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Trupanion Pet Insurance Review

Reviews 6,985
Trupanion
Visit Site
Trupanion
Trupanion
Excellent
Reviews 6,985
Diana Bocco
Nov. 22, 2023
3 min read
Diana Bocco
Trupanion Summary
Trupanion provides pet insurance for cats and dogs, allowing owners to customize coverage by selecting a deductible from $0 to $1,000. Trupanion’s base policy covers 90% of eligible claims minus your deductible. Trupanion is one of the few pet insurers that pays eligible veterinarians directly, freeing you from out-of-pocket costs. While its policies are robust, it has some of the pricier premiums on the market.

Pros

  • Custom deductible
  • Pays eligible vets directly
  • No annual caps and no lifetime limits on coverage

Cons

  • High premiums relative to other pet insurance policies
  • Doesn’t offer wellness coverage
  • Pets must be younger than 14 at the time of enrollment

Trupanion at a glance

8
Editorial score

Online experience

Excellent site with mobile optimization, learning resources, and live chat
8.0

Customizable rates and services

Non-customizable reimbursement
6.0

Claims payout waiting period

Same day
10.0

Customer support

24/7 communication and a pet hotline available
10.0

Bundles

Multiple bundles available
6.0

Trupanion at a Glance

Reimbursement Rate: 90%

Waiting Period: Five days for injuries; 30 days for illnesses

Deductibles: $0 to $1,000

Coverage Limits: None

Online Experience: Trupanion offers 24/7 live chat and phone support. The website also features a detailed FAQ section.

Claims Payout Waiting Period: According to Trupanion’s website, it processes 70% of claims within 24 hours. Additionally, it reimburses over 60% of its direct pay claims within 60 seconds.

Bundles: You can customize your policy with supplementary add-ons to cover alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and behavioral modification, illnesses and injuries related to breeding, and third-party property damage.

Customizable Rates and Services: Trupanion offers a 90% set reimbursement rate and allows you to choose a deductible ranging from $0 to $1,000. Note that Trupanion caps the upper enrollment age at 14 for all pets.

Customer Service and Support: The Trupanion support team is available 24/7 via phone, email, live chat, and the mobile app.

Bottom Line: Trupanion might be the right choice if you’re seeking customizable coverage for pets younger than 14. This insurer could also be suitable if you want guaranteed coverage and a moderate deductible.  

How Much Does Trupanion Cost?

Trupanion’s monthly premiums for accident-and-illness coverage vary depending on several factors, including your pet’s breed, age at enrollment, gender, postal code, and chosen deductible. Insurance premium rates remain unaffected as your pet ages, but they may increase due to the rising costs of veterinary care.


Here are some sample policy premiums Trupanion offers; prices are subject to change. For a tailored quote, visit Trupanion’s website and enter your pet’s specifics.

Sample Pricing for Dog Insurance

Breed

Yorkshire Terrier

Medium Mixed Dog

German Shepherd

Age

1 year 

6 years 

9 years 

Monthly Premium

$129.60

$100.12

$82.70

Deductible

$250

$500

$1,000

Annual Limit

No limit

No limit

No limit

Reimbursement Rate

90%

90%

90%



Sample Pricing for Cat Insurance 

Pet Breed

Persian

Maine Coon

Domestic Shorthair

Age

3 years 

4 years 

10 years 

Monthly Premium

$118.08

$88.58

$47.53

Deductible

$250

$500

$1,000

Annual Limit

No limit

No limit

No limit

Reimbursement Rate

90%

90%

90%


Trupanion Pet Insurance Full Review

Plan Types

Trupanion provides a single nose-to-tail coverage plan for dogs and cats with a set 90% reimbursement rate, flexible deductibles ranging from $0 to $1,000, and unlimited lifetime payouts. 

These uncapped repayments help your pet receive veterinary care for conditions like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, provided they are not pre-existing conditions. Moreover, its deductibles are lifetime per incident, meaning you'll never pay again for the same issue after you’ve covered a deductible for a specific injury or illness.

Trupanion has a five-day waiting period for injuries and a 30-day waiting period for illnesses, slightly longer than average. However, if you sign up for insurance within 24 hours of adopting your pet (Go Home Day) or seeing the vet (Exam Day), you’ll qualify for immediate protection.

This plan covers: 

  • Diagnostic tests

  • Medications 

  • Hospitalization

  • Advanced dental care

  • Hereditary conditions, such as diabetes and thyroid disease

  • Congenital disorders 

  • Chronic problems

  • Herbal therapies 

  • Specific vet-recommended diets 

  • Prosthetics

  • Wheelchairs

  • Euthanasia, if recommended by a veterinarian

Claims Process

Trupanion offers Vet Direct Pay. If your vet accepts this payment method, Trupanion handles the bill immediately, so you won’t have to worry about out-of-pocket expenses. Alternatively, you can submit your claim via email, fax, mail, or Trupanion’s online portal. The company pays most claims straight to your bank account within 24 hours.

Coverage Exclusions

Trupanion doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, including events or medical issues developed during the waiting period. When you purchase an insurance policy, you’re required to present your pet’s medical records so the provider can discern any pre-existing ailments.

