Trupanion Pet Insurance Review 2023

Pros Explained

• Coverage available from birth: Insurers typically require pets to be around eight weeks old to be eligible for coverage. Trupanion removed its minimum age requirement, so pets can be insured from birth.
• Direct payments to veterinarians: Your claims are handled through reimbursement with most pet insurance companies. You’re responsible for paying for veterinary care at the time of treatment, and your insurer reimburses you later. That can be a significant hardship for larger bills. Trupanion is one of the few companies that offer direct payments, eliminating the need to pay for care upfront. 
• Deductibles range from $0 to $1,000: You can usually adjust your pet insurance deductible to meet your needs, but some companies have fairly high minimums, such as $300. You can choose a $0 deductible with Trupanion so insurance starts covering care sooner, or you can opt for a higher deductible to reduce your monthly premiums. 
• Coverage for breeding: Pet insurance companies usually exclude expenses related to breeding. But Trupanion’s breeding rider covers illnesses and injuries related to breeding, whelping, or queening, making it a good option for dog or cat breeders. 
• Coverage for prescription foods, herbal treatments, and supplements included: Prescription food, supplements, and herbal treatments are excluded with many pet insurance companies. Trupanion covers these items as long as they're prescribed for a qualifying condition by a licensed veterinarian.

Cons Explained

• Direct pay only available through partner veterinarians: While Trupanion does allow direct pay, it only offers that feature if you go to one of the company’s partner veterinarians. You’ll have to pay for your pet’s care and wait for reimbursement if your veterinarian isn't a partner.
• Does not offer wellness plans: Wellness plans are popular policies offered by some insurers that partially cover preventative care, such as vaccinations. Trupanion doesn’t have wellness options. It only issues accident and illness plans. 
• Policies don’t cover exam fees: Some insurers cover emergency fees or exam fees for accidents or illnesses, but Trupanion does not. You’re solely responsible for exam costs. 
• Only one reimbursement option: Most insurers let you customize your coverage and adjust your premiums by choosing a reimbursement percentage when you purchase pet insurance. Most companies have several options ranging from 60% to 100% of qualifying claims. Trupanion only has one option: 90%.
• Significantly more expensive than other companies: We received quotes for different animals of different ages at various locations. In general, we found that Trupanion’s premiums were significantly higher than other companies’ rates.
  

Introduction

Trupanion is one of the best known pet insurers in the country. It offers accident and illness policies for dogs and cats up to 14 years of age, and policyholders can visit any licensed veterinarian in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Australia, or Canada. According to the company, it serves over 1.5 million pets and has paid over $2 billion in claims.

Available Plans

Trupanion has just one accident and illness plan for dogs and cats. Its policies cover treatments for unexpected illnesses and injuries, including hospital stays, diagnostic tests, surgeries, and medications. Its policies have no annual reimbursement limit and cover 90% of eligible expenses after reaching your deductible. 

Below is a snapshot of common treatments covered by Trupanion.

Available Riders/Add-Ons

Expenses related to breeding and rehabilitation aren’t covered under Trupanion's standard plan, but you can augment your policy with an optional rider for an additional cost. This would give you coverage for those expenses. 

Trupanion has three riders: 

• Recovery and Complementary Care: The recovery and complementary care rider provides coverage for behavioral modification, rehabilitation, and alternative therapies like hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. 
• Pet Owner Assistance: The pet owner assistance rider provides liability coverage for damages your pet causes to a third party’s property, advertising and rewards for lost pets, holiday vacation cancellation cost reimbursement, and coverage for cremation or burial fees. 
• Breeding: The breeding rider covers illnesses or injuries related to breeding, whelping (for dogs), or queening (for cats). 

Waiting Periods

As is standard in the pet insurance industry, Trupanion has waiting periods before your pet’s care is eligible for coverage. The waiting period is 30 days for illnesses and five days for injuries.

Cancellation Policy

Trupanion has a 30-day free look period. You have 30 days after the policy's effective date to cancel your policy and get 100% of the premiums you've paid refunded to you, as long as you haven’t been reimbursed for a claim. 

