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.
Hi B,
I am very sorry to hear that there has been some misunderstandings between you and your vet. I will assure you though, and everyone else out there, that we are not out to screw everyone – we actually do care about helping pets.
Unfortunately, no pet insurance company will cover incidents that are pre-existing, which is why we encourage pet owners to get pet insurance for their pets as soon as possible. That way there are no doubts or surprises, like the one you sadly had to come across.
My sympathies go out to you as you as you’re dealing with your pet’s illness.
Thank you so much,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
I am just wondering how an illness can be determined as pre-existing if the vet did not note this as an existing illness prior to pet insurance coverage?
Hi Mary,
Good question, and thank you for asking. A condition is determined pre-existing both by diagnosis AND showing symptoms.
For example, say your pup has a lump on his chest so you take him to the vet. They start running some tests but can’t quite figure out what’s wrong. That night you get worried and go sign him up for insurance. A week later you go to a specialist who runs some more tests and finds that your poor pup has cancer. Even though the diagnosis happened after signing up, the signs for cancer were present before you got the insurance.
As for the above mentioned case, I can assure you and all readers that in situations such as these, where there may be some confusion and/or disagreement with the pet owner, our claims adjusters will actually talk to the veterinarian who saw the pet and come to an agreement. It is our belief that the veterinarian is always right – as they are the ones with the medical training, and if they were to tell us that pre-existing symptoms were unrelated to the present claim then we would listen to them. Does this help?
Mary – I love you for asking that question and confirming to me that people are actually reading this.
I have also tried to make my point on facebook, along with some of my friends, but Trupanion immediately removes anything negative on their facebook page so do not believe the crap you read there either.
Melissa – To correct something that you noted, we do not disagree with our vet. YOU disagree with our vet. Our vet said that our little guy was not sick and we believed him. It was your people that took his notes and constructed a path to his current illness; therefore, the disagreement is actually between you and our vet. This was again confirmed yesterday when our vet told us “I had NO IDEA that your cat was sick when you left here” which was just before we signed up for your service.
Also, thank you for the ridiculous example in which a pre-existing condition is clear. UNLIKE YOUR EXAMPLE, there was nothing like a lump or something else that would actually be a normal sign of cancer. Instead, we took our cat to the vet because he had diarrhea. Our vet performed a thorough physical examination, took an x-ray and performed multiple other tests and three days later told us, “he has diarrhea due to an irritable bowel” as nothing else showed up as a result of the testing. We then said thank you very much and went on our way to fix the problem. A few days later we signed up with Trupanion assuming that we had just received a clean bill of health from our vet, with the lone exception regarding diarrhea. Therefore also UNLIKE YOUR EXAMPLE, we were not awaiting any test results as we did not sign up with Trupanion until the test had been run and the results returned with nothing scary to note within.
About a month later, the diarrhea had returned so we again called the vet who asked us to bring in a sample. A few days later, the results returned and we were informed that he actually did not have diarrhea and we were asked to bring him back in. A few days later, we were informed of the issue. Note that this is also UNLIKE YOUR EXAMPLE in which everything occurred within a week or so as we were not informed of any serious issues until over 30+ days of signing up with Trupanion.
Nonetheless, Trupanion is claiming that the diarrhea was a symptom of the cancer and denied our claim. Although as noted above, our vet again confirmed yesterday that he did not think our cat was sick after his checkup. What does this mean? Basically if you have EVER taken your pet to a vet because it was ill, you are doomed with Trupanion as pretty much any illness is a symptom of something bigger. Unfortunately for my little guy, diarrhea is a symptom of everything. Therefore, it is very possible that our little guy actually had diarrhea during the original exam and then got cancer later but Trupanion will not discuss this possibility as they are happy with the current outcome.
You and everyone else at Trupanion should be ashamed.
To everyone else reading – I am sorry for the rant but I just want to help those out there that are looking for a reliable insurer to protect their pets / friends and to be warned before using these guys. Trupanion makes themselves out to be saints and THEY ARE NOT. If you happen to get Diana Hull as your claim reviewer, just consider your pet dead because she will not let it go until she wins. Also if you are told to expect a call from the Assistant VP of Member Services, Ronaya Verigin, don’t hold your breath as I am still waiting and it has been weeks.
