Trupanion Pet Insurance

Your pets are one of the best friends you can have all the time. Their innocent faces and lovely activities make your day more enjoyable and lively but when they get sick or get minor injury it can hurt you to the deepest. In that case, what can provide you a major relief is your pet insurance from a reliable company that ensures the caring of your pet at any time in their life.

Cat and dog health insurance covers the financial burden of any minor injury or if your pet has developed some major health issues such as cancer etc, your pet insurance covers the immediate cost of the medication that is needed for your beloved companion. Because you never know about the unfortunate incidents that can befall on your pet and you don’t find yourself in a position to pay for it and you lose it because of not having enough money at that time to cover the medications for your pet.

To prevent this misfortune from happening, pet insurance is the smart decision you can make if you love and care for your pets. But if you are wondering how to find a reliable shelter for your pet, Trupanion pet insurance company can greatly help you.

With its best plans which are open to be customized, you will find a great deal of options available in their policy. The best thing about the company is that the whole staff is very loving and caring towards all the pets enrolled with them. That is the thing which every pet lover needs to ensure when they look for the insurance of their pets.

The story of Trupanion

Trupanion is the pet insurance company based in the United States that offers and administers dog and cat insurance in Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia and the United States. The company was founded by its current CEO Darry Rawlings in 1999 in Australia but later on they expanded their services to other countries and it became the first North American pet insurance provider that got license to provide its own under-writing.

The story of the establishment of the Trupanion pet insurance company is an interesting one. So, the current CEO of the company Darryl Rawlings had this incident with his pet Mitzy when Rawlings was just a teenager and Mitzy was two years old. Mitzy was diagnosed with a twisted stomach in a veterinary clinic which required surgery. Having found out that his family can’t afford the surgery, Rawlings has to leave Mitzy at the clinic and come back home without his furry friend.

Rawlings thought that there should be a better way to save the pets and the owners should not leave their pets just because they can’t afford their medication at immediate time. That idea materialized after 15 years when Rawlings started Trupanion, originally called Vet Insurance Corp, having a goal of delivering high quality medical insurance offers to dogs and cats so that they should be taken care of in a proper manner and not be left without shelter.

In a time span of just one decade, Trupanion made an enormous success by establishing the company in Australia and expanding it to the United States. In 2008, the company 500,000 insured pets in North America and over $1 billion in paid claims on behalf of its members.

There are only 2% of pets insured in North America. It puts Trupanion in great work to see the potential of growing its services in other parts of the continent where it is very needed. And the company is indeed making progress to untap the places where there is a need to prived the services such as in Asia, South America and Western Europe.

They are not only planning to expand in terms of their reach but a long and sustainable life is also on the agenda of the company. They are working on Landspath, a high-quality pet food that will help pets to live a healthy and long life. Once prescribed by the veterinarians, Trupanion intends to deliver the food at the doors of pet owners.

Trupanion Insurance policy

Compared to other pet insurance companies, Trupanion’s policy is customer friendly where they take care of both pet owners and the pets with adjustable and per condition deductibles. They provide flexible policy and options to change deductible and monthly payment at any time but in terms of monthly payments, premiums are little higher than the other insurers but their services satisfy the customers anyway.

Cost of pet insurance

The cost for the insurance policy varies based on the gender, age, breed, as well as the deductibles and add-ons you purchase.

The monthly premium is $59 for the dogs, the amount can be more or less depending on your pet and area and deductibles are adjustable whose range is from $0 to $1000.

The insurance offers for the Recovery and Complementary Care add-on. If you want to purchase, it will cost you additional $30 and will cover natural and alternative therapies for your pets at the time of need. The pet owner assistance add-on package includes liability insurance, boarding fees for hospitalizations, holiday cancellation etc. This package costs you $4.95 a month with your premium cost.

You also need to pay a one time administration fee which is $35. This is to be paid when you sign up for the policy.

Trupanion offers a refund policy that includes that if you change your mindset in the middle or you are not satisfied with the policy that you have just signed up for, you can apply for the refund of the policy within 30 days given that the company has not paid for any of your claims.

How to file a claim?

