The last thing every pet parent should ever have to do is choose between the life of their furry family member or the balance of their bank account. With that in mind, Companion Protect sprang to life.
Offering affordable pet insurance plans, Companion Protect enables pet owners with the necessary tools for pet healthcare, so they can always provide the best medical options for their pets without worrying about their finances.
This pet insurer sets apart from other companies in the pet insurance industry with unique features such as low deductibles, lots of discount options, their own network of vet clinics, and transparent policies. They even throw free wellness checkups with their base pet coverage – something no other pet insurer does!
To dive much deeper into everything that this agency offers, continue with this Companion Protect pet insurance review and learn if they’re the right fit for your particular needs.
Companion Protect Pros & Cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
The Companion Protect network of veterinarians enables direct payment of your vet bills. | A full veterinary exam is necessary as a requirement for enrollment. |
Coverage for all bilateral conditions is included. | $100 per-incident deductible. |
No waiting periods for accidents, illnesses, and orthopedic conditions. | $2.00 monthly transaction fee. |
Free pet wellness exams (one for pets younger than 7 and two for pets older than that). | Long claim processing times. |
Coverage for veterinary exam fees. | No 30-day money-back guarantee. |
Lock on premium price increases as the pet grows older. | |
Available discounts for up to 15% off on your monthly premiums price – multi-pet, military, animal care, and employer benefits. |
Companion Protect’s Key Attributes
- Underwriter: Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc.
- AM Best Rating: A
- BBB Rating: A+
- Exam period: Companion Protect does require the full medical history of your pet before they admit you on their pet insurance policy. If you haven’t taken a thorough physical exam for your pet within 12 months prior to your application for enrolling with Companion Protect, the company may reject your application until you obtain such an examination for your pet. They do so to better understand the medical state of your pet and learn if they have any pre-existing or underlying conditions so they can let you know what exactly your policy will cover your pet for.
- Increase in monthly premium: The first strong suit of Companion Protect is the never-changing price of their policy premiums based on the pet’s age. Almost all pet insurance agencies out there will bump the price of your monthly premium since they all agree that as pets get older, they require more healthcare. Not Companion Protect. The price of your Companion Protect policy premium will stay the same regardless of your pet’s age.
- Claim submission time limit: Companion Protect has its own network of licensed veterinarians that they cooperate with to bring pet parents access to better healthcare. But policyholders are free to use any licensed veterinarian in the country as well. For that purpose, Companion Protect repays their policyholders in two ways:
- If you use the services of an in-network veterinarian, you only need to meet your deductible and copayment with Companion Protect. The rest of the amount on the vet bill will be directly paid to the vet’s office that you’ve used by Companion Protect;
- If you use the services of an out-of-network veterinarian, you ought to pay the vet bill’s price in full and meet your deductible with Companion Protect no later than 6 months from the date of the veterinary treatment (7 days to file a claim is the recommendation by Companion Protect). If they approve your claim, Companion Protect will reimburse you with the amount of the vet bill in excess of the copayment you’ve agreed upon in your pet insurance policy.
- Claim processing times: Given that you’ve used an out-of-network veterinarian (payments to in-network veterinarians are processed within a couple of days), Companion Protect will process your claim within a few days. Upon approval, Companion Protect will reimburse you within 30 days, although the average time for reimbursement is 3-5 days.
- Waiting periods: We’ve arrived at the second awesome suit of Companion Protect – their waiting periods. Why is this awesome? Because they’re non-existent. That’s right, in all of our profound research of the pet insurance industry, we were yet to find a pet insurer that doesn’t impose waiting periods for their accidents and illnesses pet coverage.
- Accidents – no waiting period;
- Illnesses – no waiting period;
- Orthopedic conditions – no waiting period.
However, there’s one important detail that some would deem as a catch that you’d need to remember. For some instances, you’d need to contact Companion Protect for a pre-approval. Unless in the case of an emergency, policyholders need to contact Companion Protect at 800-304-9930 or through their online portal if they wish to seek treatment for the following services:
- Any veterinary service that’s covered by the policy and is in excess of $2,500;
- Any surgery (Companion Protect reserves the right to select the surgical procedure provider);
- Hospitalization;
- Veterinary specialist fees;
- Tissue or organ transplantations;
- Treatment for hip dysplasia;
This feature comes in quite handy because you can use it for any vet visit, treatment, or procedure. It’s basically a consultation tool where you can learn if you’d be covered for the vet treatment that you’re going for prior to obtaining that treatment.
