Trupanion Pet Insurance Review 2023

Trupanion was founded as Vet insurance in 2000 by CEO Darryl Rawlings to help cats and dogs receive the best emergency care possible. The company has a simple insurance plan with low annual premium increases, unlimited benefits, and a high level of transparency. Trupanion joined the North American Pet Health Insurance Association in 2000 and uses the American Pet Insurance Company as its underwriter. 

Unlike other pet insurance companies, Trupanion offers a lifetime per condition deductible for your pets rather than a yearly one – something that clients repeatedly rave about in Trupanion Pet Insurance reviews. This means that you have to pay just once for a single condition rather than paying recurrently every year.

Additionally, it is the first company to launch a technology known as Vet Direct Pay which enables Trupanion to pay vets directly if they are partnered with it.

If you’re curious to see what else Trupanion has to offer, we made a review of all of its plans and services.

How We Reviewed

Our review of Trupanion Pet Insurance is based on a quantitative and methodical approach that takes into consideration the important aspects of the provider. In this guide, we’ll discuss:

• Types of incidents covered and not covered
• Types of plans available
• Any waiting periods and exclusions
• Pricing and discounts
• The claims process
• Trupanion ratings from review websites
• Reviews from customers
• Customer support
• Financial strength data
• Comparison with other pet insurance companies

 

Where is it Available?

Trupanion is available in all 50 states of America. They also offer cats and dogs insurance in Puerto Rico, Canada, and Australia.

The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, on 6100 4th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108, United States.

Pet Insurance Review

Types of Coverages

Trupanion provides pet insurance for cats and dogs between the age of 8 weeks and 14 years. It offers just one single base insurance plan for cats and dogs which is designed to pay out 90% of the pet’s eligible cost, regardless of the cost of treatment. The only part of the plan that is flexible is the annual deductible which can be customized between $0 to $1,000.

Unlike other pet insurance companies that may drop your pet’s claim once it exceeds a certain amount, Trupanion Pet Insurance comes with no such limit.  Your pet will enjoy full coverage, no matter its age.

The one important feature that sets Trupanion apart from other companies is its lifetime per-condition deductible policy which allows pet parents to pay deductible for a given condition just once for the life of your pet.

These types of lifetime pet insurance policies are particularly helpful for pets with chronic illnesses. 

The core coverage that Trupanion provides include:

• Pet illnesses, including unidentified issues like cough, diarrhea, vomiting, and change in weight

• Pet dental insurance
• Pet chronic conditions and illnesses
• Pet hereditary conditions, including elbow and hip dysplasia insurance coverage
• Pet accident insurance
• Pet cancer
• Pet diagnosis and hospitalization
• Pet bloodwork for unexpected conditions
• Pet prescription drug coverage
• Pet prescription food at 50% off
• Veterinary supplements
• Pet surgeries
• Pet emergency veterinary care
• Pet behavioral therapy
•  Pet specialty care
• Pet prosthetics and mobility aid

The Recovery and Complementary Care Package: Extra pricing can vary up to $30 and covers non-clinical procedures like pet alternative medicine and therapies, chiropractic care, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, naturotherapy, behavior modification, pet physical therapy, pet rehabilitation, and more.

Pet Owner Assistance Package: For $4.95 per month, Trupanion also offers extra pet insurance for dogs and cats. It covers hospitalization fee, holiday vacation cancelation cost, cremation or burial of pets, liability coverage for third-party property damage, and advertisements and rewards in case of a missing pet.

Breeding Rider: Cats and dogs that are bred to produce purebreds or cross-species can be covered for injuries and illnesses relating to breeding, queening, and whelping with the Breeding Rider. Keep in mind though that pet pregnancy at the time of enrollment will not be covered.

What’s Not Covered

Here is a list of things that are not covered by Trupanion:

• Pet wellness plans and preventive care
• Pet grooming
• Pet parasite treatment
• Pet vaccinations
• Pet neutering or spaying surgeries
• Vet exam fee
• Office visits
• Sales tax charged as part of your bill

Pet insurance for preexisting conditions is not covered. This involves conditions that were discovered during the waiting period or 18 months before the insurance period began.

Trupanion Pet Insurance Pricing

Trupanion cost for your pet depends on a large number of variables including:

• The age, gender, and breed of your pet
• Your geographical location
• Health history and conditions
• The average cost of treating similar illnesses and injuries in your area
• Deductible
• Vet exam fees
• Local, state, and federal laws
• 10 co-insurance

At the time of enrollment, you will also have to provide a one-time fee of $35.

