Have you ever had to pay out of pocket for unexpected vet bills? They can be very expensive, and if you’re not covered by pet insurance, you have no choice but to pay the full cost upfront.
Pet insurance has saved millions of people across Canada when it comes to paying for unexpected vet bills. If your pet isn’t insured, you may be shopping around and comparing various pet insurance providers.
In this Trupanion pet insurance review, you’ll learn about the company, what they do and do not cover, how to get a quote, its pros and cons, and what to look for in pet insurance.
Trupanion is a pet insurance provider based in the US. They offer cat and dog insurance in Canada, the US, Puerto Rico, and Australia.
Trupanion provides comprehensive coverage with no payout limits for new, unexpected injuries and illnesses. They can pay your vet directly, taking the hassle out of you paying upfront and submitting an insurance claim.
Founded in 1998, the CEO and founder Daryl Rawlings wanted to introduce high-quality medical insurance for dogs and cats after his family couldn’t pay for his dog’s surgery. Thus, came Trupanion.
Trupanion offers comprehensive insurance for dogs and cats. They cover all unexpected illnesses and injuries, including congenital conditions developed before birth, hereditary conditions the breed is prone to inheriting, and unidentified issues – even if there is no official diagnosis.
Trupanion also covers surgeries, diagnostic tests, medications, hospital stays, veterinary supplements, and more.
All pets get one simple plan that covers 90% of your pet’s medical bills. They never impose payout limits, ensuring that your pet gets the best possible care without you worrying about the finances.
You can add the following riders to your pet insurance policy for an additional cost.
This provides coverage for homeopathy, behavioral modification, hydrotherapy, naturopathy, rehabilitative therapy, and chiropractic therapy.
This provides coverage outside the vet office. You can get reimbursed for the cost of advertising and reward for lost pets, boarding fees if you are hospitalized, vacation cancellation costs, liability coverage for third-party property damage, and burial or cremation for accidental deaths.
Trupanion and most other pet insurance companies do not cover pre-existing conditions before you sign up for the insurance. Conditions that occur during the waiting period are also not eligible for coverage.
Trupanion also does not cover wellness and preventative care for common procedures or exam fees. Since these fees are routine and Trupanion only focuses on emergency care, it is not covered.
Exam costs such as vaccinations, microchipping, spaying/neutering, parasite prevention, dental cleaning, and routine lab work are also excluded from Trupanion’s insurance policy.
Deductibles range from $100 to $1,000. The amount you choose will alter how much you pay as a monthly premium.
If you pay a lower deductible, you’ll be paying more now but can save more later. You’ll be paying a higher monthly premium but will reach 90% coverage faster.
By paying a higher deductible, you’ll pay less monthly but could pay more later. It may take longer to reach 90% coverage of eligible conditions.
The cost of Trupanion’s insurance policy is customized based on your puppy, kitten, dog, or cat’s unique situation. Get a quote to see how much you’ll be paying. Whatever the cost, your monthly payments will not increase for 12 months.
On Trupanion’s website, simply fill out the form and tell them a little bit about your pet.
We got a quote for a 2-year-old male dog who is a short-haired Chihuahua. He has been neutered and is not an assistance animal.
You also need to enter your postal code and email address. For context, we live in Toronto, Ontario.
Submit this form, and you will receive a quote right away. Our suggested quote and most popular option is $75.78 per month with a $200 deductible. Alternatively, you can choose a $0 deductible, $700 deductible, or choose a deductible of your choice.
You can also choose to receive enhanced coverage with the optional Recovery and Complimentary Care or Pet Owner Assistance packages. Our quotes were $5.02/month and $4.95/month, respectively.
After that, you can add another pet or checkout right away.
Trupanion policies offer unlimited payouts, up to 90% of the total cost. They don’t limit your coverage with caps of any kind. Unlike most other pet insurance companies, there are no per-incident, annual, or lifetime limits.
Trupanion always covers 90% of your pet’s medical bills, no matter how old they are, what illness or injury they have, or how expensive the treatment is. Most other pet insurance companies provide coverage from 70% to 90%, but that varies based on the pet’s age and your monthly rate.
Trupanion offers Vet Direct Pay, where you only pay a portion of the vet bill, and they will directly pay the rest to your vet or emergency clinic. Direct Pay works at over 1,000 vet hospitals across Canada, and even if it is not yet available, the Trupanion policy still works.
When signing up for Trupanion, they allow you to customize your price, so you can pay whatever amount you want per month, plus the deductible.
It took less than 2 minutes to get a customized quote, which you can adjust based on your preference. The entire process is completed online, and you can check out within just 5 minutes.
Direct Pay is not available in all provinces, including the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Some provinces, like Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador have very limited vet hospitals that accept Direct Pay.
After getting insurance, you’ll have to wait 5 days for injuries and 30 days for illnesses before submitting a claim. If your pet has an illness or injury before then, you won’t be covered.
Trupanion isn’t the cheapest pet insurance provider. Our monthly cost was $75.78 plus a $200 deductible. This monthly cost can and very likely will go up over the years. However, Trupanion covers 90% of all unexpected vet bills, so it can be worth it.
Wellness and preventative care and exam fees for common