- Pet insurance coverage with Companion Protect is valid with any licensed veterinarian (whether it is an in-network veterinarian or out-of-network veterinarian) in the US only. The company doesn’t enable your coverage to be valid if you travel with your pet to Canada, Puerto Rico, or elsewhere.
- Bilateral conditions are the third, huge advantage of having Companion Protect on board. The pet insurance provider doesn’t impose exclusions for bilateral conditions from your pet coverage policy. Conditions such as knee tissue disorders, cruciate ligament injuries, luxating patella, glaucoma, and more, are all covered.
Companion Protect Insurance Plans
Companion Protect’s accident and illnesses coverage plan may appear simple at first glance, but as a matter of fact, it’s one of the most powerful pet coverage plans we’ve ever witnessed in our years-long experience with researching pet insurance products.
The plan is straightforward, transparent, and very easy to understand. It allows pet owners to enjoy tremendous benefits related to medically necessary treatments for their pets, but also a nice pet wellness perk as well.
As we mentioned earlier, you can use the same pet coverage that comes with this plan at both Companion Protect’s network or veterinarians or all the other out-of-network veterinarians. In short, every licensed veterinarian in the US is at your disposal and accepted by Companion Protect policy.
Now, when it comes to the amount of coverage available, Companion Protect has a lifetime limit that you can use for the duration of your pet’s entire life. If you surpass that limit, your Companion Protect pet insurance policy will be automatically canceled.
Companion Protect’s deductible is the biggest drawback that we’ve noticed with their entire service. The company imposes that policyholders should pay the deductible every time they require a check-up, a treatment, or a procedure for their pet (per-incident deductible).
Let’s review every claim limit option that available with your Companion Protect insurance plan:
- Lifetime coverage limit: $100,000 ($20,000 in Illinois);
- Per-incident deductible: $100;
- Reimbursement percentage: 90%;
- Copayment percentage: 10%.
The second drawback (a tiny one) of Companion Protect’s pet coverage is their restrictive policy for maximum pet age. While pets younger than 6 weeks can’t get on the coverage, pets above 25 years of age are also not welcomed. However, this age bracket is one of the most relaxed ones that we’ve noticed compared to other pet insurers as it’s extremely rare for a cat or a god to reach the age of 25.
We also mentioned the best thing about Companion Protect’s coverage – their waiting periods. All accidents, injuries, illnesses, and orthopedic conditions are exempt from a waiting period and can be treated as soon as your Companion Protect pet coverage policy goes into effect.
Lastly, Companion Protect will reimburse all of your claims that they approve through a bank transfer or a mailed check (if you opt for a service from an out-of-network veterinarian). If you’re using one of their in-network veterinarians, you don’t even have to worry about repayment. Companion Protect will handle your vet bills directly with the vet office.
What’s Covered With a Companion Protect Policy
Companion Protect’s pet coverage plan provides coverage for all medically-necessary vet treatments or procedures for illnesses and injuries that happened unexpectedly, were not planned ahead, and were not present in your pet’s medical history prior to your enrollment with the company.
Here, we’ll list all of the important instances Companion Protect will get you covered for:
- Accidents – unexpected injuries and mishaps such as getting hit by a car (fractures and wounds), bites or scratches from other pets or animals, ingestion of foreign bodies like toys, clothes, toxic materials, or other objects, exposure to toxins, eye trauma, tooth or mouth injuries, poisoning, and more;
- Illnesses – conditions such as upper respiratory tract issues, kidney disease, digestive and stomach issues, head infections, urinary tract infections, skin disorders, and many more;
- Orthopedic conditions like hip dysplasia (requires a pre-approval), knee soft tissue issues, cruciate ligament issues, luxating patella, and more, are all covered up to $10,000 per site;
- Cancer treatments;
- Chronic conditions – allergies, arthritis, and many more;
- Hereditary and congenital conditions – thyroid disease, IVDD, diabetes, liver disease, cataracts, glaucoma, and many more;
- Surgical procedures and hospitalization (require a pre-approval);
- Veterinary exam fees – fees for visiting a vet office, performing check-ups, follow-ups, etc. for covered injuries and illnesses;
- Any type of in-office diagnostics – lab work, blood and urine testing, scans by MRI or CT machines, X-rays, ultrasounds, and more;
- Tissue or organ transplants deemed medically necessary (require a pre-approval);
- Holistic and alternative therapies such as naturopathy, chiropractic therapy, herbal therapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, and naturopathy;
- Parasite and heartworm tests only for diagnostic purposes;
- Medical supplies including band-aids, casts, splints, wheelchairs, bandages, and much more;
- Prescribed medications – approved by the FDA and prescribed by a qualified veterinarian for the treatment of covered injuries and illnesses (not a subject to a deductible);
- Prescribed foods – 50% of the costs for foods prescribed by a licensed veterinarian as part of a covered service of covered treatment (not subject to a deductible);
- Dental coverage for accidents – treatments required for mouth injuries or tooth extractions due to an accident.
