What is a deductible, and how does it work?

A deductible is the monetary amount that you are responsible for paying for each illness or injury when you receive reimbursement or payment for eligible medical expenses.

How Trupanion deductibles work

The Trupanion deductible is different from many other pet insurance deductibles, because it is lifetime per-incident. What this means is that your deductible is only applied once to any given condition during the lifetime of your pet. Once you’ve paid it for a certain injury or illness, all future medical costs associated with that injury or illness will be eligible for coverage without a deductible in the future. 

The Trupanion deductible is different from many other pet insurance deductibles, because it is lifetime per-incident. What this means is that your deductible is only applied once to any given condition during the lifetime of your pet. Once you’ve paid it for a certain injury or illness, all future medical costs associated with that injury or illness will be eligible for coverage without a deductible in the future. 

For comparison, many other pet insurance providers have deductibles that renew annually, meaning you’ll keep paying them year after year.

With Trupanion, you also have the option to customize your deductible to fit your budget and lifestyle. Simply choose any deductible between $0 and $1,000.

Common myths about lifetime per-condition deductibles

Myth 1: You'll pay more with lifetime per-condition deductibles.

A Trupanion policy is unique because we offer a lifetime per-condition deductible. You pay a deductible only when your pet develops a new condition.

Myth 2: You pay a deductible every time you go to the vet.

Sometimes it takes more than one vet visit to meet a deductible. However, you don't have to pay a deductible every time you visit your veterinarian.

Myth 3: You have to meet your deductible every year.

Why pay every year for something your pet was diagnosed with once? Once you meet your deductible for one condition, you never have to pay it again.

Myth 4: Your coverage is limited because of the deductible you choose.

Trupanion gives you one simple plan with top coverage, no matter if you have a high or low deductible amount.

Other deductibles could leave you paying more

The most common deductible that other pet insurance companies offer is the annual deductible. While you’re shopping for pet insurance, it’s important to understand the difference here.

Annual deductibles: You must meet your deductible every year before you get reimbursed.

Lifetime per-condition deductibles: You must meet your deductible once per medical condition before you get reimbursed.

Trupanion is the only provider with a lifetime per-condition deductible

It’s standard in the pet insurance industry to offer an annual deductible. But that doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for your pet or your wallet. We worked closely with veterinarians to assess dog and cat coverage needs and design our deductible specifically to save pet parents money while getting access to the best veterinary treatment.

Based on what we’ve seen through years of veterinary claims, most pets are likely to have two to three ongoing issues in their lifetime. With an annual deductible, pet parents would have to pay their deductible multiple times throughout their pet’s life. With a lifetime per condition deductible, they pay their deductible for a chronic condition only once.

To be fair, lifetime per condition deductibles may not be the right choice for every pet parent. If your pet is incredibly unlucky (maybe developing five unrelated conditions in a year), you would be paying more in that first year than if you had an annual deductible. However, you would never have to pay deductibles again related to future treatments on those five conditions.

If you’re deciding between which deductible (and which pet insurance company) is best for you, Policy Genius notes that no matter if it’s lifetime per condition or annual, “the important thing is to choose a deductible amount that you’re comfortable paying.”

Have questions? We’ve got you

Every pet is different. Depending on whether they are young, middle-aged, or getting their first gray hairs, there is no “one size fits all” deductible. To find the best deductible for your circumstances, we recommend calling our pet-loving experts at Trupanion to walk you through the options. You can change your deductible at any time during the first 30 days of coverage. After 30 days, you can increase your deductible to lower your monthly price anytime you like.

When you call to sign up, we'll help you choose the deductible that offers the best value for you. Our award-winning specialists will review:

• Your pet's breed
• Your pet's age
• Your desired budget

If you're interested in customizing your pet's medical insurance price, take five minutes and give us a call now. We’re here for you 24 hours a day, every day of the year.