As my wife and I do not have kids, we consider our little guys our children a watching our oldest fade away because Trupanion is trying to save some money is beyond heartbreaking. Unfortunately we have had to move to the less expensive treatments due to the debt that we got ourselves into while we assumed we were covered. Even more unfortunately, the new treatments do not seem to be working as well and we may only have a couple of weeks left with him. I am getting emotional as I write this so I am going to stop for now but I will be back with more later because there is plenty more to say.
Wow B ! I am sorry for your problems it is always hard to get bad news. It must be even that much harder to think you have a way to care for your loved ones and then find out it not quite the way you think it is going to be. I have worked at a veterinary hospital for over 15 years and i am not a doctor (VET). But I must say that i think it is quite rare to not have cancer. Then 30 days later to not only have cancer but be showing active clinical signs. On the surface of what you have written I must say if I were the insurance company I would probably do the same thing. IT SUCKS but there it is. To Melissa:I just recieved a visit from one of your reps here in Tennessee and I have not heard of Trupanion until about 3 hours ago. I was wondering if you could explain the required reporting process for clinics. We have stop doing business with several companies due to all the information and special forms they wanted us to fill out. And do you have to have a diagnosis code with every visit. Sometimes dogs and cats have diarrhea just because they can! Thanks for your help in advance.
wls,
Thank you for hopping in here. It is always nice to have a perspective other than pet owner and insurance company to contribute to threads such as these!
I’m happy to hear that you were visited by one of our reps. Keep in mind, they are there to try and help you and your clinic should you choose to work with Trupanion.
As for reporting, when a pet owner files a claim we ask them to fill out our one page claim form, and have the attending veterinarian fill out their small section and sign (this form can be found on our website http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com/trupanion_members/Trupanion-Claim-Form.pdf if you want to take a look).
The pet owner will then also have to send in copies of their itemized invoice.
Depending on the type of incident, we will require full medical history. In the case of a broken leg from a pet falling of a deck, for example, we wouldn’t require any medical history because it was accidental in nature. But for something more serious, such as diabetes or cancer where there could have been previous signs, we would ask for records to be faxed. This could either be done from the clinic directly, or through the pet owner.
As for diagnostic codes, or additional tracking we don’t require you to go above and beyond your normal practices. If we have any questions or doubts we will typically call and speak with the clinic directly to come to a conclusion, if that’s possible. I hope this helps…
I wanted to tell B that I am very sorry your pet is sick, I understand how attached people can get to their pets.
My girl Sadie is covered by Trupanion and we are waiting for them to review a number of our claims.
Sadie has a long and sad story regarding torn ACL’s in both knees. These were somewhat difficult to diagnose at first, so she has multiple visits to specialists, an MRI, CAT scan, and then finally two TPLO surgeries.
So far Trupanion has denied one claim (but we asked for review) because a vet said that Sadie had a “stifle disease” instead of an injury and “disease” put us into the 30 day new claim period. The remainder of the claims are on hold until a review is complete.
I am now waiting anxiously to see what Trupanion will do. I think I have paid around $15,000 in vet bills so far. I don’t care that much because Sadie is worth every penny to me. I am concerned that if Trupanion does not pay claims I have almost run out of money to pay for any other issue Sadie (or I) might have.
So far I will say that Corrina and everyone else at Trupanion has been friendly and has promptly answered questions.
I will be sure to post what the final outcome is whether it is bad, good or somewhere in the middle. I think it is best that people tell their story when a company does the right thing, not just rant when they think they have been wronged.
Try gopetplan.com and you won’t have these problems- they are great, reasonably priced and won’t hassle you. I looked at all the plans and the fine print on some of them gave me gas..
To B, I am very sorry about what you are going through. I lost my beloved cat last year to an unknown lung disease at age of 8. I am still heartbroken because it happened unexpectedly and we had regular checkups with the vet.
Melissa:
Due to my last cat’s death, I am looking into getting a health insurance for my new kitten. I have had him go through extensive initial exam just for a peace of mind (x-rays of lungs, legs, blood lab, multiple stool sample tests) and even got second opinion (I know I sound paranoid but it really wasn’t easy losing my baby last year) and he got clean bill of health. The new kitten hasn’t had any problems except some diarrhea when we first got him. Both vets concur that it is due to stress of moving into a new home and away from his flock. Now, if he ever got sick (knock on wood), would it be possible that your company can argue that the initial diarrhea was a “sign” of some “pre-existing condition”?