What’s Excluded From Companion Protect’s Coverage
Companion Protect is quite traditional when exclusions are concerned. All companies exclude a number of instances in their policies and so does Companion Protect. However, we noticed that they are excluding a bit less than what’s considered the norm in the pet insurance industry.
The following is everything that Companion Protect won’t cover your pet for:
- Veterinary or non-veterinary treatments and procedures that are not classified as medically necessary, unless they’re on the list of covered services;
- Pre-existing conditions or illnesses and injuries that are caused as a consequence of a pre-existing condition;
- Treatments or medicine that weren’t administered by a licensed veterinarian;
- Illnesses or injuries that developed because you failed to vaccinate your or provide preventative treatment for them as recommended by a licensed veterinarian;
- Treatments for purposeful negligence or intentionally inflicted injury by you or a close family member;
- Treatments for illnesses or injuries caused by breeding, pregnancy, queening, whelping, or nursing;
- Spondylosis;
- Treatments for conditions or injuries caused by activities such as organized fighting, track or sled racing, security guarding, hunting, coursing, working, or law enforcement;
- Treatments (including medication) for parasites that cannot be otherwise prevented such as heartworms, ticks, fleas, roundworms, etc.;
- Vaccines and other preventative procedures including spaying or neutering;
- Dietary foods, nutritional supplements, and vitamins that aren’t prescribed by a licensed veterinarian;
- Euthanasia that is not recommended by a licensed veterinarian;
- Dental procedures for issues that don’t result from an accident;
- Boarding with a kennel, cattery, or a medical institution if not deemed medically necessary including daycare and pet sitting services;
- Elective aesthetic and cosmetic procedures such as tail docking, ear cropping, dew claw removal, declawing, debarking, and similar procedures;
- Training and training devices for obedience and behavioral issues;
- Pet cloning;
- Grooming, nail clipping, and bathing;
- Fees for medical waste disposal, taxes, shipping, or postage;
- Breeding, pregnancy, whelping, or nursing;
- Expenses for transportation to and from the vet clinic.
Extra Features
Companion Protect has, hands down, one of the most amazing extra features that come included on their base pet coverage for accidents and illnesses, for free!
It’s really a rare find to spot a pet insurer that throws in a wellness exam or two at no extra charge. And then there is the end-of-life expenses perk that’s always most welcome in those heavy moments when we need to depart from our beloved fur babies.
Wellness Exams
WIth Companion Protect, every policyholder has a right to one or two routine wellness exams annually.
Pet parents with pets that are 7 years old or younger than that age, get to enjoy one wellness exam per policy period. Those who own pets older than 7 years of age, can take up to two wellness exams – both semi-annually.
If you opt for an annual or semi-annual wellness exam (depending on your eligibility) from an in-network veterinarian, you are exempt from paying a deductible, copayments, taxes, or any fees for the exam. Basically, the exam comes at no cost.
If your personal preference is that an out-of-network veterinarian performs your pet’s wellness examination, you still don’t have to pay anything for it. However, the annual cap for wellness exams taken at out-of-network veterinarians is set at $60.
Note that this feature has a waiting period of 6 months after enrolling with Companion Protect. It also doesn’t include any vaccinations or any other preventative procedures.
End-of-Life Expenses
With your Companion Protect pet insurance policy, you’re also entitled to coverage for the expenses that come with saying a final goodbye to your family companion.
