Ever since my post about VPI Pet Insurance where people started asking about the Trupanion Pet Insurance, I’ve been wanting to do a review of their website and what they have to offer. So just like I have done with several other insurance companies I’ll take you though their website and the pet insurances they offer and tell you my honest opinion on what I think about it.
Trupanion – The First Impression
When I first visited their website I liked what I found. The look of it is clean and precise and you don’t have a lot of flashy things distracting your attention from the fact that you’re there to check out their pet insurance. The front page has what I consider to be some of the most important elements when you as a pet owner are looking for a new insurance for your pet.
Quotes On Pet Insurance
Obviously they have included an area where you can get a quote on a pet insurance (more on that later). They have another prominent section where they’ll answer questions about whether your pet is eligible for a pet insurance. Both of these are crucial for a good pet insurance website in my opinion. Next they have included a section with customer testimonials, a section where you can see how they compare to the competition and finally a credibility stamp of being approved by AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) and then of cause a call to action where you can either phone them or enroll online.
So in this first part of the Trupanion pet insurance review I can only say that the front page of their website get a top rating. So when that is said let’s dig a little deeper. I am curious to see their pet insurance plans and how they are comparing themselves to the competition.
Trupanion Pet Insurance vs. The Competition
Trupanion has created a comparison sheet where you can see how they cover things like:
- If a pet becomes sick or is injured what IS covered?
- If a pet becomes sick or is injured what is NOT covered?
- Will you be penalized for your pet aging?
All of which are very important to pet owners. Everything is explained in simple terms but I would still encourage you to read the actual terms before signing anything. I’m sure that they can be held up on what is posted on their website but you don’t want to go into a battle about that.
The companies that you can compare the Trupanion pet insurance with are VPI Pet Insurance (read my review here), PetCare Pet Insurance, PetPlan, ASPCA Pet insurance, Pets Best and PurinaCare.
What I like about this is that this covers most of the larger pet insurance companies in the country and even though they left out companies like Embrace, Pet Assure and AKC I still feel that it’ll give you a good overview as a pet owner and give you a good feeling of what things are important to ask about when searching for pet insurance.
Pet Insurance Packages with Trupanion
The section where you can get a quote for a pet insurance has 7 simple questions that you’ll need to answer and here comes the first problem. If you chose a pet age above 12 months you’re recommended to select another company as Trupanion is for puppies and kittens only.
Going back to the home page I see now that it says that Trupanion is for puppies and kittens but I didn’t notice that when I first looked at it.
So why is this a smart thing for Trupanion? Well you’ll often find that the animals that get sick or injured are the older ones and not the puppies and kittens. That means that even though they’ll cover your pet when it gets old you have already paid them their fee for many years and it’ll still be good business for them. I know it is a company and that they have to make money but I find it to be a little too clever a way to make sure they get a profit.
I tried to change my answers to be a puppy under 12 months and I found a monthly fee of $24.37 with a $500 premium. The great part is that you get an instant comparison chart that tells you what the cost would be if you had signed up with one of the competing companies. Whether the figures are true or not I can’t say but I find the feature to be great for a pet owner that is fixed on prices.
Now the there can be a lot more to a Trupanion pet insurance review but since every pet owners case is different I would like to encourage you to go check out the site. It has a lot of great features and is easy to understand (besides the fact that it is only for puppies and kittens which I obviously didn’t get).
But always remember that when you’re looking for pet insurance on the insurance company’s site you should always keep a skeptical eye out because they’re there to sell you something and they’ll surely try to do that.
