Trupanion Pet Insurance Review
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It doesn’t take long for pet care to get expensive. When you get a pet, you can anticipate the monthly routine costs of their care, including annual wellness exams, food, and other supplies. However, it’s hard to predict what health issues a pet may or may not have in the future. That’s where pet insurance comes in handy. If you’re searching for the best pet insurance companies, Trupanion should be on your list.
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What is Trupanion?
Trupanion is a pet insurance provider that offers no payout limits on covered conditions, among many other features. The company was founded in 1998, known then as Vetinsurance International, Inc. The inspiration for the business came from founder Darryl Rawlings' heartbreaking experience as a teenager. It was the 80s, and the family had to say goodbye to their young dog because they could not afford life-saving surgery when she had a twisted stomach.
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
How does Trupanion work?
To enroll your pet in a policy, you first need to get a quote and choose your policy options. You can get a free quote directly from the Trupanion website.
Trupanion will ask basic questions about your pet during the quote process.
You’ll also need to provide some of your basic information. Trupanion asks for your email address and will send you a copy of your pet’s quote using this information. The company also needs to use your zip code to help determine pricing for your plan.
On the next page, Trupanion asks a few more questions about the pet that you’re getting a quote for.
Trupanion uses the zip code you provided to populate vet clinics near your location. You can scroll through the list to find your primary veterinarian. If you have questions or can’t find your veterinarian, contact Trupanion’s customer support team for assistance.
You can adjust your monthly deductible on your quote page using a slider. The deductible that you choose will impact your monthly premium.
You can also review the optional coverages Trupanion offers and decide whether to add them to your pet’s policy.
When you’re happy with your selections, you can go to the checkout page and purchase the policy. You can also return to your quote later if you’re not ready to decide yet.
How much does Trupanion cost?
The cost of a pet’s Trupanion policy will depend on several factors, including the pet’s age and where they live. Pet parents can also adjust the cost of a Trupanion plan by choosing the deductible option they prefer. Here’s how the costs break down:
- Deductible: Every Trupanion policy comes with an annual deductible. This is the amount of money that the pet parent must pay out-of-pocket for covered conditions before Trupanion will reimburse for the cost of veterinary care.
- Maximum annual coverage limit: Trupanion’s policies have an unlimited maximum annual coverage limit. This means that there is no limit to the amount that Trupanion will reimburse for your pet’s veterinary bills as long as they are covered claims.
- Monthly premium: The monthly premium is the amount pet parents must pay Trupanion to keep the policy active. Pet parents can increase their deductible to lower the monthly premium cost.
- Reimbursement amount: Trupanion’s policies come with a reimbursement amount of 90%. After the annual deductible has been met, Trupanion will reimburse the pet parent for 90% of the pet’s veterinary bills as long as the condition they were treated for is covered by the policy.
Pet Info | Annual Deductible Option | Monthly Premium |
2-year-old medium-sized mixed breed dog | $0 | $187.13 |
2-year-old medium-sized mixed breed dog | $1,000 | $45.78 |
10-year-old mixed breed cat | $0 | $211.27 |
10-year-old mixed breed cat | $1,000 | $50.98 |
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
Trupanion features
Vet direct pay
Trupanion’s Vet Direct Pay reduces the stress of paying for vet bills upfront by handling it right from the start. Most pet insurance companies require you to pay your veterinarian and then submit a claim to request reimbursement, which can take weeks. When you visit a participating veterinarian, they can send Trupanion your invoice and as long as the treatment you received is covered, your veterinarian can receive direct payment from Trupanion.
On the Trupanion website, you can find a tool to search for veterinarians who participate in Vet Direct Pay. You can use this tool to see if your primary veterinarian participates before you purchase a plan. Or, you can use this tool to determine which veterinarian’s offices you want to visit for your pet’s care.
Trupanion Pricing Promise
Trupanion promises that the company always puts pet health over profits. With this in mind, the company regularly monitors the average veterinary costs over time based on the pet's location, breed, and age. The company promises not to raise the monthly premium of a pet based on the fact that they’ve needed care. They also promise monthly costs will never increase based on your pet’s age.
That being said, monthly premiums can rise year-to-year. Trupanion looks at the data and groups pets based on their breed, age, and where they receive care. Then, they use this information to provide fair and accurate pricing to pet parents. As veterinary costs increase, the cost of pet insurance might increase.