If they are very old, terminally ill, and/or in too much pain, your veterinarian may recommend euthanizing them. If that comes to pass, know that Companion Protect has your back and will cover the costs for it, even if the cause for euthanasia was a pre-existing injury or illness.
They will also provide up to $250 for the costs of cremation or burial procedures even if the cause of death was a pre-existing condition.
Companion Protect Pricing Quotes
Quote-fetching is usually a painless, seamless procedure that lasts about 2-3 minutes with the average pet insurance company. Companion Protect reduces that time to mere seconds.
The reason behind the fastest quoting tool is Companion Protect’s policy on pet breeds. They offer the same premium price no matter the breed of your dog or cat, even if they’re purebred or a mixed breed. They don’t even care about their gender.
The only factors that are crucial when determining the price of your monthly premium with Companion Protect are the pet’s species (dog or cat) and the area of your residence (zip code).
What we absolutely adore about Companion Protect is that they will never increase the price of your policy premium as your pet gets older with time. This means one thing and one thing only – sign up for Companion Protect’s pet coverage as soon as your pet is still a puppy or a kitten (especially if they haven’t breached the 7-year mark). That way you’ll score a low monthly premium that will stay the same in price even when your pet reaches a two-digit birthday.
A lock on price increases is extremely rare in the pet insurance space, so we definitely find Companion Protect truly impressive in this regard.
That being said, Companion Protect’s coverage is one of the most affordable pet insurance solutions out there.
You can check that for yourself by obtaining a free quote, or take a look below where we list some sample pricing quotes for different cat and dog ages that are located in different states across the US.
Pricing Quotes for Dogs
Breed | Dog 1 | Dog 2 | Dog 3 |
---|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | Male | Female |
Age | 2 years 4 months | 4 years 2 months | 6 years 6 months |
Location | New York | California | Colorado |
Per-incident Deductible | $100 | $100 | $100 |
Lifetime Claim Limit | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
Reimbursement | 90% | 90% | 90% |
Companion Protect’s Accident & Illness Dog Coverage | $55.99/month | $44.99/month | $55.99/month |
*quotes obtained in December 2021
Pricing Quotes for Cats
Breed | Cat 1 | Cat 2 | Cat 3 |
---|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | Male | Female |
Age | 2 years 5 months | 4 years 1 month | 8 years 2 months |
Location | New York | Colorado | California |
Per-incident Deductible | $100 | $100 | $100 |
Lifetime Claim Limit | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
Reimbursement | 90% | 90% | 90% |
Companion Protect’s Accident & Illness Cat Coverage | $27.99/month | $27.99/month | $33.99/month |
*quotes obtained in December 2021
Discounts and Savings
Another great asset of Companion Protect’s pet coverage plan is its attitude toward discounts and savings options.
Pet parents can score up to 15% discounts based on four different incentives:
- Military discount: Set at 5%, this discount can be applied if you or a member of your immediate family is an active member of the military or a US military veteran;
- Animal Care discount: Anyone involved in rescue work regarding homeless animals or animals in need such as being employed or volunteering in a center designed to help and improve animal lives (vet clinics, rescue shelters, foster centers) can get a 10% off their monthly premium;
- Multi-Pet discount: For all pet parents with several family companions in their homes, Companion Protect offers a multi-pet discount (revealed only after enrollment) that applies for every subsequently enrolled pet;
- Employer discounts: An undisclosed discount for every pet owner that signs up for Companion Protect’s coverage as an employee benefit through their workplace.
Note that several discounts can be combined for a maximum of 15% off the price of the monthly premium.
Companion Protect lacks a 30-day free look period – an incentive offered by most pet insurance providers so new customers can try and test their services.
How Does Companion Protect Compare With Its Competitors?
To bring you closer to fully understanding where Companion Protect stands among its competition, we’ll use three companies to compare it with.
We’ve chosen the three rivals of Companion Protect to be Wagmo, Embrace, and PetPartners. They’re all prominent figures in the pet insurance space and all offer unique features in their own regard.
Use the charts below to take a glimpse of how the same aspects of the pet insurance product are treated by both parties in question. We believe this is of great help to spot even the tiniest details that make a big difference to you.
Companion Protect vs. Wagmo
Companion Protect can be great for reimbursing your vet bills with 90% of the entire price. Well, Wagmo can do the same but up to 100% of the covered expenses. The company offers annual deductibles, which in contrast to Companion Protect, you’ll only have to pay once per year.
