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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. Although they are the only company that can pay you veterinarian directly at the time of checkout.

Trupanion Coverage

Coverage - 5 / 5

Trupanion offers quite comprehensive coverage that even 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. Though some of our better featured pet insurance companies, for example, Healthy Paws Pet Insurance or Petplan Insurance, provide these services standard, they are only available through Trupanion at 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 some of our other carriers you must keep in mind 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 as, unlike with many other plans, with Trupanion you can limit out-of-pocket expenses. They also claim to processes 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

*Terms and conditions apply. This plan not available for new enrollments in Florida. See policy for details. Trupanion is a registered trademark owned by Trupanion, Inc. Underwritten in the United States by American Pet Insurance Company.

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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Janet T

9/29/2016
Have been with Trupanion for close to five years for my two dogs. Have claimed numerous times for various reasons, cannot fault them. One such situation was a coyote attack on one of my dogs, a very stressful situation where she had to have surgery. My vets dealt directly with Trupanion so just had to cover my deductible and 10% of cost. It's a huge relief not having to worry about cost of medical bills to get our furbabies healthy. Would always use Trupanion for my pets and have recommended them to many of my friends, Great Job!!!
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KJ

9/27/2016
Great pet insurance company; I'm always impressed at how quickly the claims are processed and great customer service.
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Wilson T

9/26/2016
I am glad that I made the right choice to subscribe to Trupanion when my dog was just 3 months old. The team at Trupanion makes everything from claims to payments fast and easy for me. My dog is healthy and 6 years old now. :-)
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adonis n

9/26/2016
trupanion is great, took awhile to reimbursed since it was our first claim but they do what they do best.
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1
10

9/26/2016
Great costumer service!!
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S
Sandra D

9/26/2016
My boy Oliver completely tore his ACL. After a visit to the ER and follow-up visits to his vet we decided to go ahead and have it surgically repaired. I am so happy that Trupanion not only paid our claim at 90% like they said they would but that they also cared about Oliver. Some pet insurance companies go by a chart of national averages and only pay a small portion of your bill....whereas Trupanion pays 90% of actual charges which is really important if you live in a high cost area like I do! Each and every time I called they immediately asked how he was doing Their employees are professional and processed our claim faster than I would have expected! I did a lot of research... Read More
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VVery f

9/25/2016
Your fast efficient service has helped reduce stress during Tabitha's illness.I greatly appreciate Trupanion's responding in a timely manner so I can continue her care without worrying about the medical bills too. Thank you. Suz Caragan
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Suzanne C

9/25/2016
I have had Trupanion pet insurance for two years now. I couldn't be more pleased. Their customer reps are responsive to my phone calls and really work hard to resolve my claims. Payment is made promptly - even more promptly now that my vet's office uses Express Claim service. I find the premiums reasonable for the coverage provided. No complaints. Would recommend them to anyone shopping for pet insurance.
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Dolores B

9/24/2016
This was the first time I had to submit a claim to Trupanion. It just so happened that both of my dogs tore their cruciate ligament within 3 weeks of each other. They both had to get X-rays, medication and one of them will need a brace. Also they are both getting alternative treatments including laser and physiotherspy, and because I paid for the additional insurance all of that is covered which I highly recommend getting. The customer service has been excellent they are quite caring and attentive over the phone and being able to contact them 24/7 is awesome. My claims were processed very quickly and I received payment soon after. Thumbs up to everyone at Trupanion and thank you for... Read More
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Jennifer M

9/23/2016
The reimbursement process was very fast. I had taken my girl in on a Friday to have some teeth removed, the claim was submitted by the vet on the Monday and by the Thursday I had received the reimbursement. Thank you very much for the speedy processing Trupanion!!!
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Top Rated
Our Partner
  • No enrollment or administrative fees
  • Accidents, illnesses & emergency care
  • Most claims are processed within 2 days
  • Flexible premium & deductible options

 

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