Trupanion Pet Insurance Review: Is It Worth the Cost? (2024)

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With unlimited coverage options and affordable rates for many pet parents, Trupanion Pet Insurance sets itself apart with per-condition deductibles. However, pet owners lose out on wellness coverage and pay relatively high premiums.

Trupanion Pet Insurance Review

Trupanion is one of the best pet insurance companies around, offering one comprehensive plan for cats and dogs with highly customizable deductibles, 90% reimbursem*nt, and unlimited coverage. Pets as old as 14 are eligible for coverage, so Trupanion can be a decent choice for senior pet insurance.

Deductibles are paid per condition throughout the entirety of the policy, which means once you hit your deductible for that condition, you won't have to pay a deductible for that treatment again. This policy is great for pet owners who are concerned about chronic conditions their pet may develop. Additionally, Trupanion has the ability to directly pay vets, so policyholders don't have to go through a claims process.

That said, Trupanion doesn't come cheap. It's easily one of the most expensive pet insurance products on the market on top of your per-condition deductible, which can add up if your pet racks up a diverse array of ailments. However, Trupanion doesn't increase premiums based on your pet's age, though it may adjust your premiums based on inflation and local vet costs.

Trupanion also does not offer any wellness options and doesn't cover pre-existing conditions. However, among accident and illness policies, Trupanion is the company to beat.

Trupanion Pet Insurance Plans

Trupanion currently only offers one pet insurance plan. However, its coverage is relatively comprehensive. Here's a closer look at the four types of medical expenses it covers:

Notably, this is an accident and illness policy, meaning pre-existing conditions and routine care costs are not covered. For example, you'll have to pay for exam costs for vet check-ups and preventive medications yourself. Additionally, Trupanion won't cover wellness costs, such as spaying and neutering or routine dental care.

Deductibles

Most plans charge an annual deductible, which policyholders must pay yearly. Trupanion, on the other hand, sets a lifetime, per-condition deductible, which is charged once for each health condition occurring over your pet's lifetime.

Trupanion offers deductibles ranging from $0 to $1,000 that customers can customize in $50 increments. The higher deductible you choose, the lower your monthly premium will be.

Reimbursem*nt

Once you've met your deductible, Trupanion will reimburse you 90% of all submitted claims with no annual limit, meaning you only have to worry about paying the remaining 10% of the cost.

Your coinsurance rate also applies to your deductible. In other words, if you submit a $1,000 vet bill at the beginning of the year, $900 would go toward your $1,000 deductible. The additional $100 would be your share based on your 90% coinsurance. Coverage would kick in once vet bills satisfy the remaining $100 (with a 90% coinsurance rule applied).

Waiting Periods

Trupanion's insurance policy includes a five-day waiting period for accidents and a 30-day waiting period for illnesses. Coverage would kick in once the waiting period expires. So if your pet is in an accident within the first five days, Trupanion will not cover any connected vet bills. The same applies to illnesses diagnosed or treated within the first 30 days.

Discounts

The company offers a 10% discount for insuring a service animal in every state except Washington.

It does not, however, offer a discount for adding multiple pets to a family. Your price per pet is the same whether you enroll one dog or five.

Additional Coverage Options

Trupanion offers two add-ons that policyholders can purchase for an additional cost.Trupanion's riders both offer unlimited coverage in the following areas:

• Pet Owner Assistance Package: This rider covers fees for incidents occurring outside of the vet's office, including hospital boarding costs, advertising/reward costs if your pet gets lost, liability coverage for damage to another person's property, and cremation or burial coverage in the event of an accident.
• Recovery and Complementary Care: This rider offers coverage for complementary rehabilitative and holistic therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic services, behavioral modification, homeopathy, and physical and rehabilitative therapy.

How Much Does Trupanion Cost?

The cost of pet insurance with Trupanion depends on various factors such as species, breed, age, gender, and location.

To get an idea of how much Trupanion's coverage costs, we'll look at how much a pet owner living in New York City would pay in pet insurance premiums. We chose New York City for our quotes because it is one of the most expensive places to receive vet care, which insurance premiums will reflect. Your premiums will likely be lower than the prices below.

Insuring most common dog breeds under Trupanion's accident and illness plan (unlimited coverage, 90% reimbursem*nt) with a $250 deductible will cost the following:

Let's go over premiums for cats covered by Trupanion's accident and illness plan.