Concerned possible future customer
Hi KiKi,
Thank you for the question. I can’t answer for certain without knowing the cat’s complete history, but typically in those cases (with medical issues that come and go, such as a cold) if they completely clear up they are not usually related to a later incident. In the case mentioned above, keep in mind that the symptoms never cleared up and it was later found that this was because of a bigger issue. In your case, you are probably right, that the diarrhea is related to stress. If you want, you can call and speak with one of our member specialists at 1-800-569-7913 to get a bit more technical.
I had VPI for years, then switched to ASPCA’s plan. While it isn’t perfect, (then end up paying for 50% of bills, not the 80 they claim), it’s still better than nothing. I was excited about Trupanion until I read these comments. ASCPA’S plan has always paid, and in fact, when I complained about the low payment for one of the big claims (because we live in LA and costs are higher) they adjusted the reimbursement by $1000. So while I like the claims of Trupanion, I have become nervous because of these comments and will stick with a company that has paid consistently the last 3 years.
I am going to try Trupanion based on my reading and these reviews.
I’m off to the site to click the final submit button. I hope I’m not making a mistake???
Oh, BTW, I have a 6 month old Rottweiler puppy, which made me quite happy to hear it’s a pet insurance for puppies and kitties.
I’ll let you all know how things go….
B I am so sorry to hear about your poor baby! I would be devastated! I completely agree with how you are feeling and how horrible it is to feel screwed over. I recently had a similar experience with Trupanion! It’s HORRIBLE! I wanted to cancel my policy immediately and just move the funds into a savings account instead of wasting it on them!
I’ve only had my new cat for half a year and signed her up for trupanion a few months after adopting her thinking it was a good investment for protection. When I brought her home she went to the vet for an ear infection because she was a stray and her ears had never been cleaned before. It was treated and cured. A few months later, she was having troubles with impacted anal glands filling up constantly and started pulling out her hair at the base of her tail from the anxiety of the discomfort. Again, we treated and it was cured.
Now she suddenly developed allergies and her skin has become incredibly itchy so the vet ran expensive diagnostics and wanted to start immunotherapy. She had also gotten an ear infection from water that had gotten inside. So I filed a claim expecting that my expensive decisions would be reimbursed as she had no prior allergy symptoms and the vets even cleared her from allergies as a cause back during the anal gland issues.
Low and behold! Trupanion takes 2 months to reply because they’re “busy” and denies all claims! Even though my vet EXPLICITLY stated that all events were unrelated Trupanion screwed me over by stating that hair pulling and ear infections are both CLINICAL SYMPTOMS of allergies and therefore all FUTURE INFECTIONS OR ALLERGY TREATMENTS will not be covered.
What I want to know is how they managed to twist my vets diagnosis to link a water caused ear infection and an impacted anal gland issue to allergies that she never developed ANY symptoms of until much later? There answer? I was told “we do not go by your vet’s diagnosis, but the clinical symptoms of the illness” Meaning? If your pet ever gets an illness that has symptoms that could in any way shape or form be “clinical symptoms” of a larger problem that develops later YOU WILL NOT BE COVERED! Even if the cause and diagnosis by your vet has a definite source and is in no way related to the future incident.
So how can Trupanion claim that they go by the word of the vet’s diagnosis when they have their own set of rules regarding “symptoms”? Oh my vet is also steamed. And their claim that they talk with the vet directly to make a decision on the claim? FALSE. My vet has been trying to speak with them in regards to this, but they want to have nothing to do with it.
B, I feel your pain! It’s a scam and a rip off if your pet has EVER been to a vet before signing up! I’d be much better off spending the money on her care than on the “paper” I got called a policy. Now she cannot have her expensive treatment and must suffer for life on our own limited funds.
I am currently filing a complaint with the BBB and will probably be joining you in the future with a civil lawsuit.
Hi Melissa,
My wife and I just bought a Golden named Ranger. I have researched several insurance company’s and it basically came down to you and one other. After reading your response to posters I have made my mind to go with Trupanion. Any company that takes the time to go online and answer post in such a thoughtful manner deserves my business. I hope that it will continue once I am signed up.
Thank you for taking the time.
Hi, I have two questions about Trupanion. First, is the deductible that a pet owner chooses a lifetime deductible, or is a per-incident deductible, or an annual deductible? Secondly, I’m getting a large dog, and many recommend that he should not get neutered until 18-24 month (24 months preferred). Would I have any problems with coverage because of this?
I adopted my pet from someone who couldn’t take care of him anymore, due the owner having a stroke. They can’t find his vet records but swear he’s healthy / had been regularly.
