Rating: 9.6 / 10 (Excellent)
317 Customer Reviews - see all comments
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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 Do We Rate Trupanion?

Breakdown

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

Our 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

Top Rated
Our Partner

Only Provider to Pay Vet Bills in Real-time at Checkout

  • Instant checkout payment with VetDirect Pay – no out-of-pocket costs or reimbursement wait.

  • Stable coverage – won’t cancel or reduce benefits, no matter the number or cost of claims.

  • 24/7/365 support – award-winning team focused on pet care.


Latest Trupanion Reviews

7.66
Based on317 Reviews fromTrupanion customers
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


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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 !!!


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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


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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!


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


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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


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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


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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


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


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.


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Heidi

10/6/2018
Buyer beware - Do NOT purchase Trupanion insurance. We have had it for two years now and they have covered next to nothing. Our dog just had a $5000 Lens Luxation surgery. She had had the same surgery in the other eye prior to Trupanion coverage. At the time we purchased Trupanion, the representative assured us that should a similar surgery be required in the other eye, it would be covered because the other eye does not represent a prior condition. Trupanion isn't paying a dime. Our vet is fighting on our behalf and says it 100% is not a prior condition. Do NOT get this "coverage" for your pet.


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Ellynne11

9/23/2018
Are you kidding! This is the worst insurance for pets. They have come up with any unrelated excuse to deny my claims! Example...they used a urinary tract infection to deny a claim for diabetes insipidis....they used a heart murmur to deny a claim for an arrhythmia a d pleural effusion....totally not in the ballpark...ony relation to all if it is that my girl has a heart.... seriously...and they raised my rates every time there are claims. Stay away from them. My rating for them would be negative stars I gave them one star because this site makes me put a star to post.


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mel s

9/22/2015
The free trial is really false advertising. The fine print says no claims will be paid during the first 30 days of sign up. Therefore - not really free is it? Its false advertising. My puppy came with a free trial and when I could not activate it, then I called in and was told that it only activates upon visiting the vet first and then activation within 24 hrs of that visit. So I went to the vet with them, then I registered them online. A week later, one of the puppies had low sugar and diarrhea. Trupanion wont cover the vet emergency as they said I did not activate the certificate within the time period (which I did according to the rep on the phone) and secondly, it is a precondition?... Read More


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nicolethome

7/5/2017
I've had five dogs insured with Trupanion in the last six years.  After having a dog with bone cancer and paying five figures for her care, I decided I'd never be without insurance again.  A friend of mine recommended Trupanion so ... I signed up!   I've filed claims for arthritis, cysts, GI issues, liver disease, spinal disease and three cases of cancer all covered at 90%.   Thousands of dollars in claims paid as oncology is expensive.  $16k for my last cancer dog and Trupanion paid over $14k of it. I think what people need to understand is that this is not for routine care.  This is for the unexpected stuff!  Luckily, my third dog is healthy and I have only filed one small claim... Read More


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MILAGROS

8/5/2018
My beloved Milo is almost 2 years old. He is a Shih Tzu which I acquired when he was about 6 weeks, a total beauty. When I visited the vet for the first time I realized how expensive it was and at the time he had no conditions. I mentioned that pets should have insurance and the secretary at the clinic gave me a pamphlet which I read and called immediately. I have no regrets. My baby has dermatitis, and has to be going in to the vet every 6 weeks to get a shot, he is only allowed to eat a protein diet. It was the best decision I made on his behalf. The claim process is easy and I have recommended to all my pet lovers. PS PLEASE SEND THESE PAMPHLETS TO THE VETS IN PUERTO RICO... Read More


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Joseph S

12/4/2015
Beware that Trupanion has an absolutely brutal pre-existing condition policy that they abuse to deny claims. From their website: "The Trupanion policy defines a pre-existing condition as an illness or condition that first occurred or showed symptoms during the 18-months before enrollment or waiting periods. A pre-existing condition can also be an injury or reocurrence of an injury that happened during that time." From my experience, they use this exception liberally. Examples: if your dog was ever treated for irritated or cracked pads on their paws (like what can happen when they get wet and raw during winter conditions) or an ear infection, then they'd assume that either of those... Read More


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susan.m.conner

1/25/2017
Trupanion has proven time and time again to be a great partner in keeping our Stella healthy and happy! It is key that we continue to work on prevention with our little girl and Trupanion has supported us the entire way. Claims are easy, paperwork is quick and turnaround is amazing. I hope they add "people" insurance soon. I'll be the first to sign up.


