Trupanion Pet Insurance FAQs

Learning about pet health insurance can be difficult and often hard to understand. We want to make sure you know what you're getting with a pet insurance plan.

Coverage Questions

What does Trupanion pet insurance cover?
Trupanion covers 90% of veterinary costs that arise from a pet getting sick or injured. We reimburse based on the actual cost a vet charges for diagnostic testing, surgeries, medications, hospitalization, supplements*, therapeutic pet foods**, orthotic devices, prosthetic devices, carts, and other treatments, less the exam fee. Hereditary conditions are covered as well.1

*Coverage applies to supplements and therapeutic pet foods prescribed and purchased through a veterinarian for the treatment of accidents and illnesses.
**We cover ½ of the cost of therapeutic pet foods for two months, after which a discount is applied to the pet owner’s premium.
1 Availability is subject to regulatory approval in your area.

What is not covered?
Trupanion offers coverage for unexpected veterinary costs. Expected costs, or routine costs, are not eligible for coverage. These include: exam fees, preventive care, parasite control, spay/neuter, bilateral conditions, conditions arising from a repetitive activity that leads to decontamination (ie, stomach pumping, induced vomiting), abnormalities that are present at, or during the 18 months prior to, the policy enrollment date and dental (scaling, cleaning and polishing). Pre-existing conditions (accidents or illnesses that have shown signs to be present prior to the start of coverage or during the waiting periods) are also excluded from coverage. Coverage for alternative therapies are also excluded unless our Additional Care Package1 is added for an additional cost.

1 Availability is subject to regulatory approval in your area.

How do you determine what will be a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition is any illness or condition which first occurred or displayed signs prior to your pet’s coverage effective date. A pre-existing condition can also be an injury or recurrence of an injury that occurred prior to your pet’s coverage effective date. However, pre-existing conditions are eligible for review if no signs have been present within an 18-month period prior to enrolling.

Why is routine care not covered?
We do not include routine care, or wellness care, in our coverage because we have found it greatly increases premiums without adding additional value.

When does my coverage begin? Are there waiting periods?
Trupanion has a 5-day waiting period for accidents and a 30-day waiting period for illnesses. That means that we will cover accidents five days after the policy start date and illnesses 30 days after the policy start date as long as they are not pre-existing.

Do you offer a multiple pet discount?
No. Rather than raising our rates and offering various discounts, we offer all customers the lowest possible premiums across the board.

Is my coverage reduced for going to a specialist/emergency vet?
No. If you are referred to a specialist or visit an emergency hospital, you will still be reimbursed as normal. Do remember that the veterinary exam is your responsibility so if you are charged a specialist fee or emergency fee this is regarded as the same.

How is my coverage affected if my pet is not spayed/neutered?
For pets that have not been spayed or neutered by their first birthday, as per their veterinarian's recommendation, or within 60 days of being adopted, coverage is limited. As stated in section 5 f 1 of our policy, "no coverage shall apply for illness 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."

Claims Questions

How do I file a claim?
When you take your pet in to have a veterinary visit due to an illness or accident, a one page claim form should be filled out by both you (the pet owner) and your veterinarian. The pet owner fills in Part A of the claim form and the attending veterinarian will fill in Part B. A fully completed claim form along with itemized invoices must be submitted within 90 days of the treatment date. You can submit your claim to us by fax or mail.

Where can I get a claim form?
You can download a claim from in the policyholders section of our website, or you may contact our call center at 1-800-569-7913 and we will mail, e-mail, or fax one to you.

Should I bother to file a claim if my bill is less than my deductible?
Yes! Because our deductible is per-incident, you always want to file claims, even if they are below the amount of your deductible. This will reduce the amount of deductible for which you will be responsible for on the next veterinary bill related to that particular condition. Once your deductible has been met for a particular condition, it is met for the life of your pet's policy for the same condition. It is important to point out that Trupanion does not penalize due to any claim submission.

Billing Questions

How do I pay for insurance?
You can pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express) and your premium will automatically be charged to your card each month or via monthly bank account withdrawals.

How do I update my payment method or new card expiration date?
Just log into your account in the policyholders section and click on "Edit" next to Billing Information, or give us a call at 800-569-7913.

How do I get paid when my claim has been approved?
We will send you a check in the mail. You also have the option to receive your claims payment directly into a checking or savings account via direct deposit. You can set this up by calling 1-800-569-7913.

How long will my first claim take to process when I file a claim?
For a pet’s first claim, we need your pet’s complete medical history from all vets that your pet has visited. This includes current and previous veterinarians as well as specialty/emergency hospitals. This can take approximately 7-10 days depending on how long it takes for us to receive all necessary information from all hospitals involved. Once we have your pet’s medical records on file, our average claim processing is within 24 hours. Once the claim is processed and approved, a check will be sent to you in the mail. You also have the option to receive your claims payment directly into a checking or savings account via direct deposit. You can set this up by calling 1-800-569-7913.

What is a deductible, and how does it work?
A deductible is the amount of your veterinary bill for which you are responsible before we start to cover any veterinary medical expenses. Trupanion’s deductibles are per accident or illness, meaning that the deductible will apply to each accident or illness the pet develops. Once the deductible amount has been met for a specific accident/illness, we will pay 90% of all future costs associated with that accident/illness.

