Trupanion Pet Insurance Review
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About Trupanion pet insurance
Trupanion earned 4 stars out of 5 for overall performance. Trupanion operates a bit differently than most pet insurers. Instead of offering an annual deductible that you have to pay each year before you start getting reimbursed, in most states, Trupanion offers per-condition deductibles. Once you meet the deductible, Trupanion will fully cover that condition's treatment for life. In some states, Trupanion's plan has no deductibles at all.
Trupanion won't automatically increase your pet's premium just because they're another year older. Instead, premiums will change from time to time to reflect the cost of vet care for pets like yours in your area. However, Trupanion's plans tend to be more expensive than other companies', based on NerdWallet's sample rates.
Trupanion is the pet insurance provider for State Farm.
Covers some prescription food and supplements.
Per-condition deductibles could save you money if your pet develops a chronic illness (in most states).
Doesn't automatically raise premiums as your pet gets older.
Doesn't cover exam fees.
Coverage for rehab, acupuncture and other complementary therapies costs extra in most states.
A medical record summary fee may apply when you first buy your policy.
Trupanion pet insurance plans and coverage
Trupanion offers a single accident and illness plan with unlimited payouts for every dog or cat. The plan typically includes:
Treatment, hospitalization and surgery for injuries and illnesses, including cancer.
Diagnostic tests.
Hereditary and congenital conditions.
Prescription medications.
Some prescription food and supplements.
Prosthetic devices and carts.
Herbal therapy.
Dental disease.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to buy the following additional coverage:
Recovery and complementary care rider. This includes coverage for physical therapy and rehab, acupuncture, behavioral modification, chiropractic care, hydrotherapy and homeopathy.
Pet owner assistance package. This covers nonmedical expenses such as boarding fees if you're hospitalized, a monetary reward to offer if your pet is lost, and cremation or burial services.
In certain states, the standard Trupanion plan may include rehabilitative therapy, behavioral modification and alternative treatments at no extra cost.
Trupanion doesn't sell wellness or accident-only plans.
Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on where you live and the age and breed of your pet.
» MORE: Is pet insurance worth it?
What Trupanion doesn't cover
A Trupanion plan won't pay for:
Exam fees for accidents or illnesses.
Wellness and preventive care, including spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations and flea/tick medication.
Preventable conditions, such as certain parasites.
Elective or cosmetic procedures such as declawing or tail docking.
Conditions arising from racing or mistreatment.
If your pet gets sick, Trupanion will pay for medicine and other treatment, but it won’t pay the vet’s examination fee. Many other insurers include this coverage or will let you add it for an extra cost.
Trupanion plan options
You may be able to customize your plan with various options for deductibles, reimbursement rates or coverage limits.
Deductibles
In most states, Trupanion offers plans with deductibles ranging from $0 to $1,000. (A deductible is the amount of your pet’s care you need to cover before the plan starts reimbursing you.)
Unlike most pet insurers, which have annual deductibles that apply to all accidents or illnesses your pet has in a given year, Trupanion applies its deductibles to individual conditions. Once you've reached the deductible for a particular illness, you don't have to pay it anymore for the life of your pet.
Say your dog develops allergies and requires ongoing medication. With an annual deductible, you'd have to pay it each year if your dog continued to need treatment. With Trupanion's per-condition deductible, you'd pay it once and be done. However, if your dog also had to go to the vet for a different problem, you'd pay an additional, separate deductible.
In certain states, Trupanion charges no deductibles. Learn more about pet insurance deductibles.
Reimbursement amounts
Trupanion offers 90% reimbursement for all pets in most states. That means once you've hit your deductible for a given condition, you'll be responsible for only 10% of your vet bill and Trupanion will pay the other 90%.
In select states, you can customize your reimbursement amount to any level between 70% and 90%.