Trupanion has made the reimbursement process so simple and easy that you can get your reimbursement within minutes without going through the lengthy process of filing applications. Through Vet Direct Pay policy, you get to be paid directly by the company to the hospital. For that you need to select veterinarians hospitals and clinics that use Trupanion’s software, they can submit a claim for you or in case the clinic doesn’t use the software, you can download one and submit a claim for reimbursement on their website or through email or fax. You will receive the amount within minutes.

Trupanion has a unique feature of reimbursement that is generally not provided by other insurers and that is of direct payment to your veterinarian. They have partnership with multiple veterinarian centers in the country whom they pay directly which eliminates the need for paying from your pocket first and wait longer for the reimbursement to receive. All you need to do is to only pay your copay once you are done with your pet’s check-up.

You will receive the reimbursement with a check in mail or in the savings account.

What does pet insurance cover?

The pet insurance from Trupanion covers the unexpected injuries and emergency veterinary care cost but it does not cover the routine check-ups, vaccinations, exam fees, dental cleaning, neuter/spay or similar procedures that can be covered on daily or monthly basis from your side.

Genetic and breed-specific conditions

The insurance policy covers for the cost of diseases related to genetic or breed-specific conditions such as diabetes, hip dysplasia and liver diseases. Because their treatment goes for a longer term in some cases even for life costing the pet parent thousands of dollars. The veterinary bills are all covered under the policy.

Accidental injuries and illness

If your dog or cat has been struck by unexpected injuries and accidents, the policy covers diagnostic tests, surgeries, hospitalization, prosthetics and prescription medication, food and supplements. The dental accidents, minor or serious, are also covered under the policy.

Unexplained symptoms

If your dog or cat is suffering from unexpected and unprecedented chronic symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting etc, the policy covers the veterinary costs for the hospitalization of your pet resulting from these kinds of symptoms.

Add-ons

The concerned pet parents can purchase some add-ons in their package which can be covered in the Recovery and Complementary Care package. The package includes the covered cost in following cases:

• Hydrotherapy
• Rehabilitation
• Acupuncture
• Behavior modification
• Homeopathic treatments

The package also covers the cost for unintentional property damage, as well as the boarding fee for hospitalization. It pays for the advertising fee in case your pet is missing.

The plan coverage largely depends on the age, breed and location but here is a simple example for a similar case:

Breed: Yellow Lab

Age: 1 year

Zip code: 90010

90% reimbursement

Unlimited coverage

Plan cost $29.8 per month.

Breed: English Bulldog

Age: 5years

Zip code: 35005

90% reimbursement

Unlimited coverage

Plan cost $32. 15 per month

From the following table, you can have an idea of the price range for your pet. But given the breed and location the prices may slightly be changed.

How to apply for the insurance policy?

With Trupanion, the first step in getting the pet insurance for your pet is to get the quote. The process is all easy and online where you are required to fill the form with the basic information about you and your pet. Your information includes your name, work and location while adding your pet’s age, breed and gender.

Then you can look for the policy that best suits your budget along with the deductibles. You can also customize the policy too with the given options. Once done with entering the information you can add the information about the veterinarian that you choose for your pet to be looked after. You can mention your add-ons if you want to purchase some.

After that, you can pay for the policy and the Trupanion will confirm your package for your pet insurance via mail.

According to the policy of the company, you have to wait for a certain amount of time before benefits go into effect. If your dog or cat gets injured or develops any injury during the waiting time, it is not covered in the policy. The waiting time with Trupanion is five days for injuries and 30 days for illness. In this time if the dog develops any injury or illness that is considered a pre-existing condition and not be covered by the policy.

Available plans in Trupanion pet insurance

The Trupanion plan is offered as one single base plan that is for both cats and dogs. You can customize the annual deductible with a sliding scale of deductibles in $5 increments that ranges from $0 to $1000. You won’t find any policy payout limits in the plan.

There are two policy enhancements available for the people who want to purchase the add-ons. The first one Recovery and Complementary Care rider which covers physical therapy, behavioral modification and homeopathy. The second one is Additional Pet Owner Assistance which covers a range of unexpected costs that include property damage liability, advertising and rewards in case your pet goes missing. Also, this add-on includes cremation and burial if the pet dies in an unexpected accident.