You have the option of choosing any deductible from $0 up to $1,000.

More Common FAQs

Will a condition ever be considered pre-existing Help due to policy renewals?
No. Our policy renews each month so long as your premiums are paid. Approved claims will continue to be covered as we do not exclude conditions from year to year.

Am I limited to a list of veterinarians in your network?
No, you may visit any licensed veterinarian in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or Canada.

What is hip dysplasia and can my pet get coverage?
Hip dysplasia is a genetic disorder in which the ball and socket of the pet’s hip joint do not properly develop so that they only loosely fit together, causing pain and lameness. Coverage is recommended for larger dog breeds, however small dog breeds can also be affected. All pets insured with Trupanion have hip dysplasia coverage*.

*Availability is subject to regulatory approval in your area.

What’s the oldest age at which I can enroll my pet?
You can enroll your pet any time before your pet’s 14th birthday.

Does Trupanion cover alternative medicine/therapies?
Trupanion offers a Additional Care Package* for an additional cost that includes coverage for acupuncture, behavioral assessment, bone marrow transplants, chiropractic, colloidal silver treatments, gold seed therapy, herbal therapy, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, kidney transplants, naturopathy, physical therapy, platelet rich plasma injections, polyethylene glycol, shock-wave therapy, and stem cell therapy

*Availability is subject to regulatory approval in your area.

What are hereditary and congenital conditions?
Hereditary and congenital conditions are diseases or disorders that are inherited genetically. Certain breeds of dogs and cats are prone to specific conditions. Some pet insurance companies will limit or exclude any conditions considered hereditary. Trupanion covers all hereditary and congenital conditions.

I thought premiums don’t increase as a pet ages, but mine did – why?
We don’t increase our premiums based on your pet having a birthday. You will always pay the premium for the age your pet was at enrollment – not for the current age of your pet. For example, if you enroll your pet at two years old, your premium will always be based on a two-year-old pet for the life of your policy. So if you enrolled your dog as a puppy, you will still pay the puppy price even when your dog is 5, 10, 14, 16, or older.

However, we do conduct rate reviews each year to make sure we are priced fairly for the high value we offer. These reviews take into consideration the cost and utilization of veterinary services in each area, specific to breed. Each state requires us to adjust our pricing to stay in line with the value we offer in order to stay in compliance, so you may see your premium increase, decrease, or stay the same after these rate reviews.

What happens if an insured pet is given away or changes owners?
We can transfer coverage to the new owner. We simply need to speak to the new owner to update their account and billing information.

Can I cancel my Trupanion pet insurance policy at any time?
Yes, you may cancel your policy at any time with written notice.

Why don’t you cover dental care?
If we were to cover every insured pet’s dental care, we would have to charge a lot more for premiums. We believe that periodontal disease is preventable through routine dental hygiene; however, we do cover the cost of extractions of damaged teeth and of reconstruction of upper and lower canine teeth if resulting from injury to teeth caused by an accident.

Do you cover therapeutic pet food?
Yes, we cover ½ of the cost of therapeutic pet food purchased through your veterinarian to assist in the care of your pet for 2 months, then the coverage converts to a discount on your premium.

Are there restrictions for pets fed a raw diet?
No, we do not have any restrictions around feeding raw diets. Please note, raw diets are not a "therapeutic pet food," therefore are not eligible for coverage.

Do you cover supplements?
Yes, we cover supplements purchased through your veterinarian for the treatment of illness or injury.

Do you cover cruciate surgeries?
Yes. However, if the cruciate problems exist due to pre-existing Help cruciate problems with the opposite leg, then they are not covered. However, for any conditions the pet has had prior to enrolling, our policy outlines that if no signs are present within an 18 month period prior to enrolling, then they are eligible for review.

Do you cover treatment for Parvo, Giardia, or Kennel Cough?
Yes, if vaccinations are current and preventative measures have been taken.

Do you cover the costs of euthanasia?
Yes, when recommended by your veterinarian.

Is my pet covered while we are traveling?
Your pet is covered under your policy only while the pet is in the United States of America, Canada, or Puerto Rico.

How do you determine the premium if a pet’s age is unknown?
We determine the pricing based on the attending veterinarian’s best estimate of the pet’s age (as recorded in its medical history).

How do you know whether a condition is pre-existing for a recently adopted pet?
When you file your first claim, we request all available medical records such as those from the pet's most recent visit to the veterinarian and work from there.

Can I change my deductible at any time? Are there penalties for doing so?
You may change your deductible at any time (no more than once a month) without penalties. However, any previous conditions that were being covered would have the higher deductible applied. Our deductibles are per incident or per condition, so once they are met for a condition, then that deductible for the same condition is no longer required and we are able to pay out the future claims at 90% coverage. If your pet has more than one condition, then more than one deductible is required.

Disclaimer: All statements above are general in nature and intended to be educational. They are not intended to be used for individual approval. Each situation and claim will be reviewed on an individual basis. For the answer above, we assume that the pet and pet owner comply with our policy wording. Coverage will be based on our policy wording.