Trupanion Pet Insurance Level: 1.4 out of 1.4 stars
Trupanion stands out in the easiest way to pay directly to the veterinarian. If your veterinarian has Trupanion’s VetDirect Pay software, you can file your claim from the office without paying and then wait for reimbursement. Other pet insurance companies that pay directly to the veterinarian usually require you or the veterinarian to fill out additional forms.
Trupanion also has a unique lifetime deduction for each book deduction: You only need to deduct it once in your pet’s lifetime. This will help if your pet develops a chronic disease that needs years of treatment. On the other hand, if your pet regularly visits the veterinarian to deal with various conditions, the deductibles for each condition may add up.
Unfortunately, Trupanion's rates are about twice the average (96%) of the pet insurance quotes we analyzed, which hurts in our viewership. It also requires some coverage type add-ons, which will increase the cost.
learn more: How does pet insurance work? A complete guide.
advantage
Pay the veterinarian directly
There is no special waiting period for conditions such as cruciate ligament problems.
Deductible options from $0 to $1,000
Herbal therapy can cover
Prescription supplements cover
Prescription food coverage 50%
Can be used for riders with reproduction-related diseases and injuries
shortcoming
Very high average interest rate
No more fold discounts
There is no health plan for routine care costs
No coverage for veterinary examination fees
A relatively short 90-day window to file a claim after treatment date
Additional therapies required for behavioral and alternative therapies, such as chiropractic, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, homeopathy and natural therapy
Add-ons required for cremation or burial costs, which also include liability for pet damage to third-party property damage, if the pet is lost or theft, advertising and rewards, if you are hospitalized, the boarding fee is required, and if the pet is sick or injured, the holiday fee is cancelled
Maximum limit selection of the year: unlimited
Deductible options: $0 to $1,000
Reimbursement options: 90%
For accident coverage: 5 days
Disease coverage: 30 days
Special waiting period: None
Trupanion offers an accident and disease policy that provides a wide range of basic coverage that can be expanded with add-ons. It does not sell only accident policies or health plans. Trupanion's basic policies (no add-ons) cover:
Genetic and congenital conditions
cancer
Diagnosis such as X-ray, CT scan and ultrasound
Dental accidents and diseases
Prescription medicine
Prescription foods and supplements
learn more: Your guide on pet insurance coverage
Trupanion does not cover established conditions, which is the standard method for most pet insurance companies. While some pet insurance companies allow certain pre-existing diseases to be cured after a period of time without symptoms or treatment, Trupanion does not provide a "curable" pre-existing situation.
If your pet has symptoms of illness, injury, or illness before the policy comes into effect, any issues related to that health issue will not be covered by trupanion.
Trupanion does not provide access to the 24/7 telehealth series, although it does have a Pet Parents Resource Center that contains tips on behavioral training, lifestyle, and health and safety topics for cats and dogs.
Trupanion's policy does not include the following fees:
Veterinary examination fee
Rehabilitation, behavioral and alternative therapies (unless you purchase recovery and complementary care attachments)
End of life (unless you purchase a pet owner assistance package)
Anal gland expression
Diseases and injuries related to reckless activities
Diseases and injuries associated with reproduction, whipping and queen (unless you purchased a breeding rider)
Racing-related injuries, such as sleds or track racing
Selective, preventive and cosmetic procedures such as microcore and tail docking
Boarding
Additionally, since Trupanion does not offer pet health plans, the prevention services typically included in the health plans are not covered, such as:
Health Exam
Vaccination
Regular testing
Want to change your coverage during the policy period? You can contact Trupanion to adjust coverage.
Increase: You can increase your deductible or add recovery and supplemental caregivers within the first 30 days of policy admission. You can add a breeder or pet owner assistance package at any time.
reduce: You can reduce deductibles or remove recovery and supplemental caregivers within the first 30 days of policy admission. You can also remove the breeding rider or pet owner assistance package from the policy at any time.
Unfortunately, Trupanion has the highest pet insurance fee of $258.64 per month in our analysis. The average is a policy for unlimited coverage, which includes a $500 deductible and a 90% reimbursement rate.
Trupanion's rate is almost twice the average in our assessment.
learn more: Is pet insurance worth it? How to decide.
Unlike some other pet insurance companies, Trupanion does not offer discounts for families offering multiple pets.