Additionally, Wagmo doesn’t impose that annoying recurring fee every month ($2 in Companion Protect’s case). On the other hand, Companion protect does not have an entry fee – a lump sum that you have to pay with Wagmo which can be pretty hefty depending on how expensive your monthly premium is.
Feature | Companion Protect | Wagmo |
---|---|---|
Coverage Effective | USA | USA |
Reimbursement | 90% of covered expenses | Choice of 90% or 100% of covered expenses |
Co-Payment | 10% | 0% or 10% |
Deductible | $100 | $250 – $1,000 |
Type of Deductible | Per incident | Annual |
Claim Limit Options | $100,000 ($20,000 in Illinois) | $10,000 per incident and $100,000 lifetime |
Accident-Only Plan | Not available | Not available |
Wellness Plan | Not available (wellness exam included in base coverage) | Available |
Unlimited Benefits Plan | No | No |
Accidents | Yes | Yes |
Illnesses | Yes | Yes |
Illness Waiting Period | No waiting period | 15 days |
Accident Waiting Period | No waiting period | 15 days |
Orthopedic Conditions Waiting Period | No waiting period | 6 months |
Bilateral Exclusions | No | Yes |
Chronic Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Hereditary and Congenital Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Cancer | Yes | Yes |
Dental Coverage | Yes | Yes |
Prescription Medicine | Yes | Yes (50% coverage) |
Alternative/Holistic Therapy | Yes | Yes |
Behavioral Issues | No | No |
Exam Fees | Yes | Yes |
Exam Required for Enrollment | Yes | No |
Available At Any Vet Clinic | Yes | Yes |
Microchip | No | No |
Minimum Pet Age Limit | 6 weeks | 8 weeks |
Maximum Pet Age Limit | 25 years | 16 years |
Entry Fee | $0.00 | 34% of the first monthly premium (2.83% if billed annually) |
Monthly Transaction Fee | $2.00 | $0.00 |
Multi-Pet Discount | Up to 15% | 5% for each additional pet |
Claim Repayment | Within 30 days (3-5 days on average) | Within 24 hours for pet wellness;Within 2 weeks for pet insurance |
Direct Vet Bill Payment | Only for in-network veterinarians | Not available |
Money-Back Guarantee | Not available | Not available |
AM Best Rating | A | A |
BBB Rating | A+ | N/A |
*companies compared in December 2021
Read the full Wagmo Pet Insurance review.
Companion Protect vs. Embrace
Embrace is a pet insurance provider that many in the industry look up to. Their pet coverage extends worldwide and their insurance plans offer high customizability which is great for tailoring the price of your monthly premium.
They also have accident-only and wellness plans available and are rated even better than Companion Protect.
With that said, Embrace imposes waiting periods in their coverage and requires an entry fee of $25 upon enrollment.
Feature | Companion Protect | Embrace |
---|---|---|
Coverage Effective | USA | Worldwide |
Reimbursement | 90% of covered expenses | Choice of 70%, 80%, or 90% of covered expenses |
Co-Payment | 10% | 10%, 20%, or 30% |
Deductible | $100 | $200 – $1,000 |
Type of Deductible | Per incident | Annual |
Claim Limit Options | $100,000 ($20,000 in Illinois) | $5,000 – $30,000 |
Accident-Only Plan | Not available | Available |
Wellness Plan | Not available (wellness exam included in base coverage) | Available |
Unlimited Benefits Plan | No | No |
Accidents | Yes | Yes |
Illnesses | Yes | Yes |
Illness Waiting Period | No waiting period | 14 days |
Accident Waiting Period | No waiting period | 2 days |
Orthopedic Conditions Waiting Period | No waiting period | 6 months (14 days with orthopedic report card) |
Bilateral Exclusions | No | Yes |
Chronic Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Hereditary and Congenital Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Cancer | Yes | Yes |
Dental Coverage | Yes | Yes |
Prescription Medicine | Yes | Yes |
Alternative/Holistic Therapy | Yes | Yes |
Behavioral Issues | No | Yes |
Exam Fees | Yes | Yes |
Exam Required for Enrollment | Yes | No |
Available At Any Vet Clinic | Yes | Yes |
Microchip | No | Yes |
Minimum Pet Age Limit | 6 weeks | 6 weeks |
Maximum Pet Age Limit | 25 years | 14 years |
Entry Fee | $0.00 | $25.00 |
Monthly Transaction Fee | $2.00 | $1.00 |
Multi-Pet Discount | Up to 15% | 5%-10% (depending on state) for each pet |
Claim Repayment | Within 30 days (3-5 days on average) | Within 14 days (8-9 days on average) |
Direct Vet Bill Payment | Only for in-network veterinarians | No |
Money-Back Guarantee | Not available | 30 days |
AM Best Rating | A | A+ |
BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
*companies compared in December 2021
Read the full Embrace Pet Insurance review.