Trupanion is not the best. I signed up my puppy the day we got him. About 15 days after we got him he was peeing and drinking more then normal so we took him to a vet. The vet said there was no bacteria in his urine but put him on antibiotics just in case. A month later we had a similar problem. He was drinking and peeing more then normal so we took him back to the vet. Again no bacteria but they put him on antibiotics just in case. This time was after the 30 day waiting period so we submitted the claim. Sure enough a week later we were reimbursed. Then about a month and a half later he was urinating alot so we took him back to the vet and this time ecoli bacteria was found in his urine. He was put on antibiotics and they told me again to bring his urine back after he finishes so it can be retested. I submitted this claim and it was denied because it was pre-existing occurring during the 30-day waiting period. I called and asked about it and a woman was very helpful she said that she wanted to look into it more and prepare it for her superior. My vet sent all my puppies records including his initial exam, which was a clear bill of health. My vet also sent a letter stating that she believed the first two incidences had to do with a water obsession and that there was no bacteria in his urine the first two times. The third time was different because he had bacteria in his urine. I got a phone call about a week later saying that it was still denied. So it was then sent to the “third party vets”, which if it is anything like human insurance companies the vets will receive more money on denials. The vets also denied the claim saying that his UTI was pre-exisintg. I called Trupanion to ask when this would not be considered pre-existing anymore and they said that is at their discretion, which means it can be 6 months to 10 years. I contacted VPI and they said this would only be considered pre-existing for 6 months. As a medical student I find it a little absurd to say that a bacteria can be a “pre-existing condition”. If he had bacteria in his urethra for that long we would have had much worse problems then frequent urination. I also tried to ask them if down the road he got a tumor on his bladder or kidney would this be pre-existing and I could not get an answer. It seems that unfortunately for me if anything happens to any part of his renal system in the future they will find a way to call it pre-existing. What really bothered me most was that they paid the first claim so I went along thinking the vets could do any test they wanted because they paid the first why wouldn’t they pay the second!
I am hoping to get a response from Trupanion defining to me this pre-existing condition. Is it just for UTIs? Or is it any problem he may have with his renal system?
“Limited Coverage
Limited coverage for working pets and for those pets that have not been spayed or neutered by their veterinarian’s recommended age. Coverage shall not apply to any condition resulting from activities related to racing, breeding, hunting, law enforcement, or guarding. ”
If the dog is not neutered then Trupanion will not cover expenses for injuries from five listed above i.e. racing, breeding, hunting, law enforcement and guarding, what if the dog is injured while playing,runing or hit by a car?
Jacquie -
Trupanion covers illness and accidents up to $20,000 as long as no clinical symptoms have been present before a policy was started or during your waiting periods. Our waiting periods are 5 days for accidents and 30 days for illness. When a first claim is processed it is up to the discretion of the claims adjuster if full medical records were needed in order to process the claim. A disclaimer indicating this was noted on your first claim that was paid. As future claims were submitted, your pet’s full medical records were requested. Upon further review, the condition for UTI showed to display symptoms during your 30 day illness waiting period, causing the claim to be denied. If a claim has been denied and you have disputed the outcome, Trupanion does have a third party independent veterinary review process. The disputed claim goes to a specialist within the veterinary industry that will review the claim form documents, full medical records along with our policy wording to ensure that the proper claim outcome has occurred. This review process is completely independent and if the specialist disagrees with our claim denial decision and feels the claim should be honored and paid, then Trupanion follows the direction of the expert opinion. In your claim situation, the board certified internal medicine specialist that reviewed your pets claim did agree that the claim should remain denied, based on your pets medical history. A representative from Trupanion did try to contact you in February to further discuss your pets claim situation, but the message left was not returned. We will try to contact you again to further discuss your claim.
Alex,
Thank you for responding. I did receive three phone calls. I answered two out of the three. Everyone at Trupanion is very helpful but the one question that continues to remain unanswered is the one I asked above. What if a year or many years down the line my puppy gets a tumor on his bladder or something else severe in his renal system WILL that be covered? Or is anything to do with his renal system forever pre-existing. The reason I posted on this was to see if I could get an answer this way. I had his urine tested after his last UTI in January and it showed no remaining signs of bacteria does that mean that it is not pre-existing anymore because it cleared up? Everything you said above is helpful but that was told to me the last two times I spoke to somebody. I am not trying to find answers about being denied or get money for it because that is over with. I just want some peace of mind knowing that if something serious were to happen to my puppies renal system down the line it will be covered. I am a medical student with 150,000 in student loan debt and I got the insurance hoping that I would never have to worry about the cost of my dogs medical bills, which was an issue with my previous dog who needed 13,000 dollar retinoblastoma surgery that I could not afford. My comment is not seeking answers for what has happened but instead about my puppies future coverage. If someone wants to call me again and answer this then I will absolutely return the phone call but if its just a repeat I do not need to speak with anyone. I am not trying to be abrasive but instead I just want a direct answer.
