If you have a cat or dog between 8 weeks and 14 years of age, Trupanion may be the pet insurance provider for you. This insurer differs from others in a few ways:

• Trupanion pays 90 percent of your cost without caps, even at emergency centers, specialty hospitals and referral clinics. Many pet insurance providers cover only 80 percent. Your rates won’t increase just because you’ve submitted multiple claims—and your coverage won’t decrease either.

• Hereditary and congenital disorders—conditions present at birth—aren’t excluded from coverage. Most pet insurers refuse to cover these, leaving you with large veterinary bills, despite having a pet insurance policy.

• The one drawback to purchasing a Trupanion policy is the lack of routine care coverage. According to the website, “dollar trading for routine veterinary costs would double monthly premiums without adding value. Instead, Trupanion offers an affordable and practical type of pet health insurance that covers major costs you can’t anticipate.”

Your pet’s breed and age at the time of enrollment will determine the premium—which won’t increase as your pet ages. You can lower your dog or cat’s premium by selecting a per incident deductible that best matches your budget. Premiums may increase periodically to reflect the rising cost of veterinary care.

Trupanion Pet Insurance Review

Rating: 9

Our review process starts with calling each of the insurance providers over the telephone and then, we gather quotes for these three pet profiles:

• A 2-year old male Yorkshire Terrier named Jax
• A 6-year old male Cocker Spaniel named Max
• An 8-year old female mixed breed cat named Fluffy

I spoke with Michelle at Trupanion. Michelle was very friendly. Our call wasn’t long, but it seems there isn’t that much to explain since Trupanion only has one plan.

THE PLANS/QUOTES

You can choose your deductible—anywhere between $0 and $1,000—to fit your premiums within your budget. Each pet gets $20,000 over his lifetime for accidents and illnesses with no limits per year, claim, illness, procedure, or condition. Trupanion reimburses 90% of every approved claim.

Monthly premiums for each pet:

The 2-year old male Yorkshire Terrier: $40.83 with a $0 deductible, $19.80 with a $1,000 deductible

A 6-year old male Cocker Spaniel: $52.41 with a $0 deductible, $23.72 with a $1,000 deductible

An 8-year old female mixed breed cat: $33.78 with a $0 deductible, $15.42 with a $1,000 deductible

THE DETAILS

Trupanion covers diagnostic tests, surgeries, and medications (including hereditary and congenital disorders). Once you submit a claim, you can expect an approval or denial within 7 days—and as soon as 24 hours if it’s a repeat claim. Your rates will never increase due to increased claim activity, and premiums won’t increase due to aging. There is a 5-day waiting period for accidents, and a 30-day waiting period for illnesses.

Trupanion will only deny coverage for hereditary and congenital disorders if symptoms were present before you enrolled your pet, or during the waiting period. There is no coverage for routine care. According to the website, “dollar trading for routine veterinary visits would double monthly premiums without adding value.”

You can cancel your policy at any time without any penalty.

CONCLUSIONS

Pros:

• You only have one limit: $20,000 over your pet’s lifetime.
• The deductibles and premiums are highly flexible, meaning you can fit the plan within your budget.
• There is no benefits schedule.
• Premiums will not increase due to aging.
• You may get coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions if symptoms occurred after your plan took effect.
• Customer reviews indicate excellent customer service.

Cons:

• Routine coverage is not included.
• They not do cover pets that aren’t spayed or neutered.

To learn more about Trupanion, visit them online or call 1-800-569-7913.

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