Companion Protect vs. PetPartners
PetPartners is another affordable company offering more variety than Companion Protect. With plans for pet wellness care and accident-only coverage, PetPartners boasts unlimited annual claim benefits and doesn’t require a physical exam as a requirement for enrollment.
On the downside, PetPartners imposes exclusions for bilateral conditions, caps coverage for illnesses at 8 years, and requires an extra fee if its policyholders want to include hereditary and congenital conditions in their policy.
Feature | Companion Protect | PetPartners |
---|---|---|
Coverage Effective | USA | USA and Canada |
Reimbursement | 90% of covered expenses | Choice of 70%, 80%, or 90% of covered expenses |
Co-Payment | 10% | 10%, 20%, or 30% |
Deductible | $100 | $100 – $1,000 |
Type of Deductible | Per incident | Annual |
Claim Limit Options | $100,000 ($20,000 in Illinois) | $2,500 – Unlimited |
Accident-Only Plan | Not available | Available |
Wellness Plan | Not available (wellness exam included in base coverage) | Available |
Unlimited Benefits Plan | No | Yes |
Accidents | Yes | Yes |
Illnesses | Yes | Yes |
Illness Waiting Period | No waiting period | 14 days |
Accident Waiting Period | No waiting period | 2 days |
Orthopedic Conditions Waiting Period | No waiting period | 6 months |
Bilateral Exclusions | No | Yes |
Chronic Conditions | Yes | Yes |
Hereditary and Congenital Conditions | Yes | Optional add-on |
Cancer | Yes | Yes |
Dental Coverage | Yes | Accidents only |
Prescription Medicine | Yes | Yes |
Alternative/Holistic Therapy | Yes | Yes |
Behavioral Issues | No | Yes |
Exam Fees | Yes | Optional add-on |
Exam Required for Enrollment | Yes | No |
Available At Any Vet Clinic | Yes | Yes |
Microchip | No | Optional add-on |
Minimum Pet Age Limit | 6 weeks | 8 weeks for dogs and 10 weeks for cats |
Maximum Pet Age Limit | 25 years | 9 years for illnesses |
Entry Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Monthly Transaction Fee | $2.00 | $3.00 or $4.00 (depending on the state) |
Multi-Pet Discount | Up to 15% | 5% for multiple pets |
Claim Repayment | Within 30 days (3-5 days on average) | Within 14 days (7 days on average) |
Direct Vet Bill Payment | Only for in-network veterinarians | No |
Money-Back Guarantee | Not available | 30 days |
AM Best Rating | A | A- |
BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
*companies compared in December 2021
Read the full PetPartners Pet Insurance review.
Customer Service
Companion Protect is most easily reachable at 800-304-9930. But they also have lots of other options for you to get in touch with them.
There’s their live chat (available only during working hours), an email address, a mail address, and an abundance of social network channels.
Here’s all the info you need if you need to get a hold of a Companion Protect representative:
- Phone: 800-304-9930;
- Email: service@companionprotect.com;
- Mailing address:
10950 El Monte St,
Overland Park, KS 66211 - Operating hours:
Monday through Friday: 8 am – 8 pm
Saturday: 9 am – 6 pm
Sunday: Closed
(All Times Central)
It’s too bad that this provider doesn’t offer a smartphone app for easier policy and claim management. However, their website is super responsive and easy to get around. They have an online portal where you can access and manage your pet coverage policy and tools for submitting claims and requesting claim pre-approvals.
Customer Reviews
To complete our extensive Companion Protect pet coverage review, we’re including several positive and negative online customer reviews.
