Trupanion Pet Insurance Review – Medical Coverage for Your Pet

Many people think of their pets as members of the family. They want to provide for them the best they can, which includes paying for health care. But anyone who’s had a pet knows how expensive they can be, especially when you have to make unexpected visits to the vet. When it comes to choosing insurance for your pet, one popular choice is Trupanion Pet Insurance.

Trupanion Pet Insurance

Trupanion was started by Darryl Rawlings back in 1998 in Canada and was originally called Vetinsurance International, Inc. The pet insurance company soon grew to serve the United States starting in 2008 and is now one of the biggest providers in North America. Trupanion has insured over half a million pets and has made over $2 billion in payouts to its policyholders.

Pros

• Unlimited payouts for the life of the pet
• Pays vets directly in real time
• Covers prescription food and supplements
• No premium increase as pet gets older

Cons

• No wellness or preventative care coverage
• Doesn't cover exam fees
• Cats and dogs over the age of 14 not eligible for enrollment
• Very high monthly premiums

Option to Pay Vet Directly: Yes
App Support: No
Accident Waiting Period: 5 Days
Illness Waiting Period: 30 Days
Orthopedic Waiting Period: 30 Days
Vet Helpline Available: No
Multi-Pet Discount: No
Deductible Type: Per condition

Trupanion maintains an A+ rating with the BBB. Policies are unwritten by the American Pet Insurance Company and ZPIC Insurance Company. The company currently offers insurance plans throughout the entire United States and Puerto Rico. Trupanion’s U.S. branch is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

As one of the best pet insurance companies, competitors of Trupanion include:

• ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
• Embrace Pet Insurance
• Healthy Paws
• Lemonade Pet Insurance
• ManyPets
• Nationwide Pet Insurance
• Pet Assure
• Pets Best Insurance
• Prudent Pet
• Pumpkin Pet Insurance
• Spot

Why We Like Trupanion Pet Insurance

Trupanion has been a leader in the pet insurance business for a while for a few key reasons. One of the biggest strengths of its insurance products is that there are never any payout caps on covered services for the life of your pet. Additionally, they offer a lot of flexibility for customers to choose their own deductibles (with options as low as $0) which gives them more control over their monthly premiums. And, all plans pay out at a 90% reimbursement rate, meaning you’ll only ever have to pay 10% of your costs for covered services.

Another advantage of working with Trupanion is there’s a direct pay option for partnered vet hospitals, where the costs of your veterinary care are paid directly to the provider with no need to fill out a claims form. This is similar to other plans you likely already use such as your health insurance, where you don’t pay upfront for most services. In the majority of instances, vet direct payments happen while you’re still checking out at the vet.

Trupanion has relatively short waiting periods for insurance coverage for issues like cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia, compared to other insurers that can make you wait up to six months to a year.

Pet Insurance Plans and Coverage

Trupanion only offers a single medical insurance plan for both cats and dogs, and pets can be enrolled up to the age of 14. After this time, you are not able to enroll a new pet, but if your pet had a policy in place before their 14th birthday, they can continue to enjoy coverage throughout their lifetime.

What’s Covered in a Standard Policy

• New illnesses or injuries
• Hereditary conditions
• Congenital conditions
• X-rays and other diagnostic tests like CT scans and ultrasounds
• Medications
• Supplements recommended by your vet
• Physical therapy
• Allergies
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Prosthetic devices and carts
• Hip Dysplasia as long as it’s not pre-existing
• Some dental services (only for dental illness and injury, and for pets who are seen at least once every 12 months to get their teeth checked)
• 50% of prescription food if recommended by your vet to treat an illness or injury

What’s Not Covered in a Standard Policy

• Exam fees
• Breeding
• Elective or cosmetic procedures
• Routine and preventive care
• Boarding
• Anal gland expression
• Microchipping
• Spaying and neutering
• Cremation and burial
• Dental coverage for a pre-existing condition like gingivitis, tartar, periodontal disease, or resorptive lesions
• Diagnostic tests that aren’t directly related to an injury or illness
• Any service that falls within your waiting period
• Pre-existing conditions (defined as any condition that occurred or where signs of evidence were found 18 months before the policy enrollment date.)

Dog Insurance

Because dogs are bigger than cats and tend to get into more trouble than their feline friends, they cost more to insure. Common conditions for dogs like hip dysplasia or swallowing toys are covered under this basic plan.

Cat Insurance

Cats are less expensive to insure than dogs, but there will be variations in your cost based on the age and size of your cat. For example, a Maine Coon will typically require more vet services than a domestic short hair.

Optional Add-ons

Even though there’s only one plan option, Trupanion does have a few additional coverage riders you can add on for extended care. Note that all riders, like the standard policy, do not cover pre-existing conditions. The company does not offer a wellness plan for routine and preventative care at this time.

Recovery And Complementary Care Rider

This add-on pays out at a 90% reimbursement rate and must be added within the first 30 days of your policy, but can be canceled at any time. It covers services outside the standard plan including:

• Rehabilitative therapy
• Alternative care like acupuncture, hydrotherapy, chiropractic, homeopathy, and naturopathy
• Behavioral modification and therapy

Pet Owner Assistance Package

This rider can be added to your plan at any time after your policy enrollment date and covers unforeseen costs that aren’t directly related to illness or injury coverage. However, any policy changes for this rider will be subject to a 5 to 30-day waiting period that begins after your next billing date.

Covered services include:

• Burial and cremation
• Advertising and reward for lost pets
• Boarding fees
• Vacation cancellation reimbursement if you have to cancel plans due to a life-threatening condition with your pet
• Liability cover for damage caused by your pet to a third-party

Breeding Rider

Very few pet insurance products cover costs associated with breeding or pregnancy, even as an add-on, but Trupanion has this option. This covers illness and injury related to breeding, whelping, or queening and must be added on within the first 30 days after you start your policy. 