You can cancel your policy at any time after the free look period ends by sending in a written notification by mail, fax, or email. 

Plan Exclusions

Trupanion’s policies do not cover exam fees, specialist visit fees, or treatments for conditions related to parasites. It also doesn't cover:

• Preexisting conditions
• Bilateral conditions
• Virtual vet visits
• Heartworm/FELV/blood/fecal exams
• Heartworm/flea/tick prevention
• Vaccination/titer
• Spay/neuter
• Microchipping

Preexisting Conditions

Like other companies, Trupanion doesn’t cover preexisting conditions. In this case, preexisting conditions are defined as those that showed clinical evidence during the 18 months before your policy's effective date or during the policy’s waiting period. 

If your pet has a preexisting condition on one side of its body, such as cataracts in one eye or cruciate ligament damage in one limb, treatment for the condition on the other side of the body is excluded from coverage.

Plan Pricing

We found that Trupanion’s policies are generally significantly more expensive than other insurers. In fact, its premiums were among the very highest of all the companies we reviewed, using three pet personas (two dogs and a cat). Unlike other companies, you can't reduce your premium by taking advantage of discounts. Trupanion doesn’t offer discounts for enrolling multiple pets, a common discount in the industry. 

Trupanion doesn’t offer multiple benefit limits or reimbursement percentages, either. Its policies provide 90% reimbursement and unlimited annual and lifetime benefits. The only portion you can adjust is the deductible amount: You can choose a deductible from $0 to $1,000. In general, the lower the deductible, the higher your premium.

Keep in mind that Trupanion uses a per-condition deductible rather than an annual deductible. That means if your dog has two unrelated health issues, such as a broken limb and an ear infection, you’ll have to pay two deductibles. On the plus side, you only have to meet the deductible once for that condition. That can be an advantage for chronic conditions that can require years of treatments.

How Premiums Are Set

Your rates for pet insurance premiums are determined by the following factors: 

• Location: Your premiums will be more expensive if you live in an area with a higher cost of living and higher veterinarian fees.
• Pet’s breed: Certain breeds that are more susceptible to health issues will incur higher premiums.
• Pet’s age: Older pets are generally much more expensive to insure than younger ones. Your premiums will increase as your pet ages in most cases.
• Deductible: Your deductible affects your premiums. A lower deductible means your insurance company will start paying for your pet’s care sooner, but you’ll have a higher monthly premium. Similarly, a higher deductible will lower your premiums, but you’ll have to pay more out of pocket before your insurance will cover claims. 
• Riders: You'll pay a higher monthly premium if you add optional riders to your policy, such as Trupanion’s recovery care and rehabilitation rider. 

Claims

Claims must be submitted within 90 days of the treatment date. There are two ways to handle claims with Trupanion: 

• Direct pay: Trupanion can directly pay your veterinarian for your pet’s care at the time of service if your veterinarian partners with Trupanion and has the company’s software.
• Reimbursement: You must pay for your pet’s care at the office when treatments are provided if your vet is not one of Trupanion’s partners. You can submit claims online through the customer portal, by emailing claims@trupanion.com, or by sending a claims form through the mail to the following address: 

Trupanion USA
6100 4th Ave
South Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98108

Your reimbursement will be sent via check or direct deposit if your claim is approved. According to Trupanion, 60% of claims are processed within 24 hours.

Customer Service

Other companies’ customer support teams are only available during normal business hours, but you can reach Trupanion’s customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

You can contact support via phone, online chat, or email. 

• Phone: (888) 733-2685 
• Email: info@trupanion.com

As a policyholder, you can also use the member portal to manage your policy and make payments. 

Third-Party Ratings

Trupanion doesn’t underwrite the policies it issues. Its policies are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company (APIC) instead. Unlike some other companies, APIC isn’t rated by AM Best. It was evaluated and rated by Demotech, another credit rating agency. Demotech issued an “A’” (Unsurpassed) rating to APIC in 2022. Such a high rating means that Demotech believes APIC to be financially stable and able to honor current and future policy obligations. 

