Instant Coverage With No Waiting Periods – CanineJournal.com
Companion Protect offers a pet insurance policy that differs widely from every other provider we’ve reviewed (and we’ve reviewed a lot). With an in-network setup and some requirements you don’t see from other providers, does Companion Protect stand above or fall short compared to such stiff competition in the pet insurance industry? We’ll give you all the details you need to know to make the best decision for your situation.
Companion Protect Pet Insurance
3.15 / 5
Pros
- Premiums don’t increase due to your pet aging
- No waiting periods
- No upper age limits
- Good in-network benefits
- Multi-pet discount up to 15%
- Free annual wellness exam (with in-network vet)
- Coverage for alternative and holistic care
Cons
- Lifetime limits
- No information about annual limits
- Using an out-of-network vet can be pricey
- Inflexible policy options
- Strict prior approval requirements
- No wellness plans available
- Doesn’t cover your pet if they travel outside the U.S. with you
- No BBB rating
Alternatives To Companion Protect
While Companion Protect has a unique spin on its pet insurance offering, it didn’t make it into our top three picks for best pet insurance providers. Our experts have analyzed over a dozen pet insurance providers. Check out our pet insurance reviews to learn more about this year’s top-ranked companies.
Key Features
- Underwriter: Aspen American Insurance Company
- May require an exam prior to enrollment if your pet hasn’t had one in the last 12 months
- Free annual wellness exam (if you use an in-network veterinarian)
- Requires prior approval for the following (except with emergency treatment):
- Surgeries and overnight hospitalization (they also reserve the right to select the provider of any surgical procedure)
- Covered services and treatments over $2,500
- Veterinary specialist fees
- Hip dysplasia treatment
- Organ or tissue transplants
- Claims process:
- In-network veterinarians will submit claims on your behalf and be reimbursed directly
- For out-of-network veterinarians, their sample policy states: “You should report to us any covered services obtained from an out-of-network veterinarian within seven (7) days of completion of the treatment or covered service to initiate a claim. Claims initiated more than sixty (60) days from the date of the covered service may be denied.”
- Can submit claims and check status online
- They allow up to 30 days for out-of-network claim repayments, but average 3-5 business days
Pre-Existing Conditions
Pet insurance providers don’t cover pre-existing conditions, but the specific definitions can vary by company. Companion Protect defines a pre-existing condition in their policy as:
Pre-existing Condition(s) means any Injury, Illness, or other condition which was identified or suspected prior to or at the time of enrollment or diagnosed by a Qualified Veterinarian or Qualified Staff prior to the effective date of this policy.
Customer Service
Email: service@companionprotect.com- Phone: 800‑304-9930
- Live chat
- FAQ and blog
- Hours: Monday — Friday from 8am to 8pm CST and Saturday — Sunday from 9am to 6pm CST
Email: service@companionprotect.comWaiting Periods
Unlike all other pet insurance providers we’ve reviewed, Companion Protect has no waiting periods in its policies for you to have coverage for your pet. Most providers have a 2-15 day waiting period for accidents and/or illnesses once your policy begins.
What Does Companion Protect Cover?
Companion Protect offers one plan that includes coverage for both illnesses and accidents.
| Covered | Not Covered |
|---|---|
| Emergency care | Pre-existing conditions |
| Surgery | Dental work (not due to an accident) |
| Hospitalization | Behavioral modification |
| Diagnostic treatment & testing (x-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, etc.) | Annual wellness exam not conducted by in-network vet |
| Hereditary and congenital conditions | All other preventative care |
| Hip dysplasia | Internal or external parasites (fleas, roundworms, etc.) |
| Luxating patella and knee issues | |
| Orthopedic care up to $10K per site for a covered illness or injury | |
| Prescription food and/or supplements to treat a covered condition | |
| Specialists | |
| Alternative & holistic care (acupuncture, chiropractic, etc.) | |
| Cancer treatment | |
| Euthanasia | |
| Cremation and/or burial costs (up to $250) |
Pricing Quotes
Unlike many other pet insurance providers, you don’t have the option to choose from a variety of reimbursement and deductible levels with Companion Protect. And you get knocked if you don’t use one of their in-network veterinarians. Here’s how Companion Protect handles these:
- In-network vets: 90% reimbursement, $50 deductible, and 10% co-pay
- Out-of-network vets: 80% reimbursement, $100 deductible, and 20% co-pay
- A $200 deductible applies for all surgeries (in-network and out-of-network)
- A $200 deductible applies for all out-of-network emergency clinics
- Medication: 10% co-pay and 90% reimbursement
- Prescription Food: 50% co-pay; deductible does not apply
Additionally, Companion Protect has a lifetime limit of $100,000 but doesn’t list any annual limit restrictions on its website or in its sample policy.
We’ve gathered some sample prices from Companion Protect. Individual premium prices are based on location and age (they have two categories: seven weeks through under seven years old or seven years old+). Unlike many other providers, they don’t base premiums on your pet’s breed or gender. Our quotes are from December 2020.
| Dog | Dog | Dog | Dog | Cat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Virginia (22901) | California (90210) | Indiana (46201) | Florida (33601) | Illinois (60169) |
| Price Per Month Under 7 Years Old | $44.99 | $59.99 | $44.99 | $41.99 | $22.99 |
| Price Per Month 7+ Years Old | $67.99 | $89.99 | $67.99 | $78.99 | $33.99 |
Coupon
Customer Opinions
The only place online where we could find customer reviews was on Companion Protect’s Facebook page. Here’s a sampling of what we found there — we usually include a balance of positive and negative reviews, but their Facebook page only had positive reviews which we found odd. If you’ve had Companion Protect experiences, we encourage you to share them in our comment section below.
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 about they are super kind and make sure I understand everything. – Krystal S., Facebook 11/17/2020
Highly recommend! 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! Claims process is immediate and when I have had to contact them, I received outstanding customer service. 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!!! – Michelle P., Facebook 9/24/2020
What’s Our Final Verdict?
Companion Protect does have some good things going for it — competitive premiums that don’t increase as your pet ages, no waiting periods, etc. However, to get the most out of their benefits, you’d want to go with one of their in-network vets. You can find their in-network vets using this map on their website, although it’s not very user-friendly.
This in-network model is highly unusual in the pet insurance industry. Other providers let you use the vet of your choice without “penalties.” We’re also not crazy about their relatively strict prior approval requirements (again, an unusual practice in the industry today).
The only customer reviews that we could find online were on their Facebook page, and all of those were positive. We would also expect to find reviews in other locations with a broader range of experiences, especially for a company that has been around since 2015.
If you’re unsure if Companion Protect is the best fit for your pet insurance needs, you’ve got lots of options. See our top three picks for pet insurance to see how they compare. And you should always get multiple quotes to compare coverage and costs to find the best value for your family.
Would you consider switching your veterinarian to get the most out of Companion Protect’s benefits?