With that, you can get some unbiased insight into how this pet insurer functions in practice. It could be eye-opening to learn what real users experience with their pet insurance company of choice, on a daily basis.
Positive Companion Protect Pet Insurance Reviews
Nora was our calm in the storm of our dog’s skin cancer. We cannot thank CP and Nora enough for getting our family through this hard time. Nora was beyond patient and helpful with our claims and surgery. Our sweet girl is in remission for now and we highly recommend CP to everyone we know!
Cathe Mendoza
Totally worth it! I wish I would have gotten policies for my boys sooner! filing my first claim was super easy and quick. Every time I’ve called with questions, they are super kind and make sure I understand everything.
Krystal Stückwisch
Highly recommend it! I’ve only had my shelter kitties a few weeks and unfortunately have had to make a lot of trips to the vet dealing with illness. Companion Protect has already saved me hundreds of dollars! The claims process is immediate and when I have had to contact them, I received outstanding customer service.
Michelle Presko
The monthly premium is very affordable. Companion Protect has eliminated so much stress from my life. It’s reassuring to know I am able to care for my pets with the help of this insurance. Thank You CP!!!
Companion Protect enables me to put my beloved dog’s needs first, and financial concerns second. I couldn’t possibly be any happier with my choice in pet insurance. I’ve spoken to Elaine and Nora several times on the phone and they ALWAYS are very polite and informative and clearly love helping protect animals.
Laura Wiltshire
I got this insurance because the shelter I adopted my dog from recommended them — and I owe Companion Protect an un-payable (emotional) debt for helping me save my puppy’s life so she can grow old with me. Of course, also thanks to Companion Protect, I do NOT owe the vet an insurmountable debt. Use COMPANION PROTECT. You won’t regret it!!!
Thanks to Dr. Eddy at Ironhorse Veterinary and Companion Protect, our 7 year old kitty named Charlie is finally feeling better. He spent two days at Blue Pearl Veterinary and had several different tests to determine why Charlie kept vomiting. It was finally determined that Charlie had a digestive issue and can only eat Duck or Venison.
Karen Wayne Green
Since I had Companion Protect insurance for Charlie we only had to pay $260 out of $2350 in vet bills. And, now that he has to eat a special diet, that will be covered 50% by Companion Protect. Best decision we made to insure our sweet kitty!
Negative Companion Protect Pet Insurance Reviews
Companion Protect is still a novice in the pet insurance space, so it’s quite hard to find negative options about them on the internet. However, we discovered some reviews about the working culture in Companion Protect, so we’ll include those until we have more resources to dig into.
Employee at Overland Park, KS
This is the worst company ever. They spent the time and money to get me licensed to sell insurance and then when I got sick with covid and they fired me because of ‘too many absences.’ I had a doctor’s note and everything. They still fired me because you are an at will employee and can be fired for any reason.
Pros: They had free lunches but not anymore;
Cons: Worst company ever. Go through people like gum.
There were quite a few negatives about working at Companion Protect but perhaps the most concerning was the incredibly toxic culture perpetuated by an arrogant and inept leadership team. Many are not qualified for the positions they hold which resulted in an unprofessional environment where favoritism and preferential treatment (not based on merit) were dominating themes. Rather than being respected and valued, you are treated like a means to an end and viewed as an expendable asset.
Employee at Overland Park, KS
Employee concerns were often mismanaged or not dealt with at all. Independent thinking is not encouraged and you are expected to simply fall in line. There continues to be high turnover, even amongst longer tenured employees, which is often a strong indicator of some serious issues. Leadership would prefer to surround themselves with “yes” people who will just do what they’re told and not ask any questions. In summary, Companion Protect has a very unhealthy work culture that does not allow for or promote career growth.
Do not color outside the lines
Former remote employee
This is a company that wants your business masquerading as a company that actually cares about your pet. Head down, keep working. Not good culture. Old boys club renewed for the 21st century. If you can still stomach the old guard, go for it.
Pros: Hope of helping pets and owners;
Cons: Not following through on that promise.
Conclusion
It’s time we conclude this Companion Protect pet insurance review. Over our entire assessment of the company, we focused on analyzing every aspect of the company’s pet insurance coverage options, the stuff they cover and exclude, their pricing plans, discount options, and even compared them to other pet insurers and obtained real user reviews.