No consumer complaints about Trupanion are listed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But Trupanion is very highly rated by customers on Trustpilot and it has thousands of positive reviews. It has a rating of 4.2 out of five based on over 4,600 reviews, giving it a “Great” distinction. 

Alternative Choices

There are many pet insurance companies out there. According to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), there are about 25 companies in North America. Choosing the right one can be challenging, so consider the following when evaluating different insurers and policy options:

• Policy type: There are three main kinds of pet insurance: accident and illness coverage, accident-only coverage, and wellness plans. Accident and illness plans are the most common, while accident-only coverage is less expensive. Wellness plans are different from other pet insurance options. They reimburse you for a portion of preventative care treatments, up to an annual maximum. 
• Annual, lifetime, and condition limits: Depending on the insurer, there may be annual, lifetime, or per-condition limits. These limits are the maximum your insurer will cover for eligible claims. You’ll have to cover the remainder yourself if your pet's care exceeds that amount.
• Age or breed restrictions: Some insurance companies have restrictions on pets’ ages or breeds. You may have difficulty finding coverage, or you may have to pay a higher premium if you have a senior pet or own a breed of dog or cat that's susceptible to health issues.
• Waiting periods: Pet insurance companies usually have waiting periods, a period of days or weeks after the policy effective date, before treatments will be covered. 
• Exclusions: Exclusions vary by insurer. Some companies cover holistic or alternative care options like chiropractic treatments, while others exclude them. Review policies carefully to ensure your pet’s care is covered.

Competition

Final Verdict

Trupanion could be an excellent choice for pet owners who don’t want to worry about paying for expensive emergency procedures upfront. The company can pay the vet directly if your veterinarian is one of Trupanion's partners, a major benefit over other companies that only work via reimbursement.

Trupanion can also be a good option for breeders or those who have adopted very young pets because it has no minimum age restriction. It allows you to enroll pets at birth, minimizing the risk of preexisting conditions.

But Trupanion’s plans can be expensive, and it doesn’t give policyholders the option of adjusting reimbursement percentages or annual benefit maximums to lower their premiums. Compare rates from other companies to find the right coverage for your budget before purchasing a policy.

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FAQs

Why is Trupanion more expensive?

Trupanion's monthly premiums can run two to three times more than those required by other pet insurance providers. The insurer says that this is because each policy is based on a pet's "personalized price factors," including breed, gender, and veterinary care specific to your region. Owners pay different premiums for different pets depending on their anticipated veterinary needs. But your rate won't increase as your pet ages, at least not just because they're getting older.

What is not covered with Trupanion?

Trupanion doesn't cover preexisting or bilateral conditions, spaying or neutering, microchipping, vaccinations, or heartworm, flea or tick preventative care. It doesn't cover certain testing, such as for heartworms or feline leukemia. You can buy additional riders to cover acupuncture or behavioral modification.

What makes Trupanion different?

Trupanion plans come with a few little perks that aren't offered by other providers, such as giving you 30 days to change your mind and cancel after you've purchased your policy and receive a 100% refund. Pet coverage is available from birth rather than eight weeks of age or even older. And it will pay your veterinarian directly for covered claims so you don't have to pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement. But this is only the case if you use one of its partner veterinarians.

Does Trupanion cover an MRI?

Trupanion covers diagnostic testing, which includes magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) for seizures. This could run you up to $2,000 if you had to pay for it yourself, but Trupanion coverage will pay 90% of the bill. Conditions that are prone to seizures are usually present from a pet's birth, and Trupanion covers pets from birth.

Methodology

Investopedia is dedicated to providing consumers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews of pet insurance companies. We rated 25 providers and collected over 2,000 data points, including information about plan options, company features, and fees and limits, to ensure that our reviews help users make informed decisions for their pet insurance needs.

Our full pet insurance methodology, including our data collection process and weighted data points, is available for review.