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Trupanion Pet Insurance Review

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Trupanion is a Seattle-based pet insurance company that sells medical insurance for dogs and cats. Trupanion policies are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company. Founded in Canada, the company expanded into the US and Puerto Rico in 2005. Trupanion offers policies that cover your pets if they get sick or injured, and also cover prescription pet foods, orthotic devices, and carts.

How is Trupanion rated?

Breakdown

5.0/5
Coverage
4.5/5
Cost
4.5/5
Extras

Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5 (Excellent)

Trupanion has comprehensive coverage, a great reputation and is the only company that can pay your veterinarian directly at the time of checkout. However, although unlimited per-condition lifetime coverage is a great perk, it can be far more coverage--and consequently far more expensive--than some pet owners need. And that highlights the main issue with Trupanion: inflexibility. They have only one plan*, one benefit limit, and one high reimbursement percentage. This does not give consumers the opportunity to "adjust the knobs" and change the cost of their monthly premium.

Trupanion Coverage

Coverage - 5 / 5

Trupanion offers comprehensive coverage that covers prescriptions and prescription foods. As with most plans, the company will not cover preventative care, taxes, exam fees, or pre-existing conditions (taxes are covered in Florida, California and Maryland). Trupanion also offers additional "owner assistance" coverage. This package includes third-party damage, trip cancellation, advertising and reward, alternative therapies, and breeding dog protection. While other pet insurance companies, for example, Healthy Paws Pet Insurance or Petplan Insurance, provide these services in their standard plans, they are only available through Trupanion at an extra cost.

With Trupanion, you have the option to get a recovery and complementary care rider that pays for non-clinical procedures such as behavior modification therapy, hydrotherapy, rehabilitation, and chiropractic care for an additional cost.*
Pets Covered
Dogs
Cats
Coverage Types
Medical
Vet Selection
Unrestricted
Out-of-State Coverage
Yes
Commercial Pets Covered

Medical Conditions Covered

  • Accidental
  • Illness
  • Hereditary
  • Congenital
  • Cancer
  • Chronic
  • Accidental Dental
  • Dental Illness

Medical Treatments Covered

  • Diagnostic Testing
  • Surgery
  • Hospitalization
  • Prescription Medications
  • Emergency Care
  • Specialty Care
  • Alternative Care
  • Behavioral Therapy
  • Prosthetics & Mobility Aids

Benefit Limits

Benefit Limits - 5 / 5

Trupanion offers no limits on benefits of any kind, per-incident, annual, or lifetime. While this is indeed a great feature for peace of mind, again, it might suit a particular customer's situation to not have unlimited coverage. For example, someone might know from past experience or the vets in their area that there will be a rock solid limit to what they will possibly spend in a year. Other companies might offer a benefit limit in line with this, and as a result a much lower monthly premium. Having the option is always a good thing.
Benefit Limit Types
Unlimited

Reimbursement & Deductibles

Reimbursement - 5 / 5

Unlike other companies, Trupanion does not allow you to choose a reimbursement percentage, excepting Florida and Maryland. They only offer 90%*. While this is a generous reimbursement, it limits the client's flexibility in customizing their premium. For some pet owners, a lower reimbursement percentage and lower monthly premium might be preferable to Trupanion's single reimbursement model.
Reimbursement Model
Actual Cost
Minimum Percent Reimbursement
90%
Maximum Percent Reimbursement
90%

Deductibles - 5 / 5

Trupanion sets itself apart from the pack by offering a lifetime per-condition deductible*. This means that your deductible will not reset annually. For a given condition, once you pay your deductible, you can receive unlimited benefits for the rest of the pet's life. Among Trupanion's deductible choices is a $0 deductible, which most plans do not offer.
Deductible Type
Pet Condition Lifetime
Minimum Deductible Offered
$0
Maximum Deductible Offered
$0

Pricing: How much does Trupanion cost?