Unique deductible structure
The deductibles of a Trupanion pet insurance policy work differently than most other pet insurance providers’ policies. Trupanion deductibles are per-condition deductibles, meaning you’ll pay the deductible per condition instead of annually. Once you’ve met your deductible for a covered condition, you’ll receive unlimited payouts for that condition for the rest of your pet’s life.
Recovery and Complementary Care Rider
Trupanion pet insurance covers alternative and exploratory treatments, including prescribed supplements, bone marrow transplants, and stem cell therapy. There is the Recovery and Complementary Care Rider for pet parents who want even more coverage for alternative and rehabilitative therapies. This includes coverage for physical therapy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, behavioral modification, and more.
Pet Owner Assistance
The Pet Owner Assistance rider is another optional coverage that can be added to standard Trupanion coverage. This package helps pet owners with costs not necessarily associated with veterinary bills. For example, if your pet goes missing, Trupanion can help with the expenses of advertising the lost pet and providing a reward to the finder of the pet. It also covers:
- Boarding fees for the pet if the pet owner is hospitalized
- Holiday vacation cancellation costs
- Liability coverage for third-party property damage
- Cremation or burial for deaths caused by an accident
Who is Trupanion best for?
Pet parents who want unlimited coverage
Anyone who’s faced a serious illness or sudden injury with their pet knows how quickly those vet bills can add up. It can be difficult to estimate how much coverage you might need when you sign your pet up for pet insurance. With Trupanion’s unlimited coverage, you can rest assured knowing that your pet will be able to get the care they need no matter the cost.
People who want a company to pay the vet directly
Trupanion’s Vet Direct Pay can make paying for sudden and expensive veterinary bills even less stressful for pet owners. If your vet participates in the program, you can avoid paying for your pet’s veterinary bills out-of-pocket and waiting for reimbursement.
Pet parents who travel
With Trupanion, your pet can receive care at any licensed veterinary clinic, animal hospital, or specialty animal hospital within the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico. So you can travel with your pet without worrying about whether you’ll be able to get coverage for them if an emergency occurs.
Who shouldn’t use Trupanion?
Pet parents who don’t want unlimited coverage
Trupanion only offers unlimited coverage policies. Another pet insurance company might be a better fit if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option with a low annual reimbursement limit.
Pet parents who want a lower reimbursement level
Another factor to consider is Trupanion’s policies come with 90% reimbursement. Other pet insurance companies offer policies with lower reimbursement limits, such as 70% or 80%. Policies with lower reimbursement limits may come with a lower monthly premium.
People looking for a pet insurance company with discounts
Some pet insurance companies offer discounts for a variety of circumstances. This can include enrolling more than one pet, enrolling an adopted pet, being a military member, and more. Trupanion does not offer these discounts.
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
Pros and cons
Pros
- All Trupanion policies offer unlimited reimbursement limits
- Trupanion policies offer 90% reimbursement rates.
- If your vet participates, Trupanion can pay them directly instead of requiring you to pay upfront and wait for reimbursement.
Cons
- There are no discounts for multi-pet households.
- Trupanion’s waiting period for illnesses is longer than some other pet insurance companies.
- Trupanion does not cover the exam fees for veterinary visits that are related to a covered condition.
Trupanion vs. competitors
Additional coverages | Deductible options | Reimbursement options | Maximum limits | Waiting periods | |
Trupanion | Recovery and complementary care and pet owner assistance | $0 - $1,000 | 90% | Unlimited | 5 days for injuries; 30 days for illnesses |
Wellness plans | $300, $500, or $700 | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 | 15 days for illnesses and injuries | |
Vet exam fees and wellness coverage | $100, $250, $500, $750 | 70%, 80%, 90% | $5,000, $10,000, or Unlimited | 1 day for injuries; 14 days for illnesses | |
None | $250 and $500 | 70% and 80% | Unlimited | 15 days for illnesses and injuries |
Fetch by The Dodo
Fetch pet insurance can be a good option for pet owners who want fixed maximum annual payout limits as opposed to unlimited limits. These policies come with $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 annual payout limits. Pet owners can choose the maximum annual payout limit they prefer during enrollment.
A few features stand out when considering Fetch pet insurance coverage. One is that the company covers exam fees. Fetch also covers virtual vet visits, office visits, and in-home visits.
Additionally, Fetch offers some coverages in its base policies that are not exclusive to veterinary care. The company can cover up to $1,000 per year for boarding fees if the pet owner is hospitalized and the pet is boarded at a licensed facility. Fetch also contributes up to $1,000 annually for advertising and reward fees if the pet goes missing.
