Trupanion Review 2024

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet. – Colette

Truer words have never been spoken. But what if something were to happen to your beloved furry friend – an injury or illness? You’d want to get them the best care possible, right? But veterinarians are expensive and in the midst of a pandemic, no one’s got money to spare.

Trupanion has been making pet parents’ lives worry-free for two decades now, and the company is mighty good at it.

Trupanion Overview

Trupanion is a pet insurance company that walks the walk when it comes to animal care. From its pet-friendly office to its active involvement in various animal welfare organizations, it does it all! The company was founded in 1998 by Darryl Rawlings in Canada, but it wasn’t until 2000 that Trupanion insured its first pet – Darryl’s dog Monty.

The company has greatly surpassed its modest beginnings and now has more than 744,500 enrolled pets. It is also among the top pet insurance companies in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The company’s rise to success has been gradual but steady. Its two most notable accomplishments were in 2007 and 2012. In 2007, Trupanion purchased American Pet Insurance Company, and ever since then has been underwritten by it.

The year 2012 was marked with Trupanion’s expansion into Puerto Rico and, more importantly, its launch of enhanced coverage for health conditions related to breeding pets, search and rescue dogs, as well as law enforcement dogs. This enhanced coverage was revolutionary because it was the first of its kind in the pet insurance industry.

The North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) consists of the best pet insurance organizations in the USA and Canada. Unsurprisingly, Trupanion has been a member of this all-star lineup from NAPHIA’s very first year of existence.

All of this considered, it’s apparent that Trupanion is a thriving and trustworthy animal insurance provider, which is further confirmed by its A- BBB rating and 4.2 Trustpilot score.

Trupanion Coverage

It is unavoidable that, at some point in their life, your four-legged companions will need medical assistance. Luckily, Trupanion covers an extremely wide range of unexpected injuries and illnesses, namely:

Hereditary Conditions

Some breeds are simply more prone to inheriting certain conditions (like for example elbow and hip dysplasia, diabetes, or upper respiratory infections) than others. Fortunately, with Trupanion you can sleep easily knowing that you’ll be able to give them all the medical attention they might need if and when that day comes.

Unidentified Issues

What if your pet starts exhibiting symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or coughing and you want to have them treated, but you or your veterinarian don’t know what’s causing it yet? The answer is a no-brainer – get help and make sure they get well as soon as possible. Trupanion doesn’t wait for an exact diagnosis in order to help.

Congenital Conditions

Like humans, animals can develop conditions while they’re still in the womb. Heart disease, cataracts, liver disease, or any problems of that sort don’t make you love them any less, but they do require extra funds. Trupanion insurance won’t let you down even when you’re facing circumstances such as those.

Medical Procedures Covered

To get your snuggle buddies in tip-top shape, Trupanion covers:

• Diagnostic tests
• Surgeries
• Hospital stays
• Medications
• Veterinary supplements
• Herbal therapy
• Prosthetic devices and carts

Extra Coverage

The following packages require additional payments because they involve elective pet services:

• Recovery and complementary care – this includes rehabilitative therapy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, chiropractic treatments, behavioral modification, homeopathy, and naturopathy.
• Breeding – if you’re planning on breeding your pet, you should consider getting coverage for illnesses and injuries involved with bringing new puppies and kittens into this world. Keep in mind that there are some expenses that aren’t included. We’ll discuss them in more detail below.
• Pet owner assistance – with this package, you’ll get third-party property damage liability coverage, advertising and reward for lost pets, boarding fees, holiday vacation cancelation costs, and cremation or burial fees.

What’s Not Covered?

The fact that there’s no pet health insurance policy that includes pre-existing conditions won’t come as a shock to anyone who’s dealt with or read up on other pet insurance companies. Sadly, even acompany like Trupanion is no exception to the rule.

All injuries and illnesses that have existed or that your pet has shown symptoms of prior to becoming insured are considered pre-existing conditions. Also, Trupanion doesn’t offer coverage for exam fees and the occasional sales tax.

We’ve mentioned that the additional Breeding package has a few exclusions: planned cesarean births (unless medically necessary), routine prenatal examinations, pre-breeding tests, fertility treatments, and artificial insemination. The events listed are excluded because they can be prepared for in advance, meaning you can allocate the necessary funds over the course of the time leading up to them.

Is Your Pet Eligible?

Trupanion health insurance is for every kind of cat or dog, truly. Unlike its competitors, Trupanion has minimal restrictions regarding its enrolment policy. To be more exact, there’s only one – pets over 14 years of age aren’t eligible. Not only that, but 90% coverage is guaranteed to all eligible pets. Yes, that’s right, there aren’t any age, size, or breed stipulations.

Trupanion Policy Plans

The above-mentioned 90% coverage is offered under a single plan. The monthly fee can be adjusted by customizing your deductible. However, as convenient as that is, what we found even more impressive about this plan was the unlimited lifetime insurance.