If I insure him, and wait 30 days to bring him to the vet for a check-up, will anything found be considered “pre-existing” or new?
This past June I bought to Saint Bernard puppies. Now as we all know they are a very large breed and are prone to hip problems, such as hip dyplasia. I was going to start my puppies on joint supplement to help there hip bones for the future. I am wondering if this is going to be a problem in the future if I did insure them now and maybe one of them needed hip dyplasia surgery. I mean they have never been to the vet for there hips, there is no issues now, but as they get larger they may encounter some issues.
Hi-I just found the best vet near where I live (I had my other cat spayed) and asked if they accept Trupanion as I’m interested in covering my two cats (both under two years old) and they said ‘no’. Do I look for a new vet or another insurance company? We do have some sleezy vet places here and I’d rather not change. Thank you, Susan
Again, I read about certain bills being denied, and with both companies I’ve been with – VPI and ASPCA (PetHealth, or something like that), I’ve never been denied. Both companies end up giving you partial reiumbursement. I think ASPCA’s is better then VPI, I always tell people to realistically expect 60% back, maybe 70%. I think I was with VPI about five or six years. And I’ve been with ASPCA about four years. No problems. And one adjustment by VPI when I complained. I’m curious about Trupanion, because I’d like to get even more reiumbursement, yet ASPCA is consistent at least 60%. And I pay about $37 a month for my (now) six year old Italian Greyhound.
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.
This is for Kevin. Did they end up covering the claims and how long did you have the policy before the service dates? I have VPI and I’m thinking of switching but I am concerned because my dog did have back pain a few months ago which turned out to be nothing that could be pinpointed and considering he did so good after being in the hospital on bedrest for 2 days was most likely as pulled muscle. I do have concerns that if he had any back issues in the future that the claim would be denied.
Hi Beth, we are still waiting to see if Trupanion will pay the claims. The delay has not been their fault, we took Sadie to quite a few vets and it has taken quite a while to get them all the records. I can understand that they want all the information because the total of our claims is very large. We should know more in a couple weeks. As to your specific situation, I would be very worried that any insurance company would deny a claim for a back problem. I really feel for people dealing with these problems (me included) but we need to remember that if these companies paid every claim no matter what the circumstances, they would need to charge hundreds of dollars a month for insurance. I will keep everyone posted about how this works out with Trupanion.
Why has Melissa been silent since Oct 26th?
Hi-thank you for the info on Purina. Unfortunately, they’re not yet in Florida. When they do get here-I will sign with them! But where to I turn in the meantime?
Try gopetplan.com they are fantastic. they are one of the few companies that pay what your vet charges, they don’t limit payment to ‘usual and customary’. They don’t offer coverage for ‘well pet care’ (vaccinations/spay, etc) but to be honest- if you do the math you will see that you are not getting those services for free, usually the premium is $200 more a year for about $200 in well pet care!
I have called Trupanion a few times for info and remember talking to Melissa. She is very informative about pet insurance and have decided to go with Trupanion after researching at least 10 other pet insurance companies. Trupanion is clear and easy to understand in what their insurance covers. I am going to recommend this company to anyone who is looking for pet insurance.
Hi, im looking for insurance for my 2 cats and im not sure which one is better, right now trupanion is the one I like,
One of my cats its allergic to fleas and his allergy comes an goes because we havent been able to get rid of the fleas, my question is if this insurance will be able to covered the medicine and the treatments?
Lizeth,
No. If your cat already has problems with allergies due to fleas then it will be considered pre-existing. Along with all allergies and all complications due to or even possibly due to allergies for life. That said, any complications in the future related to fleas in general will also probably be considered pre-existing. I had a similar situation with my cat and everything was denied, even though it couldn’t be proven that it was an allergy related symptom before the policy date. They even denied an ear infection claim because of her pre-existing allergies status. They told me if she doesn’t have another ear infection for two years then she will be covered because the vet and I both argued that the ear infection was due to debris. I spoke with them further and they told me that even certain illnesses are considered pre-existing if they’ve happened more than once in a year. (i.e. your cat isn’t allowed to catch a cold or get a similar infection more than once a year from what I was told) You will probably have a hard time finding any insurance company that will cover your cat’s allergies.
A question for Melissa at Trupaninon, we have a 8 month old Great Dane who after her first cycle will be neutered does Trupanion cover any kind of neutering medical procedures?
