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AKC Pet Insurance Review & Prices (2024 Guide)

Author Icon By Brenda Woods Updated 03/21/2024

As a pet owner, the health of your furry friend can feel as important as your own, which is why pet insurance can be a smart investment to ensure the protection of your pet during accidents and illnesses. It can also provide peace of mind that you wonโ€™t have to pay expensive, unexpected veterinary bills out of pocket.

Keep reading to learn about American Kennel Club (AKC) Pet Insurance and its history, insurance coverage, pricing, and customer satisfaction, in addition to how it stacks up against the best pet insurance companies in the industry.

Key Takeaway: We compared AKC Pet Insurance to other companies in the industry on key metrics, including customer service, reputation, coverage, plan options, affordability, and eligible species, giving it a score of 89.5 out of 100.
AKC
4
Most Options for Annual Coverage Limit
Pros
  • Doesnโ€™t have an age limit for older pets
  • Has a 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Offers a per-incident deductible option to help lower premiums
Cons
  • Charges a $3-per-month service fee
  • Only offers accident coverage for pets with a certain medical history
  • Doesnโ€™t cover hereditary or congenital conditions in standard policies

AKC Pet Insurance has been in operation since 2003 and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. It provides pet health insurance policies administered by PetPartners, Inc. that are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company and Independent American Insurance Company.

Through a strategic partnership, PetPartners uses the AKC (registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States) brand and logo as a way to connect with pet owners across the country and share the same vision to advance the health and well-being of all pets.

In 2017, PetPartners was acquired by the IHC Group, which is a financially strong company with an A- (excellent) rating according to AM Best.

AKC Pet Insurance policies are available in all 50 states.

However, the exact details of your policy may vary depending on your ZIP code. Review the details in your policy before purchasing coverage to ensure youโ€™re receiving the protection you need.


What’s Our Rating for AKC Pet Insurance?

We like the providerโ€™s overall coverage and plan customizability, from multiple deductible and annual limit choices to a selection of four to five add-ons.

However, we found that AKCโ€™s plans can be complicated and come with limitations. For example, its accident-only plan is only offered to pets with a certain medical history, and the coverage limits and deductibles arenโ€™t customizable. AKCโ€™s accident and illness coverage is the only option for healthy pets. Additionally, the extra coverage option for hereditary conditions is only available to pets under two years of age.

For simpler plans with less limitations, we recommend checking out a few other top-rated pet insurance companies, such as Lemonade or Healthy Paws.

Monthly Cost
4.5 / 5
4.5 / 5
Company Reputation
3.8 / 5
3.8 / 5
Plan Options
5 / 5
5 / 5
Customer Service
3 / 5
3 / 5
Coverage
4.8 / 5
4.8 / 5
Eligible Species
5 / 5
5 / 5

How Does AKC Pet Insurance Compare to the Competition?

Quickly compare the features of top-rated pet insurance providers:

Company Star Rating Monthly Cost for Dogs* Monthly Cost for Cats* Visit Site
4.8
$23.22 $11.00 VISIT SITE
4.6
$45.75 $25.23 VISIT SITE
4.7
$57.19 $34.97 VISIT SITE
4.5
$43.29 $23.73 VISIT SITE
4.5
$48.65 $22.73 VISIT SITE
4.0
$28.17 $16.59 VISIT SITE
4.0
$46.48 $21.51 VISIT SITE
4.7
$26.48 $13.28 VISIT SITE

*Based on sample quotes for a mixed four-year-old dog in Raleigh, North Carolina

**Based on scores pulled from each companyโ€™s BBB profile as of March 2023

Why Trust Us? Our review and rating process for the best pet insurance companies
22
Companies Considered We carefully considered 22 companies to find the best pet insurance providers available.
1000
Pet Owners Surveyed We surveyed 1,000 pet owners to see what they care about most when in comes to pet insurance.
3800
Reviews Analyzed We went through 3,800 customer reviews of pet insurance companies to see what people had to say about each provider.
51
Policies Compared We compared 51 policies to find the best pet insurance offerings on the market.

How Much Does AKC Pet Insurance Cost?

AKC Pet Insurance prices can vary depending on your dog or catโ€™s age, breed, and location. If your pet only qualifies for the AccidentCare Plan, you wonโ€™t be able to customize your premium, but the CompanionCare Plan offers a handful of options that allow policyholders to only pay for what they need.