Hi, unfortunately, bacteria can be missed in a sample taken from the dog & not show up until the next time, depending on the severity of the infection. That’s happened to us in the past. I signed my puppy up with Trupanion because he has been neutered, is in excellent health, and is out of the woods so to speak — no illnesses came around since getting him. I do expect him to get sick when he is older, and from past experience with my other dogs, that’s when the bills really rack up. He’s a healthy house pet and a good candidate for insurance. Lots of health issues arise in pets that have not been neutered. As pet owners, we are expected to give our pets preventive care, which includes neutering/spaying, shots, parasite prevention. If my dog gets injured or sick down the road I am confident he will be covered. You can purchase plans elsewhere that cover wellness visits, but their monthly cost is higher. I worry about the $1200 xrays in case a tumor ever develops, or things like that. 2-3 days in the hospital costs 10 years of premiums.
Kamran,
I would like to clarify Trupanion’s policy for working pets and un-spayed/neutered pets. Our policy states that for pets that are not spayed or neutered, no coverage shall apply for illnesses related to prostate problems, hormonal skin conditions, testicular tumors, perianal tumors, mammary tumors, uterine and ovarian conditions, birthing; or injury due to fighting, collision with a motor vehicle or aggressive behavior. These limitations do not apply if the pet was spayed/neutered prior to their first birthday or where the timing of being spayed/neutered was in conjunction with the veterinarian’s medical recommendations.
For working pets, no coverage shall apply for any conditions resulting from activities related to racing, breeding, hunting, law enforcement or guarding.
Jacquie,
Future urinary tract infection claims would be reviewed on a case by case basis. We are not able to guarantee future coverage without seeing what the current presenting symptoms are. If a tumor was found later in life and directly linked in your pets medical records to the previous urinary issues, then no coverage could be applied. However, if they are not related, then at this time we cannot see why coverage would not apply. You pets medical records would be reviewed before the claim outcome would be determined.
Kamran,
I was looking into your insurance for my 4 month old puppy but I am concerned… If I don’t have my puppy neutered by 1 year of age and he gets hit by a car then he wont be covered????
All my animals are spayed and neutered but I am not planning on neutering my puppy right away because I plan on entering him into the show ring. I just want to make sure to clarify this since neutering him is not an option at this moment.
Thanks!
I’m curious if Trupanion’s “premiums will increase as inflation increases and as veterinary costs increase” as Melissa says, then does the $20,000 maximum payout “…increase as inflation increases and as veterinary costs increase”?
I’m wondering the exact same thing as Mike! Will the $20,000 maximum payout increase due to inflation? It sounds good today, but I’m hoping my dog lives another 15-20 years. I’m going to call the company to try to find out.
Mike and Sheila,
Trupanion does have lifetime limit of $20,000 which 99.9% of our policy holders do not exceed. Historically, we have adjusted the lifetime limit to accommodate the rising cost of veterinary medicine and the affects of inflation with the standard of care being provided for each pet. Trupanion does not have any limits per year, per accident, or per illness.
Call us to enroll your pet today 1-800-569-7913.
I signed my kitten up on Saturday. He has not had any medical problems, and it UTD on everything, so hopefully everything will be in place should something happen. Here’s hoping!
Okay, I get it that it’s a business. But if the whole idea is to cover a pet from a young age so that when it gets old there is money to pay for the services required, why not put the premium a savings account instead? At least that way you’ll have the money available and YOU will be getting the interest on it instead of a company that may or may not pay for conditions your pet developes down the road because it had some treatment years before that the company can manipulate into denial of covage when you really need it. And if you are fortunate and don’t need it later, you’re that much ahead of the game for your next pet.
But it’s a gamble you say. What if my pet gets sick those first few months or years? Go ahead, get the insurance. When your pet is older and healthy start then start putting the preimums into saving instead. If it becomes a cronic thing they won’t cover it anyway so why not put your money where you might get a little return on it.