You said that the trupaion premium only goes up for inflation of medical suppies and so forth. Can you give us a few examples of the increases your customers have indured in the last few years percentage and dollar wise. Tom
I’m interested in seeing Melissa’s responses to some recent posts as I have similar questions. (Mainly on how adopted pets are handled with no prior vet records.)
Hi there!
I have been shopping for Pet Insurance for months – ever since I brought my Versace home. So far, until I found Trupanion and this forum, I had read NOTHING but horrible reviews about every company I had considered.
I am so very pleased to see a representative answering customer questions with honesty and promptness. Melissa’s responses here have really been the icing on the cake for me.
My kitten is 7 months old this month and we have been lucky not to have any major issues with him, but it is definitely time to have him insured.
One question – will my kitten being declawed affect my premium or coverage at all? We had this done when he was neutered.
Thanks!
Leah
I think that the plan you choose needs to reflect your pets issues or possble future issues, what you need covered and what you don’t need. With that being said I have 9 month chocalate lab. I have no problem covering his wellness stuff like shots, heartworm & flea and tick. My biggest fears are him being injured in an accident, hip dysplasia and herditary defects. Those are the things that could cost thousands of dollars. It is for this reason that I went with Trupanion. They are one of the only ones that cover hip dysplasia which labs are prone to. I liked that I could use all the money whenever it was needed and that they covered 90% of the actual bill. After researching all the companies, talking to my vet and looking at my situation, this works best for me.
Melissa, Thank you for commenting and providing more clarity on TruPanion’s offerings. It’s nice to know that your company is aware of the blogosphere and participates constructively in providing information.
thank you.
Hi,
Reading the comments above I guess I’m one of the few disappointed with TruPanion. I submitted my frist claim and yes they reponded quickly and paid part of it.
They did not pay the vet exam. And yes it says that in the policy, so I’m to blame, but I thought that meant for a normal exam, for instance going in for shots etc., not one associated with an illness or injury.
So why the 90% coverage sounds good or no deductable you really are paying a deductable or less then 90% by always paying the exam bill.
The portion of the exam cost at an emergency clinic can be quite high.
So when they say that they cover 90% of the bill it is untrue.
Hi everyone and thanks for all of your questions and comments!
My name is Alex and I work for Trupanion. I am filling in for Melissa to help answer some of your questions.
Jaime: Our deductible is a per-incident deductible. Policyholders may customize their own deductible and premium to fit their own financial needs. Right now, Trupanion is the only company to offer a $0 deductible option. With a $0 deductible, we would reimburse at the full 90% less the exam fee for any approved claims. Regarding neutering your dog, you will still receive full coverage so long as your pet is spayed or neutered prior to their first birthday or, to pets where the timing of being spayed or neutered is in conjunction with your vet’s medical recommendations (in your case).
Joe: If you can give us the name of the vet clinic where they took the pet we are able to call and request any past medical records. We are happy to help you during the claim process. We would only be able to cover an illness or accident that has not shown evidence to be present or symptomatic prior to having full coverage.
Rachel: Yes I have heard that Saint Bernards are prone to hip problems. So it is probably a good idea to get Trupanion and purchase the optional hip dysplasia add-on to your policy if your pet is under one year old. If they are young and have not had any hip problems before adding the hip dysplasia coverage, it would be covered.
Susan: We will cover you for visiting any licensed veterinarian or animal hospital in your area. Since coverage is based on a reimbursement format, you pay the vet bill up front and we reimburse you for 90% of the cost of veterinary medicine (not including the exam fee).
HeathCliff: Trupanion reimburses 90% of the actual cost of veterinary medicine. To see how we compare to other pet insurance companies, please visit http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com/Why_Choose_Trupanion_Pet_Health_Insurance/Compare_Pet_Insurance_Companies/Vpi-Comparison
Lizeth: Unfortunately it does sound like the allergies to fleas would be considered a pre-existing condition. However, we would cover a wide range of other problems that can still arise that your pet has not shown symptoms for, since otherwise healthy. Give us a call at 1-800-569-7913 if you would like to discuss your situation in further detail.
Kim: Trupanion does not have any wellness or preventative coverage at this time, so neutering is not covered.
Tom: We occasionally have to raise premiums due to the rising cost of pet health care. The cost of health care has multiple factors: the number of total veterinary visits, increased specialty or emergency work, etc. Monthly premiums are determined by the local costs of pet health care, the breed of your pet, and its age at the time of enrollment (which allows each pet owner to have the best value for their specific pet). We assure you that your premiums won’t increase nor will your coverage be restricted due to your pet aging or the number of claims made. Your rates will change periodically (up OR down) only as the cost of pet health care changes. Trupanion will never penalize responsible pet owners for having unlucky pets. This means your rates won’t increase and your coverage won’t decrease after you submit claims nor because your pet reaches a certain age.