Cost - 4.5 / 5

Trupanion's premiums are definitely on the high end of the spectrum. Although the coverage is quite comprehensive, similar coverages are available for up to $20 less a month.

Trupanion earns 4.3 out of 5 stars from Trust Pilot. It's extremely important to read any policy you're considering carefully and to pay particular attention to the limits placed around pre-existing conditions.

Starting Monthly Premiums

Dog: Sample Monthly Premium, 1 year old male Golden Retriever in zip code 92683
$59.21
Cat: Sample Monthly Premium, 1 year old male American Shorthair in zip code 92683
$32.41
Rate Details: Annual Deductible: $700, Benefit Cap: Annual & Unlimited, Reimbursement Model: 90% of Actual Cost

Enrollment & Waiting Periods

Enrollment - 4.5 / 5

Pets are eligible to enroll from birth to 13.9 years old. Trupanion has a 5-day waiting period for accidents and a 30-day waiting period for illnesses. As opposed to other plans, Trupanion does not have any malady-specific waiting periods for things like dysplasia and cruciate ligaments.
Min Enrollment Age
0 weeks
Max Enrollment Age
14 years
Accident Waiting Period
5 days
Illnesses Waiting Period
30 days
Free Look Period
30 days

Claims & Service

Extras - 4.5 / 5

Trupanion is one of the few pet insurance providers that have the capacity and technology to pay your vet or hospital directly. This is a huge deal because, unlike with many other plans, with Trupanion you can limit out-of-pocket expenses. They also claim to process about 60% of claims in just 24 hours. If you do file your own claims, the company requires you to download the claim form via online portal, then submit it by email, mail, or fax.
Advertised Response Time
1-7 days
Claim Form
Online Portal

Company Disclaimers

State Farm and the State Farm logo are registered trademarks of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates, neither offer nor are financially responsible for pet insurance products. State Farm is a separate entity and is not affiliated with Trupanion or American Pet Insurance. Trupanion is a registered trademark owned by Trupanion, Inc. Underwritten in the United States by American Pet Insurance Company or ZPIC Insurance Company, 6100 4th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108. Sold and administered by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). Coverage is subject to policy terms and conditions, waiting periods, does not include coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Headquarters Address
6100 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98108
Mailing Address
6100 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98108
Year Founded
2000

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Customer Comments

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Kim O

7/23/2017
I had purchased a new puppy. Took him to the vet one day after taking possession of the dog for a full physical examination. Received a clean bill of health. Went home, enrolled with Trupanion under their promotional deal offered to me by my veterinarian, which waived the initial registration fee and effectively enrolled my pup immediately. Approximately six to eight hours later, I had to rush my pup to emergency vet services because he went into respiratory distress and had vomited. He was so sick, he was hospitalized overnight. I come to find out that my pup had developed pneumonia from two infections, Bortadella, even though he has received the vaccination, and Respiratory Corona Virus.... Read More
131 People found this helpful.


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Rebecca

1/5/2018
This company spends their money on reps visiting your vet so the vet will recommend this scam insurance to clients with new puppies! Do NOT fall for this , anything you mention to your vet will be pre-existing condition. Their other tactic they use is when you call to join they will offer big PROMO discounts on deductible if you join AFTER vet visit. They will discourage you from joining before the visit . Anything discussed with your vet will be considered *pre-existing*. If your vet recommends this insurance to you , ask them why ...and please please rethink your vet !!!
82 People found this helpful.


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Allison

7/11/2017
Spent more money to them than any claims they covered! After an incident with my dog costing over $1600, I got insurance with Trupanion to be prepared. They covered minor things here and there when they came up, but every year my policy increased by over $10 per month. When I went to cancel they tell me if I ever try to reinsure it will be at her new age, not when she signed up. How does that save me?! you increase the rate every year! Finally, my dog needed some behavioral therapy (as included in her plan) and I was denied! Told she did not meet the waiting period, behavior is an illness not an accident (again..not listed in their policy!) etc. etc. I have spent FAR more for insurance... Read More
69 People found this helpful.


