November 2, 2024
Coverage, Rates, and Costco-Exclusive Discounts for Pet Parents

Our experts answer readers’ insurance questions and write unbiased product reviews (here’s how we assess insurance products). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own.

Costco Costco Pet Insurance by Figo

Costco Pet Insurance by Figo


AM Best Financial Strength Rating

A-

Costco Costco Pet Insurance by Figo

Costco Pet Insurance by Figo


AM Best Financial Strength Rating

A-


Costco Pet Insurance by Figo

Details


AM Best Financial Strength Rating

A-

Pros & Cons
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Additional Reading
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While Costco is known for its exceptional bulk grocery deals and range of branded products, it also partners with several companies to offer insurance, travel, and other branded services. For example, Costco offers discounted travel through its travel portal, Costco Travel, as well as flat-screen TVs and other electronics, pharmacy, and optical services.

Another product marketed to Costco members is its pet insurance, offered through a partnership with Figo. Costco pet insurance provides protection from surprises costs associated with caring for a pet, including vet bills resulting from injury or illness.

Costco pet insurance offers a 15% discount for Gold Star and Business members. Costco Executive and Business Executive members can save even more. If you’re curious whether Costco pet insurance is worth it, read on to learn more about how it works.

Types of Pet Insurance Plans from Costco

The Costco Pet Insurance by Figo plans are the same ones consumers can purchase directly from Figo with a Costco-exclusive discount. Figo offers no annual limits, although plans with $5,000 or $10,000 yearly coverage limits are also available.

Costco pet insurance plans let you choose your deductible, meaning you can pay $100, $250, $500, or $750 upfront before coverage begins. Members also set their coinsurance to determine how much they will pay after their deductible is met and up to the annual maximum. With Costco pet insurance from Figo, reimbursement options from the insurance company include:

  • 70%
  • 80%
  • 90%
  • 100% (Note: this reimbursement tier only has $5,000 or $10,000 max limits. It is not available with an unlimited plan)

Costco pet insurance can cover a range of situations leading to big vet bills that could otherwise leave you in a pinch. What does pet insurance cover with Figo? A few examples include:

  • Accidents and emergencies: Pet insurance from Costco can pay for medical care resulting from an accident, including harmful ingestion, a car wreck, and more.
  • Cancer: If your pet is diagnosed with cancer, your pet insurance plan can pay for surgery, chemotherapy, and palliative care.
  • Chronic conditions: Pet insurance can also cover chronic conditions, excluding preexisting conditions. A waiting period may apply, but for the most part, it means conditions known before your coverage starts.
  • Common illnesses: Pet insurance can pay for treatments and medications when your pet becomes ill with other common diseases and conditions.
  • Hereditary and congenital issues: Costco pet insurance can also cover treatments for health issues your pet inherits.

Figo Pet Insurance also offers pet parents a “Pet Cloud” to track all healthcare information relating to their pet, including vet visits, bills, and claims you filed. The Pet Cloud also offers a service to text a licensed veterinarian 24 hours daily. This can help you get quick and straightforward answers to your pet care questions without taking them to the vet.

What Is Not Covered by Costco Pet Insurance?

Like other pet insurance companies, Costco Pet Insurance by Figo lists items and situations not typically covered, including the following:

  • Preexisting conditions: Figo excludes preexisting conditions. However, if a specific type of condition were asymptomatic for at least 12 months, it would be considered “cured.” Figo will cover these conditions.
  • Breeding, pregnancy, or giving birth: If your pet experiences pregnancy complications, your pet care plan will not provide any coverage. The same applies to routine pet care resulting from pregnancy. As such, Figo would not be an effective pet insurance company for many professional breeders.
  • Cosmetic procedures: Costco pet insurance does not cover optional cosmetic procedures for pets, including ear trimming, hair dying, or tail docking.
  • Experimental procedures: Figo does not cover experimental health care treatments.
  • Most parasites: Many parasites are not covered through Figo pet insurance, including fleas, heartworm, and ticks.
  • Pet cloning or cloned pets: Customers will not get any coverage for pet cloning procedures. The site suggests cloned pets will not be eligible for coverage.

Additional Coverage Options from Costco Pet Insurance

Figo offers a few different add-on plans you can pay for on top of traditional Costco pet insurance options. These additional coverages can make pet care more affordable throughout the year. In addition, Costco pet insurance riders may promote better routine wellness coverage.

  • Extra care pack: This add-on coverage includes vacation cancellation benefits, lost pet award benefits, pet boarding benefits when the owner is sick, third-party property damage liability coverage worth up to $10,000, final respects coverage worth up to $250, and pet theft or loss coverage worth up to $150.
  • Veterinary exam fees: This coverage pays for veterinarian exam fees resulting from an accident or illness and prescription food. A maximum benefit of $250 per policy term applies.
  • Wellness coverage: Optional wellness coverage can pay for routine veterinarian visits, vaccines, spay or neuter procedures, teeth cleaning, microchipping, specific tests, and deworming.

How Much Does Costco Pet Insurance Cost?

When you purchase Figo pet insurance as a Costco member, you’ll qualify for 15% off your premiums. However, the cost of pet insurance still varies widely based on factors like the type of pet, the age of the pet, the animal’s breed, and how much coverage you decide to buy.

