ages. The premium may also increase due to inflation or other reasons.

Contact AKC Pet Insurance for more information on when and by how much your premium may increase.
Does Coverage Stop Due to Age? No
What Happens when the Policy Renews? Chronic conditions will continue to be covered each year as long as you do not go over your Maximum Payout.

(See 'Max Payout' section below)

(See 'Chronic Conditions Policy' section below)
Can the Price of the Policy Increase if a Claim is Filed? No
Choice of Vet? You may visit any licensed veterinarian in the US, its territories and possessions, and Canada.
Money Back Guarantee? There is a 30 day money back guarantee. They will refund your money in full as long as you have not filed a claim.

**May vary by state
Surcharge for Visiting a Specialist or Emergency Clinic? No
Referral needed to Visit a Specialist? No
Pre-certification Required? No
Additional Requirements **See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance for a complete list of the requirements you are expected to adhere to in order to maintain coverage.
Policy Available for Pre-Purchase Review? Sample policy available online

 

What's Covered
Species Covered Dogs and Cats
Accident/Injury -
Baseline Coverage		 Covers diagnostics and lab tests, surgery, treatments, hospitalization, prescription medications.

Veterinary exam fee is not covered unless you purchase their ExamCare addon.
Illness -
Baseline Coverage		 Covers diagnostics and lab tests, surgery, treatments, hospitalization, prescription medications.

Veterinary exam fee is not covered unless you purchase their ExamCare addon.
Behavioral Therapy Coverage Plans in some states include Behavioral Therapy coverage. Some states do not have this coverage included in the policy.

Behavioral Therapy, if covered, must be under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian.

Behavioral Therapy Coverage has an annual maximum benefit of $1,000, and there may be additional waiting periods for this coverage.

**See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance for a complete description of what types of Behavioral Therapy are covered.
Alternative Therapy Coverage Plans in some states include Alternative Therapy coverage. Some states do not have this coverage included in the policy.

In states where it is covered, the condition being treated must be diagnosed by a veterinarian, be eligible for coverage under your policy, and treatment must be recommended by your veterinarian.

There may be additional waiting periods for this coverage.

**See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance for a complete description of what types of Alternative Therapy are covered.
Pre-existing Conditions Policy Pre-existing conditions are not covered.

Some policies in some states offer coverage for pre-existing conditions after a 12-month waiting period.

According to their sample policy on their website, a pre-existing condition is "... any Illness or Injury which occurred, reoccurred, existed or showed Symptoms, whether or not diagnosed by a Veterinarian, prior to the Pet Original Start Date, Coverage Period or during the Waiting Period."

**See actual policy or contact the company for a complete description of pre-existing conditions.
Hereditary & Congenital Conditions Coverage To get hereditary and congenital coverage, you must purchase the HereditaryPlus addon.

Pet must be under 2 years of age to purchase this addon.

**This addon may have additional waiting periods and other policy limits. See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance for complete description of their Hereditary & Congenital Conditions Policy.
Continual Coverage for Chronic Conditions [INCLUDED] Continual coverage for chronic conditions is included with the policy.

Chronic conditions are covered up to the Maximum Payout.

(See 'Chronic Conditions Policy' section below)
(See 'Max Payout' section below)
Chronic Conditions Policy Based on their website, here are a few examples of conditions that are not covered unless you purchase the HereditaryPlus addon:
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Heart Disease
  • Eye Disorders
  • Diabetes Mellitus
  • Luxating Patella
Diseases in this list can be hereditary/congenital in origin but there can be other causes of origin as well.

It is not completely clear what other chronic conditions fall under this addon. Contact the company for a complete list.

**The HereditaryPlus addon may have additional waiting periods and other policy limits. See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance for a complete description of their Chronic Conditions Policy.
Cancer Coverage Cancer conditions are covered if they are not pre-existing and have not occurred during the waiting period.

Cancers that are considered to be hereditary or genetic may not be covered unless you purchase the HereditaryPlus addon.

(See 'Chronic Conditions Policy' section above)
Cancer Coverage Limits Eligible Cancer conditions are covered up to the Maximum Payout.

(See 'Cancer Coverage' section above)
(See 'Max Payout' section below)
Hip Dysplasia To get Hip Dysplasia coverage you must purchase the HereditaryPlus addon.

Pet must be under 2 years of age to purchase this addon.

**The HereditaryPlus addon may have additional waiting periods and other policy limits. See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance for a complete description of their Hip Dysplasia Coverage.