Hi Amy – your point makes sense but it is limited. The same goes for people’s health insurance. Why not put it into a savings account instead of paying monthly premiums for it? The premium I pay for a $0 Deductible, 90% Reimbursement for a Boxer dog in the San Francisco Bay Area is $41 a month. A really serious vet bill can run into $2,000-$3,000 per incident and that’s being conservative. That is 5-6 years of premiums for one incident. As most pet owners know, as your pet gets older, the health issues start coming out. For the unlucky few, even young pets have a lot of issues that setting aside money in a savings account that earns 1% interest will not cut it. We do not know when accidents will happen so I will still stake my bets on getting insurance coverage so I do not have to stress out about providing the proper care for my pet and being severely in debt soon after.
My 11 year old Boxer passed away last year and she had health problems from the moment I rescued her at 4 years old. My dog was covered by another pet insurance provider. When I added all the receipts (yes, I kept them all), I was reimbursed MORE than I had paid in premiums so to set this aside money in a savings account would not have done anything for me but cover maybe one incident if I’m lucky.
So would a Daschund be covered for back surgery if she exhibted no symptoms but then later experienced a ruptured disk in her back? (It’s well known that Daschunds have a genetic disposition to IVDD and other back/neck issues).
I want to make sure I will be able to use TruPanion in NC as I have heard that pet insurance is “illegal” or not accepted by vets here? Please let me know ASAP as I will sign up as soon as I get an answer…thanks!
I too have Trupanion and many questions and issues with them. First, we brought our pup home at 10 weeks and he had a UTI (he was born and raised til 10 weeks on a farm). It was treated and cleared. When he was about 10 months or so, he got another UTI. We also switched his food 3-4 times when the UTI’s happend. At 1 years old, he got a foreign object lodged in his intestines and had surgery. He does not swallow things and is a great, healthy dog.
Well, he is now 2 years old and he just got a 3rd UTI. Trupanion is telling me that it is a “pre-existing” condition. My vet says they are wrong but obviously, the insurance company is in total control if they will pay me or not. My dog has not had a UTI in a year! Trupanion called me and in the middle of talking to them, we were disconnected. Trupanion never called back and I called them for the last 3 days at least 3 times a day. The representative said they would have a claims rep call me back but I am still waiting.
Trupanion also advised me that they should not have given me money for one of my claims months ago, but they were not going to ask for that money back. One day, my dog would not eat. It was 7pm so I took him to the e-vet. The e-vet took an xray and there was a piece of bone in his stomach that was upsetting him. i gave him a knuckle bone that day and he bit a slightly large piece off and swallowed it. The vet gave him a shot for gastronitis and he was fine just hours later. Since my dog had surgery on his intestines months and months prior (he is 100% healthy and normal by the way and no short bowel problems at all), the Trupanion rep was telling me they should not have paid! WTF, the bone fragment would have upset ANY dog! It was not even to his intestines and he ended up passing it just fine.
Now, my wife and I are very freaked out. Trupanion tells me a UTI is “pre-existing” even though my dog has gone a year without one. Trupanion tells me that his stomach problem is due to his surgery, but it was a damn bone fragment he bit off that caused it, not anything else and that any dog would have had this problem with a large piece of bone. I would put money on it that Trupanion will end up making thousands of dollars off of me since I will probably make a $200 claim (or less) every other year, if even that. We just have the insurance “just in case” he breaks his leg, just in case he steps on a piece of glass, just in case he eats a dead rodent that had died of poisoning, etc.
Trupanion has not returned any of my 6 messages and I do not know how I will be able to keep them if they cannot tell me what they can cover and what they cannot. I understand that if my dog gets short bowel syndrome due to his surgery, Trupanion will not cover that, but outside that, it is ridiculous to not cover these things. We are very strict and give our dog only the best. Our dog does not even get any toys other then the really safe ones like Nylabones, Kongs, etc. I pay about $50 per month. I am starting to think of switching to another company or just putting my money in savings.
My apologies, we signed him up for Trupanion when he was 1 years old. So, his 1st two UTI’s were obviously not covered.
I subscribed to this string of posts some time ago, because I was wondering about Trupanion. I just want to share that my previous dog was covered by VPI, and we never had problems, except underpaying, and they adjusted when we complained. Currently I have Petshealth Plan, and again I’ve never had a problem. So I recommend both, though I think that Petshealth ends up covering at a bit higher rate.