How to Purchase and Manage a Trupanion Policy

Getting a quote from Trupanion is easy. All you have to do is go to the Trupanion website and select "get a quote." From there, it will direct you to answer a few questions about your pet, including:

• Pet species/breed
• Pet name
• Pet gender
• Pet age
• Pet's spay/neuter status
• Whether your pet is an assistance animal or therapy pet
• ZIP code
• Your email

Once you fill in the information, Trupanion provides an instant quote.

Trupanion Claims Process

When you're ready to file a claim with Trupanion, there are two ways to do it. You can either submit a claim through your online account with the company or email claims@trupanion.com. If you need help throughout the process, contact Trupanion's customer service team at (888)-733-2685 or via the website chat.

Before submitting any claims, it's vital to understand Trupanion's deductible process works differently than most other pet insurance policies. While most policies charge an annual deductible, which must be paid every year, Trupanion charges a per-condition deductible, where a deductible is charged for each health condition or ailment.

If your pet has a lot of vet visits for separate issues, these charges can add up. However, Trupanion will cover claims for that condition for the remainder of the pet's life once the deductible is met. This can lead to significant savings if your pet has ongoing health issues.

Trupanion Customer Service and Claims Experience

Trupanion has a mix of reviews, receiving an average rating of 4.1 on Trustpilot and 1.13 on its BBB page. Most negative reviews pertain to either increasing premiums and issues with pre-existing conditions. While Trupanion says that it doesn't increase premiums based on pet ages or policy usage, customers reported steep increases year over year.

Numbers aside, Trupanion makes an effort to respond to negative reviews on its Trustpilot and BBB pages. A Trupanion customer service representative usually responds to negative reviews within one to two days, sometimes even within a few hours. Responses are consistent enough that leaving a review with Trupanion is a fairly reliable way to reach the company.

How Does Trupanion Compare to Its Competitors?

See how Trupanion compares to two other options for pet insurance coverage: Healthy Paws and Nationwide.

Trupanion vs. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance

Healthy Paws Pet Insuranceand Trupanion offer similar pet insurance plans. Both companies offer a single plan focusing on accidents and illnesses. Neither plan covers wellness treatments or exam fees, and the two competitors offer unlimited coverage.

However, there are a few key differences, starting with the deductible. Healthy Paws charges an annual deductible, which means it resets every year. Trupanion, meanwhile, charges a lifetime, per-condition deductible in most states and offers direct pay options. Based on just the deductible structure, Trupanion may be the better option for owners worried about chronic conditions, while Healthy Paws may be the better option for general coverage.

Some coverage options vary as well. For example, while Trupanion covers dental illnesses, provided your pet has received an exam in the last 12 months, Healthy Paws does not. At the same time, Healthy Paws includes some alternative treatments under its plan coverage. For its part, Trupanion offers coverage for alternative therapies under a rider that can be added to the policy for an additional fee.

One main difference between Healthy Paws and Trupanion is cost. Healthy Paws is by far the more affordable option, making it into our guide for the best cheap pet insurance.

Read our Healthy Paws pet insurance review here.

Trupanion vs. Nationwide Pet Insurance

Nationwide Pet Insurance is a household name, so many pet owners choose the company as their pet insurance provider. Before considering pet insurance, Nationwide auto insurance customers may receive prompts through their auto insurance portal or mobile app to bundle and save with pet insurance. While Trupanion only provides insurance to dogs and cats, Nationwide's insurance plans also extend to birds and exotic animals, like rodents, reptiles, and amphibians.

In comparison to Trupanion's singular plan, Nationwide has three plans to choose from, including:

• Major medical - covers accidents
• Major medical with illness - covers accidents and illness
• Whole Pet - covers accidents and hereditary conditions

Trupanion's coverage is more customizable than Nationwide's with its per-condition lifetime deductible, flexible deductible, and 90% reimbursem*nt. On the other hand, Nationwide's deductible is set at $250 with a 50% or 70% reimbursem*nt, and $10,000 annual limit for its comprehensive Whole Pet plan. Nationwide's medical insurance offers set annual coverage limits for each individual covered treatment.

Read our Nationwide pet insurance reviewhere.

Trupanion Pet Insurance FAQs

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Trupanion

When reviewing Trupanion, we looked at its offerings individually and compared it to other reputable providers within the industry. In particular, we look at the available coverage options, possible add-ons, claim limits, coverages, exclusions, and typical policy costs.

Selecting the right policy for you and your pet is about finding one with the right type of coverage and sufficient coverage limits. It should also fit comfortably into your budget and be easy to use when submitting a claim.

Read the full methodology for how we rate pet insurance.