Trupanion vs Pets Plus Us Insurance

Finding the right pet health insurance coverage for your dog or cat can be tricky, but getting all the facts will ensure that both you and your pet are taken care of for years to come. To make things a little easier, we’ve done some of the research for you — read on for a detailed comparison of Trupanion and Pets Plus Us Pet Insurance.

How do Trupanion and Pets Plus Us compare?

Plan features		Pets Plus Us
VetDirect Pay™	Can pay participating hospitals directly at time of checkout	Operates on a reimbursement model where you pay upfront and then wait for a cheque
Flexible deductibles	Select a deductible that works for your budget, from $0 to $1,000	Has limited choices in deductibles and will increase the cost based on pet age
Restricted coverage for unlucky pets	Pre-existing conditions not covered, but pet is still eligible for new condition coverage	Pets with certain conditions prior to enrollment are restricted to accident-only coverage
Unlimited payouts	No payout limits ever	Caps payouts at $7,500 and $15,000, depending on the specific plan
24/7 live support	Customer care available 100% of the week, all throughout the year	Has specific call hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST and is closed on weekends.

Like most pet insurance companies, Pets Plus Us runs on a reimbursement model. This means you will pay your pet’s bill at the hospital, then file a claim and wait to get reimbursed.

Unlike traditional pet insurance, Trupanion can pay participating veterinarians directly, before you even leave the hospital. No more filing paperwork, no more waiting for a cheque — just peace of mind that your pet is covered. In many cases, the direct pay option requires no paperwork and no phone calls from the pet parent.

It’s easy to learn if your veterinarian accepts direct payment from Trupanion. If they don’t, all they have to do is call to learn how to get set up and provide pet parents like you with the best experience possible.

With Trupanion, you can choose your deductible, including no deductible at $0 or anywhere from $50 to $1,000 (in increments of $5). You can raise your deductible any time you want, providing you with further financial flexibility.

Pets Plus Us has limited choices in deductibles, but what’s even more of note is that they force your deductible to increase based on the age of your pet. This makes it difficult to ensure your pet’s health coverage can fit into your budget.

Pets Plus Us has a unique restriction to their coverage, something many pet parents might not realize is an issue prior to enrollment. If your pet has been diagnosed (including tentatively diagnosed, or shown symptoms of) with a certain critical illnesses before signing up for coverage, Pets Plus Us will restrict you to their Accident Only plan. This only covers future injuries rather than new illnesses.

Pets Plus Us’ list of uninsurable illnesses includes, but is not limited to: congestive heart failure, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline Leukemia Virus (FELV), Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), advanced kidney failure, and autoimmune diseases.

Now, like the vast majority of pet health insurance providers, Trupanion does not cover pre-existing conditions. However, a pet’s coverage for new, unexpected illnesses will not be restricted due to pre-existing ones. In other words, unlucky pets are never punished.

Trupanion stands out by not having limits on how much can be paid out for your pet’s treatment — that’s no limits annually or for the life of your pet!

Pets Plus Us is meanwhile like most pet insurance companies, in that they have maximums on how much your pet’s plan will pay out. These maximums are annual and are capped at $7,500 per year for their Accident & Illness MORE policies and at $15,000 per year for Accident & Illness MAX policies.

Pets Plus Us has customer service call hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, EST. They are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

While most pet health insurance providers are like this, Trupanion goes above and beyond with 24/7 live support, every day of the year (including holidays!).

Why choose Trupanion over Pets Plus Us?

There are multiple reasons why Trupanion may be a better fit for you and your pet:

Trupanion is the only pet health insurance provider that can pay veterinarians directly at checkout, often in seconds.
Pets Plus Us’ annual payout maximum may seem sufficient, until it isn’t. Trupanion has paid out over $2 billion in veterinary invoices, including a single payout of more than $100,000 (aspiration pneumonia in one English Bulldog).
Being able to pick your own deductible can help ensure that your pet’s coverage fits into your budget. Compared to Pets Plus Us, Trupanion has more flexibility here.
Trupanion does not limit its illness coverage to pets without certain conditions. Pets Plus Us has a range of illnesses that make pets ineligible for their full coverage.
Trupanion offers 24/7 live support. Pets Plus Us does not.

Learn why veterinarians recommend Trupanion.