Our family stressed on which pet insurance company to use for our puppy. we opted for trupanion as they offered the pre-existing coverage for hip dysplasia before his one year b’day. Three months prior to his coverage beginning, he was seen by his vet and given a clean bill of health showing no signs or symptoms of any type. In March 2010, well after the 30 day waiting period, he is diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Please note that arthritis and/or degenerative joint disease is actually the first indications which can be caused by many factors such as too much exercise, diet, loss of enzymes, etc which can LEAD to hip dsyplasia! Guess what??? Trupanion is stating he had pre-existing conditions of hip dysplasia! How is that possible when he was given a clean bill of health! After denying my claims, I was not informed that I can submit an appeal. I had to ask. Remember, if you dog even cuts himself on glass while walking the streets, that too might be pre-existing as the glass was already in the street! what a joke!
I cannot think of the name right now, but will check back later but Trupanion fell under another company name. I have that information at home. curious to see the denied claims under that company too.
Hi,
I just signed up with Trupanion and am growing concerned with some of the reviews. I have a few questions. I signed up my 8.5 month Labrador Retriever and I added the hip dysplasia coverage. The reason I did this is because I am extremtly worried that my lab might develop hip dysplasia. At 6.5 months we discovered he had elbow dysplasia. We took him to the vet because he had a slight limp on his right front elbow and it was swollen, they did xrays and our home vet referred us to a specialist (orthropedic surgeon), there they discovered he had elbow dysplasia. He did a arthroscopic surgery on his 2 front elbows ($3000 out of pocket), and my Oscar (my dog) is currently recovering from that surgery. For this reason I am concerned that he might develop hip dysplasia. He went in for a follow up with the surgeon 2 days ago for his elbows, and there has not been any signs or mention that he has hip dysplasia. I am concerned that the fact the he had elbow dyplasia this might be a pre-existing condition to hip dyplasia, but I know the 2 things are completely different? He is currently now exhibiting any of the signs of hip dysplasia, I just want the security of insurance being that we already are 3k in debt for his elbow dyplasia, but I do want to know that if he for some horrible reason does develop hip dysplasia, will we be covered? Thanks!
I am sorry, I meant his is currently NOT exhibiting any symptoms of hip dysplasia.
Ally- i’m not a trupanion representative (thank God) because I actually like to be able to put my head down on my pillow to sleep and wake up and look at myself in the mirror without shame, but just the word dysplasia is like alarms going off. Apparently dysplasia of any type if existing in other area of the animal just might be tagged later if your pup does develop dysplasia in the hip. That is a 6000.00 surgery. If you need the surgery, opt for the “cementless” surgery. We went to AVS in Maitland Florida. Not sure where you’re located. I know the insurance is cheap, but I would highly advise that you keep it for “accidents” and not any diseases. Budget money every month and drop into a savings account. Hopefully you won’t need to have to dip into it, but I’m stuggling with a claim whereas my pup had NO signs, given a clean bill of health as it was required he get before his coverage went into effect and they’re still denying it so you tell me if you think they’re going to cover your pup who already has elbow dysplasia?
All, This is a really good discussion. Would love to see more. My pups are turning 1 this month and next month so I am hoping to enroll by the end of June. Initially I was leaning towards Trupanion, but from the sounds of it, I may look elsewhere. Any other suggestions for insurance?
Thanks—!
AMK- try http://www.gopetplan.com/ I have had them for over a year for my two dogs. I have filed two claims and they were both paid quickly. My vet loves them too and said they are the first company she has dealt with that doesn’t try to find a way NOT to pay the claims. You can set whatever you are comfortable with for deductible and co-pay, I have a $50 deductible and 10% co-pay for $27 a month for each dog. The two claims I filed would have cost me more than two years worth of premiums.
I initially went with Trupanion and switched to Purina. Here is my post from last year with info. I hope this helps!
I have a new cat and went with Purina (www.purinacare.ca) They have good options and rates. Just another option for everyone to consider. I pay $17 per month for my cat. A cool idea was the policy stays with the pet and can be transferred to a new owner.
PurinaCare® Plan Benefits*:
* Provides benefits for vaccinations, dental cleanings, spaying/neutering and flea and heartworm preventive. (Premium plan only)
* Covers treatment for accident and illness (Preferred and Premium plans) including diagnostic tests and medication.