Trupanion’s coverage also excludes the following: 

  • Examination fees 

  • Anal gland expression 

  • Elective or cosmetic procedures 

  • Preventive care like annual wellness exams, vaccinations, and tick and flea preventives

  • Spay or neuter procedures

  • Alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, and hydrotherapy

  • Taxes or medical history paperwork processing

Add-ons

You can extend your coverage by adding the Recovery and Complementary Care Rider: insurance for treatments like acupuncture, hydrotherapy, chiropractic visits, rehabilitative therapy, and behavioral modification sessions with a vet-certified behaviorist.

Trupanion also provides the Breeding Rider for breeders, a plan that covers health conditions related to breeding and whelping dogs and cats — including planned C-section surgeries due to medical risk. 

Additionally, you can add the Pet Owner Assistance package to your basic policy to cover costs outside the scope of veterinarian bills. This add-on pays for unexpected expenses, such as search efforts for lost pets, boarding during an owner’s hospitalization, vacation cancellations due to a pet’s illness, and burial or cremation costs in case of death from an accident. The Pet Owner Assistance package also includes liability coverage for damages to somebody else’s property caused by your pet.

Customer Service

You can reach Trupanion’s support team around the clock via phone, live chat, mail, email, or Trupanion’s mobile app. 

Rated 4.3/5 on Trustpilot, customers favor Trupanion for its unlimited payouts and 90% reimbursement. This company also has excellent reviews for its customer service and 24/7 availability.

Contact Details 

Trupanion USA

6100 4th Ave South Suite 400

Seattle, Washington 98108

Phone number: 888-733-2685

Email address: info@trupanion.com

Methodology

We analyzed several key factors to determine how Trupanion measures against competitors, including reimbursement rates, annual and lifetime limits, and insurance premiums.

We also reviewed Trupanion’s policy to identify exclusions and restrictions. We then considered the policy’s basic coverage and evaluated the value of its additional options against industry standards.

Finally, we explored customer reviews posted on Trustpilot to gain insight into customer satisfaction.

Read more reviews of top pet insurers.

Diana Bocco
Written by
Diana Bocco
Diana Bocco holds certifications in animal behavior, pet CPR and first aid, and pet nutrition. She has been writing for over 15 years, and her work has appeared in pet-related magazines, websites, and books, including Animal Wellness, Dog Fancy, ManyPets, Chewy's Pet Central website, Petco's Animal Central, and PetMD. She's also the author of numerous case studies and white papers for pet-related businesses. When she's not writing, Diana works on scent training with her rescued dog.
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Trustpilot reviews
See what some customers are saying about Trupanion
Great • Reviews 6,985
on
Excellent
79%
Great
5%
Average
2%
Poor
2%
Bad
12%
We upload 100 to 400 Trustpilot reviews to our website daily, displaying them by default from "best" to "worst". You have the option to adjust the sorting criteria. If you wish to see all reviews, you can visit Trustpilot's website here.
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JC
JC
13 hours ago
Trupanion has save us $1000’s
Trupanion has save us thousands of dollars as our three mini dachshunds entered into their senior years. One had back surgery. A $12000 bill only cost me $1200. You can have Trupanion pay the vet directly to avoid paying the $12000 up front. Just let them know upfront and don’t let your plan expire or miss a monthly premium payment. We’ve had them for over 15 years now. They will cover dental procedures as long as your vet doesn’t have any dental issues in their record before coverage starts.
Cl
Cleide
16 hours ago
Customer services was helpful and…
Customer services was helpful and patient.
Lisa Chambers
20 hours ago
Very grateful to still have my Best Girl
Very grateful to still have my 14 year old Mini American Sheperd! She is the goodest girl, and needed her spleen removed. I would never have been able to afford all the vet visits and ultrasounds without Trupanion. I have it for all 3 of my dogs, and yes, it was more expensive for an older dog. But 100% worth it! They covered 90% of the costs outside my deductible, and at times the reimbursement was direct deposited into my bank faster than the vet bill hit it!
James Bleuer
21 hours ago
Great support in a rough period
My animals have been largely healthy, but we've had a rough patch lately. Our older dog was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma earlier this year, and our younger dog had major jaw issues requiring surgery. We've been through radiation treatment, chemo, amputation, and a jaw surgery in the last 3 months. I've submitted over $28k in claims this year alone (another $5k in 2022). Trupanion paid it all, in a timely manner (minus deductibles, coinsurance, and non-covered exam fees and taxes). I will absolutely continue to keep Trupanion insurance on all of my animals. I couldn't appreciate them more when things get tough. It was nice to be able to navigate this difficult period knowing cost was not an issue, the animals received the highest quality of care they could get. I recommend them to everyone.
DK
Daniel Knodle
21 hours ago
Stick with it - it pays
Signed up for insurance for my now 8 year old German Shepherd when he was nine weeks old. For years he was really healthy but we kept the policy in place. Over the last year he's had some real issues with a difficult to diagnose series of infections. Throughout the process Trupanion paid exactly what they'd committed to pay, with speed I did not expect. He's fine now but needs monthly injections to keep him clear. They continue to cover these - I'm thrilled.
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