Some discounts are made available by Fetch. This includes a discount if pet owners pay quarterly or annually instead of monthly. Pet parents who enroll their pets in a Fetch policy can also purchase add-on wellness coverage for an additional fee.
Figo
Figo offers pet insurance coverage with a variety of options to choose from. The company offers fixed annual coverage limits of $5,000 and $10,000. Or, if pet parents want more coverage, they can opt for the unlimited annual coverage option.
One of the unique features of Figo pet insurance plans is that some policies can come with 100% reimbursement for covered vet bills. This option is not available with the Unlimited coverage plan — which comes with reimbursement options of 70%, 80%, or 90%. All deductible options are available regardless of the annual coverage limit and chosen reimbursement level.
Figo’s base plan offers broad coverage for dogs and cats. This includes coverage for emergencies, surgeries, and chronic conditions. It also includes coverage for diagnostic testing services, orthopedic conditions, and prescription medications. Most parasites are excluded from Figo’s coverage.
There are a couple of add-on options as well. One is for vet exam fees for accidents and illnesses. This includes telehealth consultations as well. A wellness plan also covers routine care such as vaccinations, spaying and neutering, routine blood work, and more.
Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws is a popular pet insurance company offering dog and cat plans. Policies from Healthy Paws come with unlimited annual coverage limits. There are a couple of deductible and reimbursement options to choose from, but not so many that it could lead to decision fatigue.
Like other pet insurance policies, there is a waiting period after enrollment before the pet will be covered for new injuries and illnesses. Healthy Paws is very upfront about its policy regarding an enrollment exam — they even ask pet parents to indicate that they understand the policy during the quote process. The company requires that all pets under the age of six have had a clinical exam within the 12 months before enrollment. If the pet has not had an exam within that time period, Healthy Paws requires that the pet has a clinical exam within 15 days of enrollment. The company uses the records from the exam to determine what pre-existing conditions the pet might have.
One of the highlights of Healthy Paws is its quick claims process. The company states that most claims are processed within two business days after they are received. There is a dedicated team of claims adjusters available to help pet parents if they have questions about this process to ensure that the claims and payout process is as efficient as possible.
Unlike some of its peers, Healthy Paws does not offer any additional coverage options. This means there is no additional wellness care coverage or coverage for non-veterinary pet costs. However, Healthy Paws does support animals as a whole through its Every Quote Gives Hope™ program. Through the program, Healthy Paws issues grants to pet adoption organizations across the country using donations that they make for every free quote requested by a pet parent.
FAQs
What are hereditary and congenital conditions?
Trupanion covers both hereditary and congenital conditions for pets who are enrolled in a policy. It’s important to understand what these are so you fully understand what your coverage may include. Hereditary conditions are diseases or disorders that the pet inherits genetically. They can be present from birth, but pets with hereditary conditions may not show signs or symptoms until they are older. Congenital conditions are diseases or disorders that are present when the pet is born. In some cases, these can be genetic conditions, or they may be due to a developmental issue. There are no exclusions on Trupanion’s coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions as long as the pet has not shown signs of symptoms before the policy’s effective date.
Does Trupanion have age limits for pets?
There is an upper age limit for pets. Pets must be under the age of 14 years at the time of enrollment.
Is pet insurance worth it?
Only you can answer this question for yourself, but pet insurance has gotten popular for good reason. Just like we have health insurance for our own health, pet insurance can help manage the costs of treatment in extreme cases such as hospital stays and for ongoing treatment for chronic conditions.
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
The bottom line
Trupanion is one of many top-notch pet insurance providers in America. When choosing a pet insurance policy, there are several factors to consider. You need to consider what types of coverage are most important to you and your monthly budget. It’s important to keep the big picture in mind as well — a higher monthly premium can help save money in the long run if your pet has a serious medical condition later in life.
Several features make Trupanion stand out among its competitors. This includes its deductible structure, unlimited payouts, and optional riders to enhance coverage. However, it does not include preventative care coverage (often known as a wellness plan), which can be a dealbreaker for some families. If you think Trupanion might be a good option for your pets, you can get a quote in minutes and be on your way to better peace of mind knowing that your pet is covered.
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Writer
Ashley Hart is a lead copywriter and digital marketing expert covering finance, law, real estate, music, entertainment, health and wellness.
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