Note that when calculating your claim payout, Trupanion will apply the reimbursement percentage to your vet bill before it subtracts your deductible (if you have one). Say you have a $3,000 vet bill, a 90% reimbursement rate and a $200 deductible. Trupanion would calculate your payout as follows:
$3,000 vet bill x 0.9 (90% reimbursement rate) = $2,700.
$2,700 - $200 deductible = $2,500 reimbursement.
You’d pay $500 out of pocket.
Did you know...
Some insurers subtract your deductible from the bill, then calculate your reimbursement. This results in a slightly more generous payout. Here’s how that would look in the example above:
$3,000 vet bill - $200 deductible = $2,800.
$2,800 x 0.9 (90% reimbursement rate) = $2,520 reimbursement.
Coverage limits
Trupanion has no annual, per-condition or lifetime coverage limits.
» MORE: What does pet insurance cover?
Restrictions and waiting periods
Age restrictions: There's no minimum age limit. You can enroll older pets up until their 14th birthday.
Waiting periods: A waiting period is a time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage starts. The waiting period for Trupanion is five days for injuries and 30 days for illnesses.
Trupanion sample rates
The cost of Trupanion pet insurance depends on where you live, the coverage limits you choose, and your pet’s breed and age.
To give you a rough idea of how much you might pay, we gathered quotes for several popular dog breeds at ages 2 and 8. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for dogs living in Katy, Texas. Our sample plan was for accident and illness coverage with a $250 deductible, unlimited annual coverage and a 90% reimbursement rate. Your own price will vary.
Breed | Age 2 | Age 8 |
|---|---|---|
French bulldog | $229 | $530 |
German shepherd | $174 | $400 |
Golden retriever | $157 | $358 |
Labrador retriever | $164 | $376 |
Medium mixed-breed dog | $109 | $247 |
Poodle | $135 | $307 |
We also gathered quotes for a variety of cat breeds with the same coverage limits as above. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for cats living in Katy, Texas.
Breed | Age 2 | Age 8 |
|---|---|---|
Devon rex | $52 | $146 |
Domestic shorthair | $41 | $111 |
Exotic longhair | $43 | $118 |
Maine coon | $56 | $160 |
Persian | $45 | $124 |
Ragdoll | $38 | $103 |
» MORE: The best cheap pet insurance
Trupanion discounts
A discount may be available for service animals. However, it doesn't apply to emotional support pets or service animals in Washington state.
Watch your wallet
In addition to monthly premiums, Trupanion may also charge a one-time medical record summary fee when you first buy your policy. This goes toward a personalized health history report for your pet.
State availability
Trupanion is licensed to sell pet insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
How to file a claim with Trupanion
Trupanion can reimburse you for vet bills you've already paid or send payment directly to your vet if the vet uses the company's software. If direct payment isn't an option at your vet's office, you can submit invoices online or by email or fax. The company says it processes more than 70% of claims within 24 hours. You can check the status of your claim in the app and get paid through direct deposit.
Digital experience
Trupanion's website has details about its coverage and plan options, including a sample policy you can review for your state. You can get an online quote, file claims and update your billing information on the website.
The Trupanion app is relatively simple, allowing you to submit and track claims, view plan information, and earn rewards by referring friends. However, the app receives low to middling reviews from many users.
How to contact Trupanion customer service
You can contact Trupanion by phone (888-733-2685), email ([email protected]) or live chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
» MORE: How much is pet insurance?
Trupanion pet insurance vs. competitors
Here's how Trupanion stacks up against three other popular pet insurance companies.
Trupanion vs. Healthy Paws
Like Trupanion, Healthy Paws offers a single accident and illness plan with no payout limits. The main difference between the two insurers is the type of deductible offered. While Trupanion uses per-condition deductibles in most states, Healthy Paws charges an annual deductible that applies to all conditions and resets yearly. (In a few states, Trupanion has no deductibles at all.)
Healthy Paws also offers a range of reimbursement options, while Trupanion covers all pets at a 90% reimbursement level in most states.
