Updated
Apr 26, 2023 Key points:
- Offers unlimited payouts on claims
- Can pay your veterinarian directly, at the time of checkout
- Get reimbursed for 90% of all eligible costs
What we like:
Can pay the vet directly
| Payout limit | Unlimited |
| Reimbursement rate | 90%* |
| Deductible | $0 – $1,000* |
| Age limits | Can enroll from birth up to their 14th birthday |
*Policies vary in each state. Please read your state’s policy for full coverage details.
No one wants to watch their pets suffer. Since your pet can’t communicate with you, figuring out what’s wrong and treating the issue can be complicated. The good news is, veterinary care has advanced, so pets can now have many of the same lifesaving procedures that people do.
But the bad news is, these procedures often come at a very high price, which can leave pet owners forced to choose between saving a pet and blowing through their budget.
Pet insurance can provide important protection to help you in these situations, but policies vary dramatically from one insurer to another. Trupanion is one insurer worth considering, and this Trupanion pet insurance review will help you decide if it’s the right one for you.
In this review:
- Trupanion Pet Insurance: Cost & coverage overview
- Pros & cons of Trupanion
- How to get a Trupanion policy
- Customer Service
- Where to find Trupanion alternatives
Trupanion Pet Insurance: Cost & coverage overview
| Trupanion Pet Insurance | |
| LendEDU rating | 4.3/5 |
| Eligible pets | Dogs & cats |
| Maximum reimbursement amount | 90%* |
| Deductibles | $0 – $1,000* |
| Payout limit | Unlimited |
*Policies vary in each state. Please read your state’s policy for full coverage details.
Trupanion was first founded in 1998 as a company called Vetinsurance, and its first pet was insured in Vancouver, Canada. By 2000, Trupanion had expanded to the United States and became the first profitable pet insurer in North America.
Since that time, Trupanion has insured over 750,000 pets and has paid out over $2 billion in claims. They continue to grow, expanding to new markets and adding new types of coverage.
What does Trupanion Pet Insurance cover?
Today, Trupanion offers a comprehensive array of pet insurance options as well as customizable policies, so pet owners can find the right coverage to meet their individual needs.
Included in this is unlimited payout limits on eligible claims, so there’s no limit on what the insurer will spend per condition your animal develops.1
While you can customize your deductible with Trupanion, you don’t have the option to pick a particular plan. That’s because all Trupanion policies provide coverage for new, accidental injuries and illnesses and always reimburse at 90% of the eligible costs with no payout limits.
Trupanion covers a wide variety of different medical conditions for cats and dogs, including:
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
- Diabetes
- Thyroid problems
- Upper respiratory infection
- Unexplained ailments, including weight changes or vomiting
- Congenital conditions, including heart disease, liver disease, and cataracts
Trupanion will pay for all of the different services your animal may need when a problem develops including:
- Diagnostic tests
- Medically-necessary hospital stays
- Surgeries
- Medications and supplements
- Herbal therapies
- Prosthetic devices
You also 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.
How Much Does Trupanion Pet Insurance Cost?
The costs of buying a Trupanion policy vary based on whether you have a cat or dog, your pet’s breed, age, deductible you choose, and location.
Pros & Cons of Trupanion Pet Insurance
Pros
- You can get guaranteed lifetime coverage for cats and dogs. This means your pet will never be dropped by Trupanion just because your animal gets sick.
- Trupanion provides flexible, comprehensive coverage. You can get 90% reimbursement on eligible vet bills and can customize your policy by choosing your deductible amount from $0 to $1,000.*
- There are no payout limits with Trupanion. You don’t have to worry if your pet ends up needing very expensive medical care.
- Trupanion is the only company that offers Vet Direct Pay.
Cons
- Deductibles are per incident or condition. This means you’ll have to pay multiple deductibles in a single year if your pet begins to suffer from different ailments.
- Trupanion premiums are on the high side compared to many competitors.
- Trupanion also charges a one-time enrollment fee when you enroll.
- You can’t get a wellness care policy. This means you will have to cover all of the routine costs of caring for your pet out-of-pocket.
How to get a Trupanion policy
You can get a quote in minutes on Trupanion’s website. You just need to provide your pet’s name, breed, gender, age, spayed/neutered status, whether your pet is a service animal, and your location.
You’ll then be prompted to choose from a variety of plan options, which vary in price and the size of your deductible. You can also choose to build a customized plan where you can choose your deductible in increments of $5.
Once you’ve chosen a plan you’re happy with, you just need to pay the initial premium and a one-time enrollment fee.
Where is Trupanion offered?
Trupanion is available in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia. It is also available in Puerto Rico and Canada.
Trupanion customer service
Here is some information about Trupanion’s customer service and how you can contact them:
- Trupanion is available 24/7/365 and can be reached via phone at 855-210-8749.
- Trupanion received an A- rating from the Better Business Bureau
- Trupanion has also received 4 ½ stars from consumers who left reviews on the BBB site. Some of the negative reviews complained of premium increases and failure to pay claims.
Where to find Trupanion alternatives
If you are looking for a comprehensive pet health insurance policy that covers many conditions including hereditary and congenital conditions, Trupanion may be a good choice for you.
If you’d like to compare Trupanion with alternative options, check out our picks of the best pet insurance companies or our comparisons of Trupanion vs. Healthy Paws, Trupanion vs. Spot, and Trupanion vs. ManyPets. You can also find reviews of other pet insurance companies by clicking, here.
How we rated Trupanion Pet Insurance
Trupanion earned a LendEDU rating of 4.3 out of 5. We rate pet insurance companies based on a variety of data points including coverage, cost, customer ratings, benefit limits, exclusions, and more.
1 Terms and Conditions apply. Policy details vary state by state. See policy for details. Underwritten in the United States by the American Pet Insurance Company and Canada by Omega General Insurance Company.
* Policies differ by state. Please review your state’s policy for full coverage details.
Underwritten in Canada by Omega General Insurance Company and in the United States by American Pet Insurance Company and ZPIC Insurance Company, 6100-4th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108. Administered in Canada by Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. dba trupanion and in the United States by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). Please visit AmericanPetInsurance.com to review all available pet health insurance products.