Here are some customization options you have with the CompanionCare Plan:

  • $100, $250, $300, $400, $500, $600, $750, or $1,000 annual deductibles
  • 70%, 80%, or 90% reimbursement rates
  • $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, or unlimited annual coverage limits
  • $500 per-incident limit

Additionally, the Defender add-on costs an extra flat rate of $17 per month, and the DefenderPlus add-on is an additional $29 per month to your premium.

To give you an idea of pricing for each AKC plan, we listed some examples of sample premiums below. These quotes are for four-year-old animals of various species and breeds located in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a chosen $500 deductible, 80% reimbursement, and $10,000 annual limit.

AKC Pet Insurance Sample Monthly Premiums

Species/breedDog – Medium MixedDog – Golden RetrieverDog – Yorkshire TerrierCat – Domestic Short Hair

CompanionCare Plan

$28.17

$46.71

$26.45

$16.59

AccidentCare Plan

$11

$19

$10.29

$6.65

What DIscounts Does AKC Pet Insurance Offer?

AKC offers a 5% discount if you add more than one pet to your policy. It also offers a 10% discount for breeders who participate in the AKC Breeder of Merit Program or the AKC Bred with H.E.A.R.T. Program.

Note: These discounted premiums arenโ€™t available in Florida, Washington, or Tennessee.


What Plans and Coverage Does AKC Pet Insurance Offer?

AKC Pet Insurance offers two plans: the CompanionCare Plan and the AccidentCare Plan. Rather than letting customers choose between the two plans, AKC Pet Insurance only offers the AccidentCare Plan to pets with certain diseases, and the CompanionCare Plan is only for healthy pets.

The AccidentCare Plan is only available to pets that have been diagnosed with or shown symptoms of diabetes, Cushingโ€™s disease, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), or feline leukemia virus (FELV). This plan includes coverage for procedures, treatments, and vet bills related to the following:

  • Lacerations
  • Toxic ingestions
  • Eye injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Snake bites
  • Sprains
  • Bee stings
  • Bite wounds

The CompanionCare Plan isnโ€™t available to pets with diabetes, Cushingโ€™s disease, FIV, or FELV. It covers all accidents in the AccidentCare Plan in addition to the following conditions:

  • Hypothyroidism
  • Digestive issues
  • Cancer
  • Allergies
  • ACL injuries
  • UTIs
  • Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) if manifested after coverage starts
  • General illnesses

The covered treatments, procedures, and other expenses for both plansโ€™ eligible incidents or conditions can include:

  • Hospitalization
  • Prescription medications
  • Emergency or specialist care
  • Surgery
  • Physical therapy
  • CT scans
  • MRIs
  • Laboratory tests
  • X-rays
  • Ultrasounds

For additional coverage options, pet owners can add ExamPlus to pay for vet visits and exam fees and SupportPlus for end-of-life expenses for an additional $2โ€“$8 extra per month. Pet owners who purchase the CompanionCare Plan and have animals under two years old also have access to HereditaryPlus, which covers hereditary and congenital conditions, such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, and heart disease, that arenโ€™t included in the standard plan.

Customers can also add the Defender or DefenderPlus add-ons to their plan for preventative care coverage. Here are the covered expenses and the per-item limits for each add-on:


Wellness Plans Coverage Limits

Wellness Plans Coverage Limits

Plan

Defender

DefenderPlus

Dental cleaning or spay/neuter

$0

$150

Rabies

$15

$15

Flea/tick prevention

$50

$65

Heartworm prevention

$30

$30

Vaccinations

$30

$40

Wellness exam

$50

$50

Heartworm test

$25

$30

Blood or fecal exam

$50

$70

Microchip

$20

$40

Urinalysis or early renal damage (ERD) test

$15

$25

Deworming

$20

$20

What Does AKC Pet Insurance Not Cover?

AKC Pet Insurance doesnโ€™t cover pre-existing conditions, which it defines in a sample policy as โ€œany illness or injury which occurred, reoccurred, existed, or showed symptoms, whether or not diagnosed by a veterinarian, prior to the pet original start data, coverage period, or during the waiting period.โ€ This means that any conditions that show up before your policyโ€™s coverage officially begins are considered pre-existing conditions.