Unlike Healthy Paws, Trupanion covers dental diseases plus some prescription food and supplements. That said, Healthy Paws includes alternative treatments in its standard plans, while Trupanion charges extra for this coverage in most states. In addition, neither company offers wellness plans or covers exam fees for accidents and injuries.
Both companies process claims quickly and can pay some vets directly. Read our full Healthy Paws pet insurance review.
Coverage options | Trupanion | Healthy Paws |
|---|---|---|
Deductible | $0 to $1,000 per condition in most states (in some states, no deductible applies). | $100 to $1,000 per year. (Not all options are available to all pets.) |
Reimbursement | 90% in most states. In states with no deductible, 70% to 90%. | 50% to 90%, depending on the pet. |
Annual limit | Unlimited. | Unlimited. |
Trupanion vs. Nationwide
You can customize Nationwide's Modular plan to include coverage for wellness care, which isn't available from Trupanion. But both companies can cover behavioral therapies, acupuncture and chiropractic care.
Like most pet insurers, Nationwide has an annual deductible, which could save you money over Trupanion's per-condition deductible if your pet visits the vet for multiple problems in a given year. But if you have a pet that develops a chronic condition, you may be better off with Trupanion's deductible.
Learn more about Nationwide pet insurance.
Coverage options | Trupanion | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
Deductible | $0 to $1,000 per condition in most states (in some states, no deductible applies). | $250 per year. (Other options may be available online or by phone.) |
Reimbursement | 90% in most states. In states with no deductible, 70% to 90%. | 50% to 80%, depending on the plan. |
Annual limit | Unlimited. | $2,500 to $10,000, depending on the plan. |
Trupanion vs. Pets Best
While Trupanion offers a single plan with generous reimbursement and unlimited payouts, Pets Best is all about options. You can add a wellness plan, cover accidents only or choose from a menu of deductibles, reimbursement amounts and coverage limits. That may make it easier to find a price and plan you feel comfortable with.
Like most pet insurers, Pets Best applies deductibles annually, which could be more expensive than Trupanion's per-condition deductible if your pet develops an illness requiring ongoing care.
Both Pets Best and Trupanion offer the option to pay your vet directly. But only Pets Best has a helpline you can call with medical questions. It's staffed by veterinary experts 24 hours a day.
Check out our Pets Best review for more details.
Coverage options | Trupanion | Pets Best |
|---|---|---|
Deductible | $0 to $1,000 per condition in most states (in some states, no deductible applies). | $50-$1,000. |
Reimbursement | 90% in most states. In states with no deductible, 70% to 90%. | 70%, 80% or 90%. |
Annual limit | Unlimited. | $5,000 or unlimited. |
How we review pet insurance
Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines that ensure fairness and accuracy to help you choose the financial products that work best for you. In our pet insurance reviews, we consider coverage, discounts, financial strength ratings from AM Best and more to determine our star ratings.
In our evaluation, we:
Analyzed 2,100 data points.
Got 800+ quotes from pet insurers.
Compared 20+ companies.
Our rating system rewards companies that cover a wide range of potential expenses, offer many ways to customize your plan and have a strong financial rating. Within the consumer experience category, we looked at features such as mobile app ratings and whether the company offers direct vet payments. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.
Dive deeper with our criteria for evaluating pet insurance companies.
Methodology
Pet insurance star ratings
NerdWallet’s pet insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, scope of coverage, the ability to customize your plan and more. Our “consumer experience” category looks at factors such as website transparency and mobile app ratings. To calculate each insurer’s star rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale. See our full pet insurance methodology.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Pet insurance sample rates
To find sample pet insurance rates, NerdWallet gathered quotes for the base level of accident and illness coverage on each insurer’s website. Quotes reflect the monthly cost of a policy and do not include wellness coverage or other optional add-ons. Each plan for a given company had the same deductible, coverage limit and reimbursement rate for all sample pets.
These are sample rates gathered for specific pets living in Katy, Texas. Your own rates will be different.
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