V
Victoria

11/26/2017
We purchased Trupanion insurance 2 years ago when our 2 dogs were pupppies. We have yet to submit a claim that hasn't been rejected citing "preexisting condition." In addition to the insurance being absolutely useless, our premiums have gone from ~ $90 to $165 in just 2 years. For what? We haven't even been able to use it. Please read reviews on Yelp and Consumer Affairs. All those reviews are pretty much the same story as ours. TRUPANION IS A SCAM!
63 People found this helpful.


Jason V

6/28/2017
READ THE FINE PRINT. There are better insurance companies out there…. I really wish I could have wrote a good review for this company, but it is pretty obvious that they will find any way not to help its paying customers. For all of those considering Trupanion, please be sure to read the fine print before signing up – specifically “Once you meet the Deductible amount for a specific Illness or Injury, this policy will pay out all future losses for that specific Illness or Injury”. Simply put, be prepared to pay multiple deductibles for each illness/injury your pet may acquire, and don’t be surprised when Trupanion tries to find a way to separate similar treatments to make you pay multiple... Read More
62 People found this helpful.


R
rick

7/26/2017
My dog developed a chronic illness which would cost Trupanion more each month than our premiums. This was something which Trupanion would not allow. So, when it came time to renew the policy (which is done every year), they just didn't renew it. When I spoke to them on the phone, I was given multiple conflicting "explanations" but in the end, the reason was simply that my policy was not profitable. So, they dumped it. (this was confirmed by a supervisor in a moment of surprising candor) I also learned that they use this non-renewal as a way to dump all pets when they reach 14 years old. There has been a clear change at Trupanion, a move to raise profits at the expense of pets'... Read More
54 People found this helpful.


J
Janet G

9/21/2018
My labrador retriever was diagnosed with hip dysplasia 6 weeks ago. She has been a Trupanion customer for 16 months. She is 5 years old. She was denied coverage for this condition due to it being a pre-existing condition (she had never been diagnosed with HD before). My vet disagreed with Trupanion and sent letters to Trupanion in my support. HD is easily treated or resolved with surgery, but it is expensive. I cannot afford to treat her, and this is exactly the type situation which causes me to always buy pet health insurance. The appeal was denied by Trupanion, despite the rational and convincing arguments the vet made. Because of Trupanion, my sweet girl will only live about 2... Read More
45 People found this helpful.


M
M L

6/24/2017
I have been a Trupanion customer for seven years - beginning when my dog was 2 months old. In late Jan/early Feb I changed my email, phone number, and address. Every now and then I would skim through my old email account to see if there was anything of importance. One of those times was Fri, June 10th. That's when I noticed an email from Trupanion dated May 15th notifying me that my policy was cancelled. I immediately contacted Trupanion and asked that my policy be reinstated. The representative advised me that it could not be reinstated and that I would have to re-enroll at a much higher cost. I mentioned that the policy hadn't even been cancelled for a full month and he said it... Read More
38 People found this helpful.


Lynn B

7/24/2017
For 15 years I covered my animals through Veterinary Pet Insurance (now Nationwide Pet Insurance). I was fairly satisfied with their benefits, but when a cat recently maxed out on his benefits for renal lymphoma I decided to switch my other animals to Trupanion because they claimed there was no maximum on benefits. Four months after enrollment, another cat was diagnosed with small cell lymphoma in her intestines and Trupanion is denying my claim totaling over $6000 because the cat was long ago diagnosed with food intolerance for which she has been symptomless on a select protein diet for 9 years. Two other (fortunately benign) conditions that were not in her digestive tract were... Read More
37 People found this helpful.


Sonya P

8/29/2017
Thankfully I haven't had to use yet, I had 0 deductible policy on my dog, at beginning of this year they increased my premium and now I have a deductible. So no I'm not happy about it.
21 People found this helpful.



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