Here are a few other items that are excluded from AKC Pet Insurance policies:

  • Exam fees (unless you add ExamPlus to your policy)
  • Elective procedures
  • Cosmetic procedures
  • Grooming
  • Breeding or pregnancy-related expenses
  • Organ or tissue transplants
  • Boarding
  • Any conditions related to teeth, such as gingivitis or periodontal disease

Where is AKC Pet Insurance Available?

AKC Pet Insurance policies are available in all 50 states.

However, the exact details of your policy may vary depending on your ZIP code. Review the details in your policy before purchasing coverage to ensure youโ€™re receiving the protection you need.


AKC Pet Insurance Reviews

Although AKC Pet Insurance doesnโ€™t have its own Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, its administrator, PetPartners, Inc., has an A+ rating and accreditation with the organization. The companyโ€™s profile doesnโ€™t show many reviews from customers, so we checked other third-party review sites, such as Yelp and Trustpilot, to learn what customers had to say about their experience with the provider.

Reviews from satisfied customers typically mention affordable rates and an easy claims filing process, whereas unsatisfied customers complain about denied claims and a hard-to-reach customer service team.

Here are some AKC Pet Insurance reviews from Trustpilot:

โ€œOur [six-month-old] puppy swallowed part of a Nylabone and began to vomit throughout the day. An expensive trip to an emergency vet hospital followed. Our pup received an exam, X-rays, and medication and was fine within a couple of days. We filed a claim, which was easy to do, and received information about our coverage within days. Our insurance covered a large part of the expenses. Very happy with our insurance and their customer service.โ€

Amy M.

โ€œI have paid over $1,100 per year for pet insurance for my [two] AKC-registered canines for [six] years. Recently I came home to my Rottweiler yelping in agony. After a trip to the emergency vet for [an] initial assessment, we took him to his regular vet the following morning. He had prostatitis and needed an emergency neutering to relieve the pressure. After filing my claim, AKC Pet Insurance reimbursed me $0.00!โ€

Lou D.

FAQs About AKC Pet Insurance

Does AKC Pet Insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

AKC doesnโ€™t cover any pre-existing conditions that have occurred or re-occurred before enrollment or during the dedicated waiting periods. This means youโ€™ll only be covered for future conditions or incidents after purchasing a policy.

How long are the waiting periods for AKC Pet Insurance plans?

AKC Pet Insurance has a short waiting period of two days for accidents, but its illness waiting period is 14 days, which is in line with the industry standard.

How much does AKC Pet Insurance cost?

The price of your AKC policy can vary depending on your petโ€™s details and location, in addition to your customizable selection for reimbursement percentages, deductibles, and annual limits. However, we found that average premiums for the CompanionCare Plan typically range from $25โ€“$50 per month for dogs and $13โ€“$25 per month for cats.

How do I file a claim with AKC?

The process for filing a claim on your policy starts with filling out a claim form and submitting it along with any vet bill invoices and other relevant documents through email, postal mail, fax, or the AKC customer portal. The claim will be assigned to a representative within two business days of the submission. A representative will reach out to you for any additional information and a decision on the payout.

How do I reach AKCโ€™s customer service?

AKC Pet Insurance can be reached by email or phone. The customer service call center is open during the following hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST. Itโ€™s closed on Sundays and major holidays.


Our Conclusion

Although AKC offers decent coverage for your dog or cat and provides more plan options and add-ons than most pet insurance providers, it limits protection based on your petโ€™s health, medical history, or age. For example, youโ€™ll only be offered an accident-only plan if your pet has been diagnosed with or shown symptoms of certain diseases, and your pet wonโ€™t get access to coverage on hereditary conditions if itโ€™s more than two years old.

If this insurer doesnโ€™t offer the right coverage for you, we recommend looking at a few other top-rated pet insurance companies in the industry, such as Lemonade or Healthy Paws.


Our Rating Methodology

The This Old House Reviews team is dedicated to thorough, in-depth reviews of each product or service that we detail in our content. Determined to build trust with our readers through transparency, accuracy, and accountability, weโ€™ve built a detailed rating system to score pet insurance brands. Included in this methodology are the following six factors with their respective scoring weights:

  • Coverage (25)
  • Plan options (20)
  • Monthly cost (20)
  • Company reputation (15)
  • Customer service (10)
  • Species eligibility (10)

Our researchers keep all data in each companyโ€™s score up to date, making any changes to our content when necessary to provide our readers with the most accurate information on relevant metrics, such as plan options, customer service, reputation, and monthly cost.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.