* Covers hereditary conditions.
* PurinaCare® reimburses 80% of eligible expenses after your annual deductible is met.
* You pay one deductible for the year, not per incident.
Just a warning for those considering Trupanion for pet insurance. I have been waiting for over a month to get a claim approved for my now six month old English Bulldog. I had to take him to the vet to get his “cherry eye” corrected.I submitted the receipts and all the required forms as soon as I got home. I received an email conformation from Trupanion the next business day. After that several weeks went by without any update. Finally after almost a month, a rep called me and asked for records of his shots. I told her I already sent them in. Two weeks later I just got an email telling me they are requesting more records from the vet. Keep in mind my pup is only six months old. We bought him at 12 weeks and he had never seen a vet. He had all of his required shots when we purchased him. I sent copies of his shot record to Trupanion. This delay in reimbursement is ridiculous and I am starting to think they don’t want to honor my claim. I will cancel my insurance with them as soon as this is done.
Hi everyone,
Sorry for the delay in response. There have been issues with this website which makes it difficult for us to respond to your comments. However, we encourage you to call customer service (800-569-7913) if you ever have questions as they can answer all your questions right away, rather than waiting for a message board response
Ally – Hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia are two completely separate medical conditions and coverage would not be denied for one based on the other. As long as your enrolled pet had hip dysplasia coverage prior to exhibiting clinical symptoms (or of course a diagnosis) of hip dysplasia, there is no reason that a claim for diagnostic testing, medications or surgery would not be able to be approved.
I would also like to note that Trupanion’s policy has recently been changed so that there are no payout limits whatsoever. Please take a look at our comparison charts for more details: http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com/Why_Choose_Trupanion_Pet_Health_Insurance/Compare_Pet_Insurance_Companies/PurinaCare-Comparison
In response to Lynne B and Donna Lou Morgan- Unlike both PetPlan and PurinaCare, Trupanion does not increase premiums due to pet aging, covers 90% of the actual bill (no customary fees schedules), and is currently the only provider to offer a $0 deductible.
Arthur- Thank you for bringing forward your concerns. In general, the first claim typically takes a little longer to process because we have to obtain all of your pet’s medical records. We collect all that information including “normal vaccine” history, as that helps establish a normal and healthy base line for your pet.
For your pet’s medical history, we started to request the records on the first day of the claim submission. There were several delays in obtaining your pet’s history due to a few different areas of confusion including multiple contact attempts until we finally received the information we needed from the veterinarian. We apologize for the frustration and the delays they caused.
Now we have your full documents on file, and have been able to complete and close your submitted claim. Because we have your pet’s records, future claims processing times should be much quicker.
Again, please give us a call if you have any questions or concerns to receive a more timely response. Thank you.
I signed up for free 90 day coverage with Trupanion for my two cats (one is 7 years and one is almost 2 years old). They are both indoor only cats. They had their full series of shots as kittens, but I have not kept up with the vaccinations. I had to put a very much loved cat to sleep a few years ago due to her getting cancer from vaccinations. After reading up on it, I decided that I saw no reason for my indoor only cats to have vaccinations. It appears that if I ever have a claim with Trupanion, the first thing they will do is ask for a vaccination record. If I do not have one, will the claim then be automatically denied? I realize that if they get one of the illnesses that a vaccination is supposed to prevent, it would be denied. I’m willing to take that chance. I don’t want to watch another kitty go through what my beloved cat went through with her cancer. If Trupanion will automatically deny any claim due to the cats not having vaccinations, I will not renew the coverage and will look elsewhere. Does anyone know the answer to this?
Just wondering…. I vaccinate my pets myself.. I take them to the vet for there rabies vaccines & any health concerns but I do the other combo vaccines myself. My vet honors these vaccines as acceptable and gives me guidance if needed (especially as to which brands seem most/least effective for that current year in our area). Would Trupanion accept those vaccines? Or are they going to say my pet is not vaccinated because the vet doesn’t do it? Is this going to effect calms in the future…
Good questions!