This is the area where trupanion is good at. If your veterinarian is registered to attend VetDirect Pay and has Trupanion’s software installed, Trupanion will pay for the veterinary fees covered by your checkout policy. The tools on the Trupanion website allow you to see if your veterinarian needs Trupanion’s direct payment.
learn more: Pay for pet insurance directly for veterinarians: How does it work?
If you do not have a veterinarian using Trupanion’s VetDirect Pay, you will need to file a claim directly with Trupanion. You can do this online on the membership portal, or by submitting a claim form and emailing the claim @trupanion.com or faxing it to 866-405-4536.
Like most pet insurance claims, you will need an invoice item by item to reflect what you pay for and some details about your visit and pets.
Trupanion's claim window is 90 days from the date of treatment or service. This is relatively shorter than pet insurance companies that offer 180 days or more. Of course, if you are using VetDirect Pay, your claim will be automatically approved and you don't need to worry about submitting anything to Trupanion.
The turnaround time for claim reimbursement depends on which method you use to submit your claim. If you see a part of the veterinarian salary network, it is usually paid immediately. If you are going to file a claim directly, Trupanion says 70% of the claims are paid within 24 hours.
Trupanion Online has a membership portal, but its mobile app is no longer available for download in the Apple App Sotre or Google Play Store. You can submit and track claims through the online portal.
learn more: Best Pet Insurance Company 2025
Yes, Trupanion covers dental diseases and accidents. To be eligible for dental disease, the veterinarian must check the pet's teeth at least every 12 months. If the pet's teeth have not been examined, dental disease coverage begins from the date of the exam.
If you want to get coverage for dental disease, you must follow the veterinary dental advice and your pet must undergo a dental cleaning.
Trupanion PET insurance only recommends pet insurance after veterinary damage to reproductive organs or after injury.
No, Trupanion does not cover vaccines because they are considered routine care and are not covered. Nevertheless, you will still be responsible for properly vaccinating your pet. Trupanion will not pay claims for diseases that can be prevented by vaccinating, including treatment or diagnosis.
learn more: Does pet insurance cover vaccines?
You can claim through Trupanion to learn about the bills of any licensed veterinarian in the United States, its territory, Puerto Rico and Canada. If you want to find a veterinarian who receives their veterinary salary, you can use a veterinary finder on their website.
Although Trupanion technically does not require veterinary visits for admission, if you want to cover dental disease, you must clean your pet's teeth every 12 months.
Trupanion’s customer service team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You can contact them by phone at 855-210-8749 or online via the chat tool on the Trupanion website.
To cancel Trupanion policy, contact your membership policy number for Customer Service. The main pet parents listed on the strategy are the only people authorized to cancel the strategy.
The cancel policy means that if you decide to return to trupanion later, you will be considered a new customer and you must restart the clock during the waiting period, and what qualify for the treatment status.
Amy Danise and Tim Manni edited this article.
We studied the coverage details and prices of 15 pet insurance plans. Then, we weighted the category, each pet insurer found the best pet insurer relative to other pet insurers. This is the factor we merge.
Coverage Type: 40% of the score. We checked the coverage provided by the basic policy without the additional cost of add-ons. This covers alternative therapies, behavioral therapy, dental disease, euthanasia or death fees, exotic pets, genetic and congenital conditions, established status, prescription foods and supplements, veterinary examination fees, and advertising/rewards for lost/sneaky pets.
Average Cost: 30% of the score. We evaluated the cost of $5,000 in five states and evaluated the cost for a mixed dog (1 year old), French Bulldog (5 year old), and Labrador Retriever (8 year old).
Unlimited coverage option: 10% of score. We give points when pet insurers offer unlimited annual limits (or $100,000 limits), which gives pet owners the most powerful financial protection in the event of catastrophic pet medical problems.
Pay directly to the veterinarian: 5% of the score. We have raised points to pet insurance company, which noted on its website that they can accommodate direct veterinary payments.
Special waiting time without special conditions: 5% of the score. We give points when the pet insurer does not have a waiting period for special conditions (such as ligament conditions).
Regular Health Plan: 5% of the score. In addition to pet insurance, companies that offer regular health plans are also available.
Multi-PET Discount: 5% of the score. We give points when pet insurance companies offer discounts to multiple pets.