Once you sign up for pet insurance with Trupanion, your fur baby or babies will be able to get the best treatments available, seeing as there is no amount that Trupanion is unwilling to pay. On the company’s website, it is proudly stated that Trupanion has paid over $1 billion for animal medical procedures over the years the company has been in business. Well, who wouldn’t want an insurance provider as generous as that?

The one thing we found slightly unappealing regarding this plan were the waiting periods. They are slightly longer than what we’ve seen with the other best pet insurance companies. The waiting periods that Trupanion has in place are as follows: Five days for injuries and 30 days for illnesses. Fortunately, these periods are dismissed when a certificate from your veterinarian is activated.

Trupanion doesn’t believe in covering wellness and preventive care. The company’s position is that you can rarely get full value out of a wellness plan and that preventive care is something you can budget for. For a few extra dollars, you can add one or all three riders to your subscription within 30 days of becoming a Trupanion member.

Trupanion Policy Details

Before we move on to rates, here are a few more details about the policy:

• Underwriter: Omega General Insurance Company in Canada and American Pet Insurance Company in the United States.
• If you stop paying your monthly premiums, your policy will be canceled 20 days after you receive notice of cancelation.
• If the owner of the insured pet changes, the policy can be continued if Trupanion is notified within 30 days of the ownership change.
• The policy can’t be transferred to other pets.
• There is a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee.
• Your veterinarian can be paid directly if they have Trupanion software. If they don’t, you can send a claim, which, in 60% of cases, gets reviewed within 24 hours.
• Conditions that occur during waiting periods are considered pre-existing.
• Coverage will be denied for issues that are the result of owner neglect – regular maintenance and preventive care is expected.

Trupanion Pricing & Discounts

The cost of your dog or cat insurance is determined by a few factors:

• Deductible
• Age
• Breed
• Location
• Gender
• Additional packages

Your deductible is the most important part of determining your monthly fee. A deductible is the amount you have to pay before the insurance kicks in. With Trupanion, the deductible is condition-based – you pay a deductible with every new condition, plus 10% of the diagnosis and treatment costs.

The deductible is very customizable in that it starts at $0 and goes up to $1,000, and you can use a slider to set the amount to any number that feels appropriate to you. Keep in mind that, with higher deductibles, you get lower monthly payments.

As opposed to other pet insurance providers, Trupanion takes your pet’s age into account from the very beginning. Throughout the duration of your policy, you’ll be charged for the age at which your pet was enrolled; the price won’t go up as a result of them getting older.

If you were to do a cost-benefit analysis, you would deduce that the best option would be to insure your pet while they’re still in their first weeks. During this time, the price is the lowest and your pet will, most likely, have no pre-existing conditions.

Trupanion’s policy differs slightly from state to state – for instance, the money-back guarantee doesn’t apply to residents of New York. There’s even a separate version of the website for people from Florida. Pay close attention to that when going through the process of getting your quote.

Trupanion doesn’t give out any discounts, but it does have a special offer program: a 30-day trial for people who’d like to test out the health insurance. You can receive one if your vet, shelter, or breeder is part of the program. You’ll have a predetermined $250 deductible for the duration of the trial and no pet insurance waiting period.

Aside from that, the trial is exactly the same as the full policy. The only requirement is that you activate the offer within 24 hours of receiving it. The goal is for you to see that Trupanion provides the best pet health insurance and that it’s worth the slightly higher-than-average cost.

To better illustrate Trupanion’s pricing system, we’ve prepared a few examples for you:

Trupanion checks your pet’s information automatically and displays the appropriate fees. As we expected, the older your pet is, the more you need to pay to insure them. The breed also plays a big part in determining the cost of your pet insurance.

You’ll also be charged a single administration fee of $35, regardless of the number of pets you enroll. This fee mainly goes towards, as Trupanion states, 24/7 telephone support for your lost cats and dogs.

Trupanion Customer Service

This review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the exceptional work of the Trupanion customer support team. You can communicate with them however you prefer – by phone, live chat, or email – and at any time of day. This 24/7 service makes sense, since you can’t exactly choose when your pet will have an emergency.

You can either type in the phone number and call them toll-free, or have them ring you instead by submitting a form in which you write down when you’d like to be contacted.

Regardless of the method or time you select to get in touch with Trupanion’s customer support agents, you should expect a quick and experienced level of assistance. Not only will they go above and beyond to help you, but your concerns will be met with true compassion and kindness.

In Conclusion

The prices might be a bit steep, but what’s a little more money when the health of your cuddly confidant is at stake? If that’s how you see things, you’re in great company. Trupanion doesn’t pinch any pennies; your pet’s well-being comes first. If your veterinarian believes it to be the best course of action, Trupanion will help make it happen. With its lack of payout limits, no treatment is out of reach.

Understandably, not everyone’s means are the same, but Trupanion’s adjustable deductibles make this best-rated pet insurance attainable even to those with a slightly tighter budget.