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Michelle J

1/14/2016
They all of a sudden raised my premium from 41 dollars a month to 70-appartenly they sent me a notice via e mail-I looked through all my records-no email. Now they won't credit me back and basically told me because I live in an affluent area the premiums are higher and that in CA says they don't have a cap so basically they can charge what ever they want-I'm canceling and going with healthy paws


sdrbeveridge

6/1/2022
After over 6 years of dutifully making payments totaling in excess of $11,000 my family learned (the hard way) this Ponzi-scheme of a company applies their $500 deductible to EVERY CONDITION on an invoice. The ONE invoice submitted after six years these scammers paid just $508 having applied $2000 in condition deductibles on single invoice. Why have pet insurance with Trupanion you might ask; to set your money on fire it would seem, as I will now do with my former policy. Never, ever, ever, again will I recommend this company, borders on theft. I'm disgusted and disappointment.


johnc427

4/7/2021
Simple Review, Rate went up from $99 to $156 from one month to the next. The only reason given was that vet bills have gone up. The only way I could get my monthly premium down was to up my deductible to $1000.00. Now, I have a new premium of $115. I'm currently looking for new pet insurance. I've been looking into Pumpkin or Nationwide.


bosapollo

5/20/2020
Trupanion Pet Insurance - Everything is deemed pre-existing. I have a pug. Pugs are one of those brachycephalic breeds of which there are many. One of the abnormalities of being brachycephalic is stenotic nares (their nostrils are really small and close together). When I got my dog at 8 weeks I immediately took him to the vet for a checkup and to start that relationship going. The doctor noted that being a pug he could develop stenotic nares. The vet recommended Trupanion. Didn't know at the time that Vets get money for customers that they get to sign up for Trupanion.w He was 100% healthy. A week later I signed up for pet insurance through Trupanion. Fast forward two years and my dog... Read More


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Christi H

5/13/2020
I was a customer wit Trupanion for years for my old English Bulldog. The price you have listed on your site is in accurate. Every year they would increase their monthly premium to the point that I was near $100. You also have to pay out of pocket costs first before you are reimbursed and that can take up to 3-6 months. My dog was on Trupanion from the time he was a puppy and I terminated his insurance two years ago...he is 9 years old. I decided I was better off just putting the monthly premium away in an account on the chance that my dog got ill and needed medical attention. I would not recommend this insurance company. The only reason they received one star is because I was not... Read More


Nick C

4/14/2020
Trupanion is a SCAM insurance company. when I signed up they told me that my policy would remain the same price every month and not increase every year. today they send me an email saying they would increase it because of my zip code and other claims they had by other people. I never even had one claim. What a joke they are. Make sure you Do not waste your time with them.


jennayholt

4/12/2020
Wish I had better things to say. Their customer service team is incompetent, unhelpful, and currently unresponsive to my appeal. When a claim takes six weeks (3 weeks more than what they advertise) and fits all the criteria to be reimbursed — and the exact same issue has been "approved" before — and then out of the blue they find some new excuse to exclude this claim, you can't help but pull your hair out in frustration. I could not be more unhappy with this company. Wish someone would respond to me and get this sorted out.


brad.burnett

1/22/2020
A COMPLETE RIP-OFF! I would think twice before giving this company even a penny because they do not honor and follow their own policies and will lie to make sure they don't have to cover a claim. My dog injured her ear a little over a week after we enrolled in Trupanion. We kennelled her and came home after going out for a bit. When we came back she had (what we learned) a hematoma forming under her ear. It got worse over the next couple of days because she began scratching at it because it was obviously bothering her. We took her to the vet and learned it was a hematoma from hitting her ear on the kennel wire. She was thoroughly checked for any underlying causes like an infection or... Read More