Trupanion Pet Insurance – How It Works

When you open a policy with Trupanion, you’ll be subject to a mandatory waiting period before you can file a claim for coverage. For services involving a new injury, there is a five-day waiting period, while services for new illnesses are subject to a 30-day waiting period. Additionally, there are no caps on payouts for Trupanion’s policies.

The way you’ll use your policy depends on whether your provider participates in the Vet Direct Pay option. If they don’t, you’ll be responsible for paying for vet services upfront, and then submitting a claim for reimbursement.

Direct Pay

One of the major selling points of Trupanion is its proprietary Vet Direct Pay program that streamlines the claims process by eliminating your role as the middleman. For partnering pet hospitals, all you have to do is take your pet in for care, ask your provider at checkout to bill Trupanion directly, then your invoice will be paid—usually before you leave the vet office. Trupanion claims that 60% of these payments are completed within 60 seconds.

How Much Does Trupanion Pet Insurance Cost?

Compared with other companies like Healthy Paws Pet Insurance, Trupanion is almost always a more expensive option. However, your actual costs will vary depending on your location, the availability of care in your area, the breed of your pet, and the age of your pet.

Average Monthly Insurance Cost by Mixed Animal Age

Because of this, any estimates made here should always be compared with a real quote obtained from the company. It’s hard to get a reliable idea of what a typical monthly premium would be, but on average you can expect to pay around $80/month for a mixed breed, four-year-old dog, and around $50/month for a four-year-old cat.

Two major factors will affect your costs: deductible and reimbursement rate.

Deductible

You set your own deductible which must be met before you can be reimbursed for any covered services. Deductible options range from $0 to $1,000 and you can expect the highest monthly premiums with the options closest to $0.

Trupanion’s deductible policy works slightly differently from other insurers in that it must be met per illness or injury, not per policy period. However, once the deductible is met for a certain condition, you don’t have to pay this again for the life of your pets if they remain covered. Once you establish your deductible, you can increase it at any time, but only decrease it within the first 30 days of your policy going into effect.

Reimbursement rate

While it’s very common for a pet insurance company to give customers options on their reimbursement rate (for example 70%, 80%, or 90%), Trupanion sets all of its policies at a 90% reimbursement rate.

Unlike many other providers, Trupanion doesn’t offer any discounts for insuring multiple pets, though it does offer a 5% discount for plans covering service pets. Additionally, once you’ve locked in a policy, your premium won’t go up in response to your pet getting older or because of the number of claims you file.

Once you decide on a policy you can make payments with a debit or credit card, or by setting up a monthly withdrawal from your checking or savings account. You will also be responsible for paying a one-time administrative fee of $35, though this may vary slightly depending on what state you live in.

Example Vet Bills

Note: This assumes once the deductible is met, reimbursement applies to the remaining amount at a 90% rate.

How To Get Started with Trupanion

You can request a personalized pet quote directly from the company’s website by entering basic information about you and your pet including your zip code, breed of pet, age of pet, and gender of pet. Or, you can call (855) 210-8749 to speak with a representative about your coverage options.

State Farm Partnership

You may also be able to find information and sign up for Trupanion medical insurance with a State Farm Insurance agent. The two companies have partnered together to make accessing pet policies even more convenient, especially if you have other types of insurance with State Farm entities like auto, homeowners insurance, or life insurance.

Currently, only customers in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, Missouri, and Oregon are able to obtain coverage directly through a State Farm agent, but you can also go directly to the State Farm website to view coverage options if you don’t live in one of these states. Though the two companies are partners, State Farm is still a separate entity and does not personally issue or underwrite pet policies.  

How To Submit a Claim

If your provider accepts Vet Direct Pay, then you don’t need to do anything to get a claim paid. The two companies will work together and any covered services will be paid directly to your vet’s office.

If direct payment is not an option, to submit a claim for reimbursement you must complete a claim form and provide a copy of your paid invoice. The easiest way to do this is through your Trupanion online account, but you can also obtain the claims form through your member portal or by calling the customer service center at (888) 266-2152. The company asserts that over 70% of claims are processed within 24 hours.

How To Cancel Your Trupanion Policy

Cancellation requests must be made in writing via mail, fax, or email or you can start by calling the company to cancel at (888) 733-2685. Most policies that are canceled within the first 30 days and have no claims on them will be eligible for a full refund.

Customer Service

For U.S. customers you can contact the company by mail, phone, email, or through the company’s online chat feature where you can get your questions answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Trupanion
American Pet Insurance Company
6100 4th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98108-3234
(888) 733-2685
[email protected]

Is Trupanion Pet Insurance Right for Me?

Trupanion stands out as one of the best pet insurance companies for a few different reasons. One, it's been in the business for longer than most of its competitors and has gained a solid reputation for comprehensive coverage and outstanding customer service. Additionally, the company has been able to save its policyholders time and reduce the hassle of filing claims by implementing its Vet Direct Pay option that many major pet hospitals have. Lastly, your pet medical insurance policy comes with no limits on payouts and a 90% reimbursement rate, one of the highest in the industry. 

All that said, the average premium payments for a plan through Trupanion are quite a bit higher than some competitors, and a pet parent looking for a competitive plan may also dislike that exam fees aren’t covered under any plan options. That said, its policies are easy to understand which may be worth it to some customers. As with any policy, you’ll want to compare options and quotes to make sure you’re getting the best pet insurance possible while also considering your needs and budget.