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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.
 
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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 and a great reputation, scoring an excellent rating on Trust Pilot. 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. They are, however, the only company that can pay your veterinarian directly at the time of checkout.

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. 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. 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 per-incident lifetime 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
Annual
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 says claims will be fulfilled within 60 days. Although this is twice as long as the period offered by other carriers, you must keep in mind that 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
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
http://trupanion.com/
Headquarters Address
6100 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98108
Mailing Address
6100 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98108
Year Founded
2000
What We’re Hearing From Our Readers
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Customer Comments

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Isaac F

2/4/2016
Our cat got in a fight and sustained a few injuries. Trupanion denied our claim because he had been in a couple of other fights within the past18 months. They claimed this constituted a "pre-existing condition" - that he was "prone to fighting." Even if that were an actual medical condition, it could be the other cat in the neighborhood that is picking on him. I'm calling BS. Word to the wise: Trupanion are just like any other insurance company- it is their job to take your money and then try to weasel out of paying claims in any way possible.
1 People found this helpful.
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Amy M

12/19/2015
Provided for free for 30 days after we adopted our pet. The cat turned out to be ill (approximate cost $600), but Trupanion used an earlier (more than a month prior) treatment for "soft stool" to deny all responsibility- for tapeworm, diarrhea and bloody stools. Don't bother. Dishonest.
1 People found this helpful.
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Kinsey M

12/1/2015
Best company out there. Completely covered my pets CCL repair in BOTH knees, totaling (after PT) an amount of $15,000. They sent the payment directly to my vet within hours of an urgent pre-approval and was able to walk out without having to worry about settling a bill. Their customer care is out of this world. Every time I call I get a real live person, they are professional, kind and could not have been more compassionate or understanding during the most stressful time as a pet owner. THANK YOU TRUPANION!
1 People found this helpful.
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Lillie B

8/16/2015
VERY DISAPPOINTED: If your pet isn’t 100% healthy, then don’t waste your money like I did. I thought I was getting a solid peace of mind for my pet, it didn’t happen. Years of paying for a service that denied 2 claims based on the same pre-existing condition. The second denial was the hardest as an appeal was made and they dug until they could re-deny it again. I say, save the monthly fee in the bank, earn interest and you’ll have the money for your Vet bills. This will be my future plan.
1 People found this helpful.
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Elissa C

8/6/2015
BUYER BEWARE. Trupanion will tell you everything you want to hear to get your business and then try their best not to cover your pet when there is a problem. If you get a certificate from a rescue or shelter with a trial period they will honor it and tell you that you have no waiting period and then when you take your dog to the vet with an issue they will back track and tell you OOPS it wasn't a valid certificate there is a waiting period. I've see insurance companies for people be jerks before but honestly nothing as blatant as this.
1 People found this helpful.
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Brooke R

8/5/2015
In Trupanion policy guide they state "This annual adjustment will never exceed 20% in any given year." We had increase from $30.34 to $49.91! I called and inquired and they said, oh thats our policy for everywhere but New York. There is nothing in their policy guide that states there is an exception for New York. We have a young healthy cat, we have never filed a claim. This rate hike is outrageous. How can you trust a company to be there when your pet is in need, when they don't follow their own rules.
1 People found this helpful.
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Greg L

7/20/2015
Stay away from Trupanion! They sound great up until you put a claim in. The claims process isn't as quick as they lead you to believe and my dog (5 y/o GSD) simply tweaked a muscle, but they stated that she has hip dysplasia. The vet even wrote a letter saying that the injury was soft tissue and not pre-existing, but Trupanion continued to deny coverage. My dog does competitive obedience, dock diving and Schutzhund... not sports a dysplastic dog could easily do. Read the Yelp reviews for Trupanion and stay away from this company!!
1 People found this helpful.
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Richard B

6/27/2015
When we took our Chihuahua puppy to our Vet the 2nd day we owned her, we saw the Trupanion applications on the counter and took one. We applied that evening after getting a quote. About a month after the waiting period our dog dislocated her right rear leg. The Vet diagnosed her as having a luxating patella and required surgery. We told her we got the insurance. She said I'm sorry, but this is considered hereditary and not normally covered by pet insurance. We went to the specialist who said surgery was required. We told her we had the insurance and she also stated she didn't think it would be covered. They offered a credit plan so we filled out the application and was approved. The... Read More
1 People found this helpful.
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Silje H

2/5/2015
I would have given them zero stars, but it's not an option. TruPanion is the worst health insurance for your pets. When you actually submit your claim, they find some way to disqualify you from getting your claim refunded/approved. Our loving kitten starting having seizures and after taking her to the Veterinarian we found that she had gotten epilepsy. Trupanion replied that it was a preexisting condition, which was not the case. Our veterinarian even sent a letter confirming when she developed the epilepsy (which put it way after our grace period). Due to our pet insurance not covering anything, like they was promising us we had to surrender our sweet kitten to an animal shelter as we... Read More
1 People found this helpful.
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Peggy H

4/20/2015
I haven't found what you state here to be my experience. I have had this for 6 years. Started at $21/month and now $50 a month. Nothing is covered as was originally stated. They do put limits on a disease or illness such as my dog's lyme disease. I have gotten nothing reimbursed after paying my deductible. when you ask why the increase each and every year they tell me the adjustment for my areas costs. We all know that is not the truth. Customer service has also been an issue. I could make this even longer with details but don't wish to do that to you. I would go with the highest rated if I were you. This has not been a pleasant experience for us for the last 6 yrs. (we got this when... Read More
1 People found this helpful.
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Top Rated
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  • Trusted by More than 625,000 Parents
  • No Enrollment or Administrative Fees
  • No Maximum Annual or Lifetime Payouts
  • Most Claims are Processed in 2 Days
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