Throughout our research, we were amazed on several occasions by how incredible Companion Protect’s coverage is.
Their pet coverage plan covering accidents and illnesses is generous in every sense of the word. Benefits like veterinary exam fees, bilateral conditions, and routine wellness exams are all included at no extra fee.
As for their prices, Companion Protect is truly affordable. They don’t take into consideration the breed of your pet when they comprise the price of your monthly premium and they make sure to maintain that price even as your pet grows older.
Additionally, Companion Protect is the only company that doesn’t impose waiting periods for accidents or illnesses in its policy.
If you feel like Companion Protect still doesn’t satisfy all of your pet insurance requirements, at Protect My Paws you can discover tons of other options that include unique features and offer higher flexibility than Companion Protect. Head on to our blog and good luck with your pet insurance hunting!
Companion Protect Alternatives
While Companion Protect is definitely awesome as a pet insurance solution, we understand that it might not be suitable for everyone’s needs. Here, you can read about some of its alternatives that offer more or different types of pet coverage:
Starting with Lemonade, we’re diving into pet insurance products designed for all those that want the latest innovation in everything they use in life. Lemonade is an AI-powered insurance agency that provides a mobile app (something that Companion Protect lacks) where everything is done by answering a few questions. You feel like you’re talking to a real human for a mere minute and the next thing you know your policy is ready for you or your insurance claim is submitted and already in process. On top of it all, they have awesome wellness plans that come at affordable monthly prices.
Pets Best is the average pet insurer with years of experience and reliability etched in their services. In contrast to Companion Protect, the company doesn’t require a physical exam prior to enrolling for their coverage and offers to take care of your vet bills directly with your vet clinic. Moreover, Pets Best offers an accident-only plan for those that look for a truly affordable coverage and employs a 24/7 televet service providing veterinary assistance whenever you have a pet-related inquiry.
Trupanion feels like it is the original inspiration for Companion Protect’s pet coverage model. Just like Companion Protect, Trupanion is the only other pet insurer that doesn’t spike the price of your monthly premium based on your pet’s age. They have per-incident deductibles as well, but offer more in benefits and, therefore, are more expensive in price. However, their deductible can be as low as $0 and Trupanion even reinstates curable pre-existing conditions.
F.A.Q.
What are the eligibility requirements for signing up for a Companion Protect pet coverage policy?
Companion Protect is quite relaxed at accepting new pet parents into their “family” of insured pet owners. The first requirement is for your pup or kitten to be at least 6 weeks old. Secondly, you would need to provide Companion Protect with your pet’s full medical history from the past 12 months. If you don’t have that documentation, you’d be required to take a thorough veterinary exam for your pet. There is also an upper pet age restriction for pets older than 25 which, in all honesty, is practically dismissable.
Is it possible to cancel my Companion Protect pet coverage policy before my policy period comes to an end?
Yes. You can definitely cancel your pet insurance policy whenever you wish. Even though the pet-loving folks at Companion Protect would be sad to see you go, they will promptly process your cancellation request if you speak to one of their Animal Care Advocates at 800-304-9930.
Note that if you already paid your monthly period for a month that hasn’t already passed, you may be entitled to a pro-rated refund by Companion Protect.
Do I need to add the Companion Protect routine wellness plan to my pet insurance plan by default and how much does that cost?
Companion Protect doesn’t offer a pet wellness care plan so you don’t have to worry about adding anything extra to your base pet insurance plan. There is indeed an extra perk that comes included with every Companion Protect policy – one wellness exam per year (for pets under 7) or two wellness exams per year (for pets 8 and older) – all at no extra cost.
I’ve learned about Companion Protect’s network of licensed veterinarians and I am interested to know if I can only use my Companion Protect pet coverage only at those locations?
The Companion Protect network of qualified veterinarians (the Vetwork) grants every policyholder extra benefits such as direct vet bill payments and higher annual limits on wellness exams. However, all Companion Protect policyholders can use the services of any licensed veterinarian in the US. They are not restricted to visiting only the veterinary clinics that are listed as in-network veterinarians.
How does the process of filing a claim look like with Companion Protect?
The process of submitting a claim with Companion Protect is terribly simple. You can even do it over the phone at 800-304-9930. However, we recommend that you do it through their online claim-filing form because this way, you ensure Companion Protect receives all of the necessary info they need from you.