To compare costs, we ran quotes for several animal profiles.

Average Pet Insurance Costs for Dogs

Average Pet Insurance Costs for Cats

How to File a Claim

Since Costco offers pet insurance coverage through Figo, all pet insurance claims would go through Figo. Fortunately, Figo provides a guide to filing claims on its website outlining the exact steps you need to take to get reimbursed for covered pet care costs.

The claims process is easiest for members using the Figo Pet Cloud. Users can file claims directly on the Figo app by selecting the “claims” icon and answering several questions. From there, you upload a copy of your pet care invoice showing a $0 balance and wait to get reimbursed.

Typically, you can get medical records submitted to the Pet Cloud by contacting your veterinarian to send the documents to [email protected].

Before you file a claim, however, you’ll want to know exactly how your coverage works. Note that each Costco pet insurance policy includes the following components:

      • Annual benefit: the total amount in reimbursement you can receive within a coverage year.
      • Deductible: the amount you pay before your plan begins reimbursing for pet care expenses.
      • Reimbursement (coinsurance): the percentage Figo will pay after you meet your deductible.

Imagine you opted for Costco pet insurance with an annual benefit of $5,000, 80% coinsurance, and a deductible of $500. If your pet accidentally ingests a lethal substance and needs emergency surgery costing $3,000, you would pay the entire pet bill upfront. After that, you would get reimbursement of $2,000, which is 80% of the $2,500 left after your $500 deductible is met.

Costco Pet Insurance FAQs

Costco pet insurance is offered through a company called Figo.

Costco sells dog food, cat food, and other necessities for animals. Many of its pet offerings are manufactured through Costco.

Based on our internal study, Costco dog insurance costs $16.08 to $50.06 per month, and cat coverage will set you back between $6.48 to $15.01 per month, depending on the coverage you choose.

You need a Costco membership to save 15% off pet insurance through Figo. However, you can purchase Figo pet insurance directly without being a Costco member.

Figo covers some curable preexisting conditions if your pet is symptom-free for at least 12 months. However, many incurable preexisting conditions are not covered, meaning you cannot get coverage for your dog or cat if they already have one of these conditions when you apply.

Some of the common preexisting conditions not covered by Figo include the following:

      • Allergies
      • Arthritis
      • Cancer
      • Diabetes
      • Epilepsy
      • Heart disease
      • Kidney disease
      • Orthopedic conditions
      • Urinary blockage

Methodology: How We Reviewed Costco Pet Insurance

To write this review of Costco pet insurance, we compared the top pet insurance providers based on available policies and included benefits, exclusions, and coverage limits. We also compared premiums charged for various pet profiles we created with different annual and lifetime coverage limits.

Our review only considered the facts we gathered. We checked companies’ websites, review sites like TrustPilot and ConsumerAffairs, and other sources to get a complete perspective. The websites allowed us to compare policy details and fine print. Everything together enables us to rate and compare pet insurance products objectively.

Costco Pet Insurance Competitors

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Compare Costco Pet Insurance vs. Healthy Paws

Healthy Paws is a highly-rated pet insurance company offering unlimited annual or lifetime payouts. This company also offers cat and dog coverage, and the site says most claims are processed within two days of submission. Of course, for larger or more complicated claims, processing may take longer.

Healthy Paws lets you take your pet to any licensed veterinarian, and it pays for eligible claims resulting from most accidents and illnesses. Of course, preexisting conditions would be a natural exception.

Healthy Paws and Costco pet insurance offer an app to manage your plan and claims. The two companies also provide similar coverage. When you’re buying directly from Figo, prices are similar. However, Figo offers higher reimbursement rates if you’re willing to pay more, along with more deductible options based on the quotes we got. If you buy through Costco, your rates with Figo will also be more competitive, accounting for the discount.

Compare Costco Pet Insurance vs. Metlife

MetLife Pet Insurance coverage can also be purchased for dogs or cats, covering accidents, illnesses, surgeries, diagnostic tests, and more. Annual coverage limits for the company’s pet insurance plans are as low as $2,000 and as high as $10,000. However, unlike Costco pet insurance, MetLife does not offer an option for unlimited coverage. A deductible of $250 to $2,500 also applies to pet plans, which pet parents must pay before coverage begins.

MetLife offers a range of insurance plans customers bundle for discounts. However, its coverage can’t compete, especially against names like Figo (Costco’s pet insurance partner). MetLife is among the few carriers we’ve seen making it clear plans were not designed with pets in mind but rather the profits of encouraging customers to keep all their pet insurance needs with one carrier.

Compare Costco Pet Insurance vs. Nationwide

Nationwide offers pet insurance for dogs and cats, and you can customize its plans to suit your needs and budget. For example, you can get up to $10,000 in annual coverage with your plan or a specific amount that varies by condition. You can also opt for 50% or 70% reimbursement with some of its plans.

Nationwide offers a 5% discount for multi-pet households. However, its coverage is modest, designed to keep a customer’s insurance with Nationwide, not necessarily by providing the best coverage for the average pet parent. The good news is its prices are typically lower than some of Figo’s more extensive plans.