Pumpkin Pet Insurance: A Comprehensive Look
Pumpkin pet insurance offers a comprehensive accident and illness plan designed to protect your pet from unexpected veterinary expenses. This review dives into the details of Pumpkin’s offerings, helping you determine if it’s the right choice for your cat or dog.
NerdWallet’s Verdict
NerdWallet’s editorial team gives Pumpkin a strong rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. These ratings take into account factors like customer satisfaction and plan features to assess overall value and quality.
Coverage Highlights
- Annual Max Coverage: Unlimited, offering a high level of financial protection.
- Reimbursement Rates: Choose between 80% or 90% reimbursement rates, allowing you to control your out-of-pocket costs.
- Deductibles: Annual deductibles range from $100 to $1,000, providing flexibility in plan selection.
- Unique Feature: Coverage includes prescription food and supplements, a benefit not always offered by competitors.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Multi-Pet Discount: Enjoy a 10% discount for each additional pet insured.
- No Age Limit: Pets of any age can apply.
- Shorter Waiting Period: A 14-day waiting period for cruciate ligament injuries and hip dysplasia is shorter than many other plans.
Cons:
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No Herbal Supplement Coverage: Excludes coverage for herbal supplements.
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Bottom Line: Pumpkin’s accident and illness plan is a solid choice for those seeking broad coverage, including dental illnesses and some pre-existing conditions. It’s particularly attractive if you want a high reimbursement rate, potentially up to 90%.
Why Trust NerdWallet?
NerdWallet’s reviews are guided by strict editorial guidelines. They aim for fairness and accuracy to provide transparent information. They analyze a wide range of data, comparing more than 25 pet insurance companies to evaluate plans effectively.
Pumpkin Pet Insurance: Detailed Overview
Pumpkin offers comprehensive pet insurance policies and preventive care plans for cats and dogs. They have a 4.5-star NerdWallet rating, which reflects their strong performance. Unlike many competitors, Pumpkin’s policies cover prescription food and supplements. There is no maximum age limit for pets, and all breeds are accepted.
Pumpkin Pet Insurance Plans and Coverage
Pumpkin sells plans that cover accidents, illnesses, and preventive care expenses.
Accident and Illness Plan
This plan covers a wide range of needs:
- Exam fees, medicine, surgery, and hospitalization
- Dental illnesses
- Behavioral issues
- Hereditary conditions
- Parasite infections
- Prescription food and supplements
- Alternative therapies
- Cancer treatments
- Microchipping
- Diagnostic tests
- Some pre-existing conditions (if cured and symptom-free for 180 days)
To supplement the accident and illness plan, you can add the Preventive Essentials package. This covers one annual wellness exam, parasite screening, and a set number of vaccinations each year, depending on the type of pet.
Wellness Club
Alternatively, the Wellness Club is a stand-alone plan designed to reimburse you for expenses like annual exams, vaccines, and flea/tick prevention. It has two tiers:
- Essentials: Covers wellness exams, vaccinations, fecal testing, and routine bloodwork (dogs only).
- Premium: Adds flea/tick/heartworm prevention, spay or neuter surgery (or dental cleaning), and routine bloodwork for cats. Plans include access to a 24/7 pet health line and discounts from partner brands.
Note: Coverage options and availability may vary based on location, age, and breed.
What Isn’t Covered?
Pumpkin’s accident and illness policy doesn’t cover certain expenses:
- Breeding costs
- Spaying or neutering (unless enrolled in the Premium Wellness Club)
- Cosmetic or elective procedures
- Dental cleanings not related to illness
- Most pre-existing conditions
- Herbal supplements
The Preventive Essentials and Wellness Club plans exclusively cover the specific services listed.
Plan Options
Deductibles:
Pumpkin offers annual deductibles of $100, $250, $500, or $1,000. This choice affects your monthly premiums.
Reimbursement Amounts:
You can choose a reimbursement rate of either 80% or 90% of covered vet bills after you’ve met your deductible.
Coverage Limits:
Annual coverage limits vary: $5,000, $7,000, $15,000 or unlimited for cats. Dogs have limits of $5,000, $10,000, $20,000 or unlimited.
Restrictions and Waiting Periods
- Age Restrictions: Eligible for cats and dogs 8 weeks and older with no maximum age limit.
- Waiting Periods: A 14-day waiting period applies to all covered accidents and illnesses, including hip dysplasia and knee injuries.
Sample Rates (Katy, Texas)
The cost of Pumpkin pet insurance varies based on location, coverage level, and your pet’s specifics. These rates are samples and do not take into account any discounts. Here are some sample monthly premiums for dogs and cats in Katy, Texas, using a plan with a $250 deductible, $5,000 annual coverage, and an 80% reimbursement rate:
Dog Breeds
- French Bulldog (Age 2): $60, (Age 8): $142
- German Shepherd (Age 2): $35, (Age 8): $84
- Golden Retriever (Age 2): $42, (Age 8): $99
- Labrador Retriever (Age 2): $42, (Age 8): $99
- Medium Mixed-Breed (Age 2): $29, (Age 8): $68
- Poodle (Age 2): $42, (Age 8): $99
*Cat Breeds
- Devon Rex (Age 2): $16, (Age 8): $29
- Domestic Shorthair (Age 2): $16, (Age 8): $29
- Exotic Longhair (Age 2): $29, (Age 8): $53
- Maine Coon (Age 2): $25, (Age 8): $45
- Persian (Age 2): $25, (Age 8): $45
- Ragdoll (Age 2): $16, (Age 8): $29
Discounts
- Fur Family Discount: 10% off each additional pet you enroll.
- Veterinary Staff Discount: Savings available for veterinary professionals.
- Annual Payment Discount: Potential savings for annual versus monthly payments.
State Availability
Pumpkin is licensed to sell pet insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Digital Experience
Pumpkin’s website is user-friendly. It offers detailed coverage information and a sample policy download option. The site is optimized for mobile use, although there is no dedicated app.
Filing a Claim
You can file claims online or via email. Pumpkin typically sends a check or deposits the payout directly into your bank account. You can track claim status online.
Customer Service
You can contact Pumpkin’s customer care team by calling 866-273-6369 (Monday-Saturday) or emailing them at [email protected]. Live chat is also available on the website.
Pumpkin Pet Insurance Compared to Competitors
Pumpkin differentiates itself from competitors in several ways:
Pumpkin vs. Lemonade
- Lemonade’s basic plan has fewer covered items than Pumpkin. To add them, Lemonade requires paying extra. Pumpkin’s basic plan covers these items.
- Lemonade offers preventive care packages; however, spay/neuter is only included in Lemonade’s package. Pumpkin can include them by purchasing the stand-alone wellness plan.
Pumpkin vs. Spot
- Spot offers an accident-only plan while Pumpkin does not.
- Spot has two preventive care plans.
- Spot has a more comprehensive accident and illness plan than most.
Final Thoughts
Pumpkin pet insurance provides a robust and flexible solution for protecting your pets’ health. Its comprehensive coverage options, including provisions for prescription food and supplements, and high maximum coverage are strong selling points. Factors like plan selection, deductibles, and reimbursement rates give pet owners control over their premiums. Before committing, gather quotes from multiple providers to determine the best value for your needs.