Leah: Declawing your kitten will not affect your coverage.
I hope that helps answer some of your questions! We encourage you to post more and I will be checking back soon.
Hello,
I’ve just enrolled my dog in Trupanion.
I would like to know what would happen if you were to go out of business or have another company takeover Trupanion? Are their provisions for currently insured pet owners?
Thank you!
Trupanion was founded over 10 years ago. We first started in Canada and have now been issuing policies across the United States since 2008. With our presence in the US, we are our own Underwriter which allows Trupanion to have a very solid regulatory and financial structure that few companies have within the industry. We plan to be present for many years to come.
I am very impressed by Trupanion insurance. If you search earlier posts you will see my story with my dog Sadie. She had two TPLO surgeries in 2009 along with an MRI.
Trupanion initially denied the claims based on the x-ray tech listing Sadie’s problem as “Joint disease”. This caused us to fall within the one month waiting period after the initial insurance coverage for any “disease.” Sadie’s ligament problem was from an injury and not a disease.
Trupanion submitted all the claims to the third party review vet. This took months because they needed all the information from all the different vets sadie visited.
The result of the third party review was that Sadie had two torn ligaments and needed all the treatments that she received. Trupanion promptly paid all claims which came to around $13,000.
Of course it took months to get the claim paid, but what do you expect? I pay around $40 per month and they had claims of $13,000? Any company who would just pay out a claim like that without checking into it would be out of business in a few weeks.
It was also not Trupanion’s fault for the long delay, it simply takes a long time to get several vet clinics to send x-rays, notes and MRI reports to a central location. It does not help when the dog’s owner (me) takes some of the x-ray films home with him.
I also need to mention that everyone at Trupanion that I had contact with was very good about returning phone calls (always within one day, normally same day) and keeping me updated on the exact status of claim.
Obviously you do need to watch out for “pre-existing conditions” but I think that will happen with any insurance company. They are gambling that your pet will stay reasonably healthy, they cannot insure for diseases that the pet already has. I don’t think the lesson here is to find a different company, the lesson is that you need to insure your pet immediately so that you are insured before your pet has a diagnosed problem.
To sum up my long story, I highly recommend Trupanion and every dog I have will be insured with them the day I bring the dog home.
Kevin
I have ASPCA pet insurance. He had diahrrea near the end of his policy period. The policy automatically renewed with a charge to my cc. I submitted a claim for the vet bill. He was treated and diagnosed with giardia. A few weeks later, he began having diahrrea, lethagy and didnt want to eat again. I took him to the vet who had done a complete workup on him. It has been ruled that this is either whipworm or irritable bowel syndrome. ASPCA refuses to pay, indicating this is excluded as a preexisting because the condition manifested itself during the prior period. I am incensed over this but I reviewed my policy to find that this is how they do it. I want to change insurance to Trupanion and think that Giardia and whipworms and/or ibs will be considered preexisting but am concerned that if later down the line say 1 or 2 years he were to get similar symptoms (which are common symptoms for many things)the insurers will relate it back and say anything he has with these symptoms are preexisting. Does anyone have any knowledge of how this works? Since Im considering Trupanion, it would be great if I could get a response from them.
Oops, he refers to my dog!
I am interested in the response to Mel’s question as well. I have recently adopted a 5 yr. old Great Dane diagnosed with IBS, and am concerned that down the line his diarrhea (which is now under control with change in diet) could be identified as a pre-existing symptom of any number of illnesses.
My 11 month chocalate lab caught a bad case off Colitis. Submitted my first claim this morning and by the evening the claim had been processed and after my $200 deductible they approved my claim for$435. I am very impressed by this company and glad we are with them.
Hi Mel,
With Trupanion pet insurance, you have one policy for the life of your pet. You never have to worry about your policy “renewing” each year and any conditions arising in the past year being considered pre-existing. If you were to enroll with Trupanion, you are correct that prior conditions would be considered pre-existing. However, we do review each claim on an individual case and see what symptoms are present and if related to any conditions or symptoms present before or if differentiated by the veterinarian and the medial record. If you have specific questions about your situation before you enroll, please give us a call at 1-800-569-7913 to speak with one of our member specialists.