How Much Is Trupanion Per Month?

If you want an example, a 3-year old dog may cost a monthly base plan premium of $27.91 to $104.15 and a Recovery and Complementary Care Rider of $4.36. On the other hand, a 12-year-old dog may cost anywhere between $50.98 to $211.26 for the base plan and $10.68 for the Recovery and Complementary Care package.

Similarly, a 1-year-old cat may cost a base monthly premium of anywhere between $17.23 to $54.62 and a Recovery and Complementary Care Rider of $2.49. However, a 12-year-old cat may cost a base premium of $41.05 to $165.16 and a Recovery and Complementary Care Rider of $8.28.

Trupanion Deductible

Trupanion offers a lifetime per-condition deductible which is a unique offer. 

Once the deductible is paid for a given condition, you can receive unlimited benefits for your pets for their entire life.

Trupanion Pet Insurance Discount and Features

To find out if Trupanion can offer you discounts, ask your breeder, shelter, employer, or vet to see if they have partnered with the company – it might get you discounts or give you a cut in your waiting period.

Trupanion also provides coverage for pet prescription food at 50% off.

With Trupanion’s “refer a friend,” you can save $25 for every friend you refer.

 

Trupanion Pet Insurance Claims

Trupanion operates on a claim and reimbursement process. Every time you reach out to your vet and get an invoice for a covered expense, you can start the claims process:

• The first thing you need to do is to submit your claim through the online Trupanion pet insurance claim form or email it to [email protected]. Fill in all the details of your pet, your vet, and your contact info in the form.
• Once your claim has been submitted, Trupanion will work with your vet to collect the pet’s medical records. The claim will then be reviewed by a Trupanion specialist to see whether it is eligible.
• Once your claim has been deemed eligible, you will be reimbursed for your expenses if you have already paid your vet and your claim will be marked closed.
• If your vet is partnered with Trupanion Vet Direct Pay, Trupanion will pay them directly. If not, the money will be deposited into your bank account.

 

Trupanion does not offer different reimbursement options; rather it offers a 90% deductible which is pretty generous. However, some Trupanion complaints by customers say the fixed deductible reduces the flexibility of their monthly payments.

Trupanion Pet Insurance Waiting Period

Trupanion follows the given waiting period rules: a 5-day waiting period when it comes to injuries and 30 days for illnesses.

Trupanion Pet Insurance reviews show that clients are not happy, as the periods are longer than those offered by other pet insurance services. However, orthopedic conditions that typically require a 6-month waiting period by other insurers are eligible to be covered in 30 days.

Customer Satisfaction and Financial Strength Review

Trupanion BBB rating is an A- which suggests it is an above-average pet insurance company. The financial analysis firm Demotech, which rates financial stability for insurance companies has given an A (Exceptional) rating to Trupanion. AM Best, Moody, and other major credit rating companies, on the other hand, have not rated the pet insurance company. Still, Demotech’s A rating means the company has the potential to stay financially stable after 18 months of economic downturn.

Although the company has many positive reviews, it also has some recurring issues regarding its insurance pricing. Trupanion pet insurance complaints include unsatisfied customers who said they were charged too high and had to wait a long time for reimbursement. 

The BBB reports that the company has had two government actions which implicated that Trupanion’s third-party sales representatives were not properly licensed. It also had to pay three separate fines totaling $500,000 in the past five years.

Trupanion Customer Service

Trupanion has 24/7 customer service and you can contact the support department via:

• Live Chat
• Trupanion Customer Service Number: 1-888-733-2685
• Email: [email protected]

 

Comparison With Competitors

Trupanion vs Healthy Paws

Trupanion and Healthy Paws offer similar health insurance policies. However, Trupanion also offers pet holistic medicine and therapies for an extra cost while Healthy Paws does not cover this.

Additionally, Trupanion offers a lifetime per-condition deductible while Healthy Paws operate under the traditional annual deductible.

For hip dysplasia, Trupanion has a waiting period of 30 days while Healthy Paws has a waiting period of up to 12 months. However, Trupanion is more expensive than Healthy Paws.

Trupanion vs PetPlan

Trupanion’s USP is that it includes unlimited claim limits in all its plans, while PetPlan offers claim limits from $2,500 to unlimited.

With Trupanion, hip dysplasia waiting period is 30 days while PetPlan provides coverage for it within 6 months.

Trupanion claims payout within 60 days; however, PetPlan has a much shorter time of 5 to 14 business days.