Any of the above mentioned plans covers preventive care which means that you won’t be paid for routine check-ups, microchipping, vaccinations, neuter or spay surgery.

Why choose Trupanion for your pet’s insurance?

While looking for the safety of your pet, you really need to decide on the insurance company that provides the best services with manageable premium dues. Their team is hardworking, pet loving and dedicated that ensure that your pet gets the best medications with the best experience.

Other than that, there are three main reasons that make Trupanion stand out from other pet insurance companies.

No payout limit

The policy of Trupanion insurance covers lifetime health coverage which means that you don’t have to pay for any per accident limits, annual limits or lifetime limits and annual limits. The amount of care you receive from the insurance company is for the lifetime.

90% coverage

The Trupanion policy provides 90% of the actual veterinary costs for the bills that are approved as accident and illness claims. This coverage less the exam fee, taxes and optional deductible. You can get this 90% coverage at any veterinary clinic, emergency care center and special hospital where you get your pet treated.

One simple plan

Pet insurance can be a complicated process given multiple levels and plans. But the Trupanion has provided an easy and simple plan to follow. The policy covers diagnostic tests, medications, surgery, treatments and hospital stays for the time the pet needs to be stayed in the hospital.

Pros and Cons of having Trupanion pet insurance

Just like other insurance services provided by different companies, Trupanion has its own pros and cons which should be considered when you plan to purchase your package from the company.

Pros

The insurance policy plan of Trupanion is more comprehensive one compared to other insurers. It covers from illness and injury check-ups, to physical therapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture and behavioral therapy. It’s services also cover a wider range from the United States, Canada, Australia and Puerto Rico. They are also planning to expand their services to parts of Asia, South America and Europe.

There is no age limitation on hip dysplasia coverage; you just have to hold on in the waiting period, in which your policy is not active. If your pet develops such conditions, it is not covered within 30 days of the waiting period but other than that there is no age restriction for the treatment of hip dysplasia.

With their Direct Pay Act, Trupanion pays directly to your veterenion without making you wait for the money to receive in your bank account. You get the reimbursement within minutes after you file a claim.

There is no payout limit coverage and Trupanion provides 90% of the reimbursement as a standard.

Trupanion has secured a 3.4 /5 star rating from customers and it also has an “A” rating with Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Their customer care service is available 24/7.

Cons

The direct payment is one of the distinctive features of the insurance policy provided by Trupanion, but for that you need to find out the vet who is ‘in the network’ because Trupanion pays in those vets with whom they have partnership.

The Trupanion plan for both cats and dogs is the same. You can include the add-ons in your package but that is not as customizable as some other plans. You have to look into other plans if you want to customize the package based on the unique needs of your pet.

Their rates for the policy are higher than compared to other insurers and some review sites suggest that they increase their rate by 20% each year which is burdensome for the policy holders.

Trupanion offers the insurance till the age of 14 of the pets and after that the policy is not renewed.

The insurance policy does not cover for routine wellness or check-ups. Their policy does not cover preventive care.

They don’t provide any discounts if you enroll multiple pets and it also fails to offer discounts for paying upfront.

Conclusion

Given that your dogs and cats are your best friend and their best care is your first priority, finding the best plan of insurance would be one of the concerns. Trupanion is one of the places where you can put trust in the safety of your pet. With over a million pet enrollments, Trupanion is working in the best interest of the pet and the pet owners.

They provide simple plans with affordable premiums that cover emergency injury or illness of the pet and with the add-ons they offer special packages that are customizable in which people can choose additional care for their pets that include different therapies and regular check-ups that are not included in the normal package.

The process of application and reimbursement is simple and easy. With an online process, you can apply from the comfort of your home by simply entering the relevant information about you and your pet. With these easy steps, you can enroll your pet with Trupanion which is in partnership with many veterinarians. If you enroll your pet in one of these veterinarians, you receive the reimbursement in a matter of minutes through the direct paying method of the company. It keeps you at ease without waiting for the payment to come into your bank account, they directly pay to your vet.

With these and other plans, Trupanion is available for customers 24/7, making it a customer friendly insurer in the country. So, if you are looking for a trustworthy pet insurance company, Trupanion is there to help you with its comprehensive plans and processes.