Companion Protect Pet Insurance Review - Cost, Coverage, Exclusions & More

When unexpected vet bills arise, pet insurance can help you afford the treatment your fur-baby needs. Underwritten by Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc., Companion Protect's plans offers comprehensive pet insurance designed to cover 90% of your vet costs associated with illness or injury.

What makes it different to other insurers is that it’s designed for pets that have been recently adopted from animal shelters and rescue groups. Companion Protect also claims not to discriminate against any pet based on their age or breed.

However, before deciding whether Companion Protect is right for you, it’s important to compare its level of coverage with other policies from a range of insurers. To help you do exactly that, keep reading for a review of Companion Protect’s cost, coverage features, exclusions, and claims process.

The cost of your Companion Protect policy will vary depending on the following factors:

• Whether you insure a dog or a cat
• Where you live
• Your pet’s age

With Companion Protect, you can't customize your reimbursement amount, deductible, or co-pay. Companion Protect covers 90% of vet bills, which means you have a co-pay of 10%. A $100 deductible applies per claim, and a lifetime coverage limit of $100,000 also applies.

Monthly premiums

To give you an idea of how much you can expect to pay when you sign up for a Companion Protect insurance plan, we applied for a few mock quotes on the insurer's website. To provide the most accurate estimate, we used 2 different locations when applying for quotes: Los Angeles, CA (where costs of living are higher than the national average) and Raleigh, NC (where costs of living are generally lower).

Our quotes ranged from $22.99 to $59.99 per month. We received a quote of $59.99 per month for a 4-year-old dog living in Los Angeles. When we changed our location to Raleigh, NC, we were quoted $44.99.

We repeated the process with a cat of the same age. Our quote for a Los Angeles location was $29.99 a month, and our quote for a Raleigh location was $22.99 per month.

Discounts

It’s also worth pointing out that you could be eligible for a discount of up to 15% off your monthly Companion Protect premiums. Discounts include:

• Multi-pet discount. Take advantage of cheaper premiums when you sign more than 1 pet up for coverage. 

• Military discount. Active and retired military personnel can enjoy reduced premiums. 

• Animal welfare discount. If you’re an employee, volunteer, or foster carer at an animal shelter or animal rescue, monthly premium discounts apply. Discounts are also available for veterinary hospital employees. 

However, discounts aren’t available in all parts of the country, so check with Companion Protect for more info.

Related: Tips for Insuring Multiple Pets

If you want to submit a claim on your Companion Protect pet insurance policy, the process is simple. 

Your pet can be treated at any licensed veterinarian around the country, and you’ll need to pay for treatment out of your own pocket. You can then submit a claim online via the Companion Protect website, or over the phone by calling 800-304-9930.

During the claims process, you’ll need to provide:

• Your pet’s details
• Your Companion Protect policy number
• Your veterinarian’s details
• The invoice from your vet for the treatment provided
• Any medical documentation related to the treatment your dog or cat received

You’ll typically be reimbursed within 3 to 5 days of your claim being approved. However, if you visit an in-network veterinarian, the insurer can pay the vet on your behalf.

It’s also worth noting that a handful of non-emergency situations require pre-approval from Companion Protect, so you’ll need to get in touch with the insurer before your pet gets treatment. You’ll need pre-approval for:

• Surgical procedures, including tissue and organ transplants*
  
• Veterinary specialty fees
• Overnight hospitalization
• Veterinary treatment costs totaling over $2,500
• Treatment for hip dysplasia

*According to Companion Protect's sample policy, the insurer reserves the right to choose the provider of surgical procedures for insured pets. Contact Companion Protect's customer service team if you have questions about this policy.

Companion Protect provides up to 90% coverage for a wide range of illnesses and injuries, like:

• Emergencies and hospitalization
• Surgeries
• Diagnostics
• Cancer treatment
• Respiratory problems
• Hip dysplasia
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Prescription medications
• Prescription food (50% co-pay applies)
• Foreign body ingestion
• Animal and insect bites
• Tooth injuries
• Holistic and alternative care (acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal therapy, naturopathy, homeopathy)

Please note this is not a complete list — check out Companion Protect's sample policy to learn more about conditions that are eligible for coverage.

Some expenses and conditions are excluded from coverage, such as:

• Pre-existing conditions
• Treatment for preventable parasitic infections (including fleas, heartworms, and roundworms)
• Neglect or abuse from you or a member of your household
• Spondylosis
• Breeding and pregnancy
• Vaccinations
• Dental treatment that doesn’t result from an accident
• Spaying or neutering
• Obedience training classes
• Grooming

This is not a complete list of exclusions, so check out a sample policy on the Companion Protect website for more information.

To be eligible for cover, your pet will need to have been adopted from one of Companion Protect’s Shelter Partners.

If your dog or cat fits the bill, you can apply for a quote online by:

• Entering your ZIP code
• Specifying your pet’s age
• Specifying whether your pet is a dog or a cat

You’ll then be shown a quote for your monthly premium. If you’re happy with the price, you can proceed with an application. You’ll need to provide:

• Your name and contact info
  
• Details of where and when you adopted your pet
• Your primary veterinary clinic’s contact information
• Your payment information

Unlike many pet insurance plans, Companion Protect does not have any waiting periods. This means that once you’ve paid for coverage and your policy has been issued, your pet is covered for everything included in your plan.

There are limited customer reviews available for Companion Protect pet insurance. However, at the time of writing, the company had an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars from 22 Google reviews. 

Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc., the underwriter of Companion Protect pet insurance, is part of the Liberty Mutual Group. The group is Better Business Bureau accredited and has an A+ rating, but it has an average customer rating of 1.11 out of 5 stars from over 640 reviews. The bureau had also closed 862 complaints against Liberty Mutual Group in the 12 months prior to writing.

If you’re searching for comprehensive pet insurance coverage for an adopted pet, Companion Protect is certainly worth a closer look. However, if your pet isn’t adopted, or if you’re searching for a plan that offers a wellness care add-on, you may want to consider other options.

However, the bottom line is that you should compare a wide range of policies from a variety of insurers before deciding which option offers the best value.