Michelle- When a first claim is received for processing it is standard practice that we request a copy of your pet’s full medical records including the vaccine history. In your case since there is no history as you are choosing not to vaccinate, we would indicate that in your pet’s medical history on your policy. If your pet comes down with an illness that could have been prevented, then that illness would not be covered. A claim that is not related to vaccinating your pet would not be denied because you are choosing not to vaccinate. As long as no clinical symptoms were present prior to having full coverage with Trupanion, then a claim for an illness or accident is eligible for review.
Shannon- Our guidelines on what we will accept for vaccine protocol is that it should be given by a registered licensed veterinarian. Since you are choosing to administer the vaccines yourself, should it come up in question on a claim concern, we would take the results from a titer test showing that the preventive levels are present for the pet’s antibodies for that vaccine.
Thanks Stacy for replying! I do have another question for you…
I recently got a Cavalier King Charles Puppy… 2 weeks after I got him I took him into the vet to be checked out because he had diarrhea for several days in a row. He also had really dry, flaky, itchy skin. The vet went ahead and gave him panacur in case he had any kind of intestinal parasite that they had missed(Even though he had a negative test 10 days prior.) She said it could have also been from a change in food and environment. While I was there I had her do a skin scraping just to be on the safe side. She found nothing on the skin scraping and told me it probably had something to do with the diarrhea causing his body to not absorb the nutrition from the food. She sent me home with a few days worth of prescription diet just until his belly got better and told me if I didn’t see an improvement to come back. Well now 2 1/2 weeks later my puppy looks GREAT! No diarrhea, no itching, and his coat is fuller and silkier then ever! I was planning on putting him on insurance but now I’m worried as to what the above could do to his coverage….
1.) Would it be in my benefit to take him back to the vet just so they can have it on record that he is better? Or will that have no effect?
2.) What kind of conditions would this exclude from future claims?
3.) Will this simple & typical puppy “problem” follow him for life?
(For example:
A couple months from now he gets diarrhea from eating something?
If a year or two from now he comes down with some kind of skin condition? would these be considered “pre-existing”)
The main reason I’m hesitant about getting him on your insurance program right now is the fact that I’m worried that these “intestinal related” problems or “skin related” problems will be excluded for life… Any info would be a great help!
Thanks!
When a first claim is submitted, your pet’s full medical records are requested to assist us with processing your claim. Part of that review process includes verifying if pre-existing conditions or symptoms that have been present prior to having coverage with us are related to the current claim situation going on. For situations such as this, our policy also outlines that if no symptoms are present within an 18 month period prior to enrolling, that they are eligible for review. This way if something happens as a puppy and again several years later, it will not penalize your pet for their lifetime of coverage.
Thanks Stacy. I think I will be renewing with Trupanion.
I signed up recently with Trupanion and am now having second thoughts. While it seemed that Trupanion has by far better coverage than any of the other pet insurance vis a vi cost, getting claimed appears problematic, particularly since unlike HMO type health insurances for people, where the hospital first obtains approval before treatments, pet insurance requires you to pay the bill then cross your fingers and hope they agree to cover you.
VC – All pet insurance companies in the US work the same way, in that you first pay the veterinarian, then submit your claim to the pet insurance company to be reimbursed. The benefit of this is that you can take your pet to the veterinarian of your choice and don’t have to choose from a limited list.
At Trupanion, we also have the option of filling out a pre-approval claim form in which you would get your vet to list an itemized estimate of the procedure, then we could determine the outcome of the claim before you get any veterinary procedures done.
A pre approval process would certainly be welcomed. It more or less assures policy holders that the company would stand by it’s policy. Thank you for your response.
So what company has the best pet insurance? Is $0.00 deduticable good?
Hi all,
I joined Trupanion 1 day before I picked up my 1st puppy (a boxer called Rocky). When we took Rocky to the vet for his shots they discovered he had a heart murmur, the vet said this was a not uncommon for a young boxer and they usually grow out of this condition by 16 weeks. After 16 weeks the murmur was still present so the vet suggested an x-ray and blood tests then a possible trip to a Cardiologist.
We had the x-ray and blood test done and then filed a claim with Trupanion which was DENIED!!! They say we didn’t wait for the 30 day period.
A typical insurance company, take your cash then refuse your claim.
Trupanion?? more like Falsepanion.
I would avoid this so called pet insurance company and shop elsewhere