Spot vs AKC: Pet Insurance Plan Comparison

In the US, over 40% of people own a pet. Now that’s a big number and one which proves that the US is a pet-loving country. Some pet owners are struggling with high vet bills, sleepless nights, anxiety, and tension.

We obviously love our pets and wouldn’t want our pets to be sick or get some injury and in case if and when that happens, only the best care is given to them. Now there are several diseases like cataracts, skin infections, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, GDV, cherry-eye, IBD, etc. which can affect our pets. 

We may not be able to stop these diseases and infections from getting to our pets all the time Sometimes our wallets would allow the expenses but in others, the vet bills can run huge and even into thousands at times. This is when accident & illness pet insurance can help.

It is very important to choose a pet insurance provider properly. One who cares about the pet and the pet parents both and understands the challenges they go through at the time of illness. We wouldn’t want you to choose one whose policies don’t favor you and do not make you feel peaceful at night knowing that you’re insured. 

There are certain things that you should have on your checklist before finalizing the pet insurance provider:

• Benefits covered in the insurance plan offerings
• Faster claim processing 
• Annual coverage 
• Exclusions from the policy
• Reviews and testimonials 
• Friendly and transparent policy offerings

Spot pet insurance is a pet and pet-parent first provider. We believe that the best insurance for you is the one that lets you sleep at peace at night knowing that your pet is insured and hence covered.

Finding good and suitable pet insurance plans can be time-consuming and difficult. With hundreds of web pages offering content on how to choose the best pet insurance and every other page claiming that they are the best. And then there are rating agencies, most of which are paid to put a company’s name on top as the best. Our goal is to declutter the information for you and simply compare ourselves on the standard parameters of offerings and benefits and help you make a decision.

Our mission is to make it as easy and transparent as possible for you as a responsible and loving pet parent, to go through the insurance claim process. Because we know that the sickness of your pet is already making you feel low and sad. 

Spot Pet Insurance plans vs AKC Pet Insurance plans

This article compares AKC Pet Insurance plans to Spot Pet Insurance plans. And here are some factors on how the plan options differ –

• Prescription Diets – What pets eat matters a lot, as it decides their immunity, health, recovery from diseases, and energy levels as well. There might be cases where your vet would prescribe a specific diet to treat a certain disease. Spot accident & illness plans cover the eligible expenses for foods prescribed to treat a covered condition. They don’t cover foods prescribed for general health or weight maintenance. AKC plans wouldn’t cover these. 

• Microchip Implantation – Did you know that a lot of pets are lost in the United States alone and don’t even find their way back home? Pets that are microchipped are more easily located if they’re lost. We highly recommend microchipping to all pet parents out there. Plans at Spot include coverage of microchip implantation in all core plans. AKC Pet Insurance plans require an add-on endorsement for an additional cost in order to cover microchip implantation. 

• Hereditary and congenital conditions – Pets, especially dogs can inherit some diseases from their parents. The treatment costs can be huge at times because these diseases can be chronic. Spot accident & illness plans cover hereditary and congenital conditions.  AKC plans require an add-on endorsement for an additional cost in order to cover hereditary and congenital conditions.

• Dental Illnesses – Pets like dogs and cats are highly prone to several dental illnesses in their lifetime. And these can be quite costly to treat. Spot accident & illness plans cover dental illnesses and tooth extractions for dental accidents. 

The above pointers are where both providers’ plan options differ. There are some common offerings as well that you as a parent can avail of with plan options offered by both providers. These include –

• Alternative Therapies – Both providers’ plan options cover alternative therapies that are prescribed to treat covered conditions. Modern or actually traditional therapies like acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, rehabilitative therapy, hydrotherapy, and low-level laser therapy are now common and effective amongst pets as well. These can help become a catalyst for your pet’s recovery. 

• 30-day money-back guarantee – We at Spot offer you a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you don’t feel it is the right one for you (the chances of you not liking us are low but having an option helps). The 30-day money-back guarantee is not available if a covered claim has been filed, and it isn’t available in New York.

• Preventive Care Requirements – Some illnesses would need preventive care as a pre-requisite for them to be covered under the insurance policy. It’s like saying you didn’t take proper precautions and hence the plan wouldn’t cover the illness. We don’t do that.

• Multiple Pet Discount – There are plenty of households in the US that own multiple pets. So, Spot offers a 10% multi-pet discount on every additional pet you insure. We know how difficult it can get to maintain pets at times. This is a little kind gesture from our end. AKC offers a multiple-pet discount too. 

• No upper age limit – It wouldn’t sound good to you if someone said your pet is too old to be insured and you better shell out those hefty vet bills from your pocket, right? We know that and we don’t make anyone feel that. The plans we offer have no upper age limit for your pet to be insured and nor do AKC plans.

• Accident-only plan – Both of us provide an option to have an accident-only plan.  

• Behavioral issues – Aggression, separation anxiety, and cat-to-cat aggression are some examples of behavioral issues that your pet might face. Accident & illness plans offered by Spot and AKC both cover the eligible treatment for behavioral problems as well. 

• Preventive Care Option – It’s always better to avoid illnesses by taking extra precautions and care. Both providers offer add-on preventive care coverage options for an extra cost.

• Exam Fees – Exam fees for covered conditions are covered by plans offered by both of us 

• Chronic Conditions – Diabetes and cancer are examples of chronic illnesses that need prolonged care. They are covered by accident & illness plans offered by both Spot and AKC.

• Specialists – It is possible that your pet might need a licensed specialist vet visit at a time of a complicated surgery or an emergency for a covered condition. The vet bills here can be higher than normal. Plans at Spot and AKC would cover the eligible costs for the same.