(See 'Hereditary & Congenital Conditions Coverage' section above)
Prescription Drug Coverage [INCLUDED]

**See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance for full list of inclusions and exclusions
Pregnancy Coverage [OPTIONAL]

Coverage is available as an Add On in some states.

**This addon may have additional waiting periods and other policy limits. See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance for a complete description of their Pregnancy coverage.
Routine/Wellness Coverage [OPTIONAL] For Routine/Wellness coverage you must purchase the Defender or DefenderPlus addon.

**See actual policy or contact the company for a complete description of their Routine/Wellness Coverage
Vaccinations [OPTIONAL] - See Routine/Wellness Coverage above for details
Spay/Neuter [OPTIONAL] - See Routine/Wellness Coverage above for details
Dental Care (Routine) [OPTIONAL] - See Routine/Wellness Coverage above for details
Dental Care (Illness/Accident) [LIMITED COVERAGE]

Only provides coverage for medically necessary extractions for broken permanent teeth due to an accident.

**See actual policy or contact the company for full list of inclusions and exclusions.
Bilateral Conditions Policy If a bilateral condition happens on one side before they policy starts or during the waiting period, that condition will not be covered if it happens on the other side. Even if it happens after the waiting period.

The way it is written in their policy it appears this applies to all bilateral conditions (e.g. eye problems, ear problems, knee problems, hip problems, etc)

**Contact the company for a list of medical conditions that are considered bilateral for the purpose of exclusion and for a complete description of their Bilateral Conditions Policy.
Coverage - Overview
(please read policy for full coverage details)		 Diagnostics and treatments due to illness and accidents

[Included] Alternative and Behavioral Therapy (depends on the state you live in), Cancer Coverage (If hereditary/congenital in nature, you will not be covered unless your purchased the hereditary/congenital add on), Prescription Drug Coverage, Dental Illness/Accident (limited), Continual Chronic Conditions Coverage. (Refer to each category's section for limitations)

[Optional] Routine/Wellness Care, Routine Dental Care, Hereditary/Congenital coverage, Exam Fee Coverage (Refer to each category's section for limitations)

**See actual policy or contact AKC Pet Insurance for full list of inclusions, exclusions, limitations and conditions.
What's not Covered - Overview
(partial listing, please read policy for full details)
  • Pre-existing conditions
  • Conditions that occur during the waiting period
  • Boarding, grooming and grooming supplies
...See policy for a complete listing

 

How The Policy Works
Reimbursement Choose from 70%, 80%, or 90%
Deductible Annual Deductible

Choose from $100, $250, $300, $400, $500, $600, $750, or $1,000
Flat Deductible vs % Deductible Flat
Deductible Per Incident vs Annual Deductible Annual
How is Reimbursement Determined Reimbursement is based on UCR (usual and customary). This means the company uses typical fees or the cost that Veterinarians charge in your geographic area based on available veterinary fee information and proprietary data.

It is not clear whether reimbursements are calculated by taking the deductible first or the reimbursement percentage first.
Max Payout Annually Choose from $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, or Unlimited

Behavioral Therapy Coverage has an annual maximum benefit of $1,000.
Max Lifetime Payout AKC Pet Insurance does not have a maximum lifetime payout
Max Payout per Incident If you select the Basic plan instead of a Customized plan, there will be a per-incident Limit of $500. This means $500 will be the maximum amount they will reimburse your for an individual injury or illness over the life of the pet.
Max Payout Based on Body System AKC Pet Insurance does not have a maximum payout based on body system
Client Reimbursed or Vet Paid Directly You pay the veterinarian and then you are reimbursed after you file the claim.

 

Pricing
Approximate Monthly Costs Approximately $13.00 - $100.00 depending on the plan, species, where you live, etc

 

Additional Info
My Review AKC Review
What are Customers Saying? PetInsuranceReview.com and Yelp.com

Also check with your state's Department of Insurance to see if any complaints have been filed for this company
Better Business Bureau bbb.org

Under PetPartners
Additional Info Your pet does not have to be registered with AKC to enroll.

*The information in the above charts applies to AKC pet insurance policies that cover illness and accidents. If you are interested in their accident only plan, please contact the company for details on that policy.

**Disclaimer: These charts are created based on my research. While I do my best to stay current, information can change quickly. Also, terms and conditions can vary from state to state. Before buying a pet insurance plan, confirm all information by contacting the company or reading the most current policy for your state. We will not be held liable for errors or omissions. If you see something that is incorrect or needs clarifying, please let me know.

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