Key takeaways
- Pumpkin stands out for its excellent coverage.
- It offers strong customization power, allowing you to tailor your annual coverage amounts and deductibles to fit a specific budget.
- Pumpkin has good premium stability, as it does not increase your rates because you filed a claim.
Our expert take on Pumpkin pet insurance
Summary
Base-plan generosity
Pumpkin’s base policy includes excellent coverage, so you don’t need to pay extra for add-ons to get robust coverage. Like ASPCA and Spot, which have similar policies, Pumpkin will cover curable pre-existing conditions after 180 days if the pet has had no treatment or symptoms.
Pumpkin’s policy also covers vet-exam fees, dental illnesses, alternative therapy, behavioral therapy, prescription food and more.
Also like ASPCA and Spot, Pumpkin won’t cover bilateral conditions if a problem—like a cruciate-ligament issue—occurred on one side of the body before your policy started or during the waiting period. But Pumpkin does not have a special, long waiting period for orthopedic coverage, unlike many competitors.
Customization power
If you’re looking to adjust coverage levels, Pumpkin has very good customization power due to its options for annual-coverage amounts and deductibles. This allows you to more easily arrive at a monthly cost you’re happy with.
Price-shock protection for claims
Pumpkin offers excellent price-shock protection after claims. It uses a “deductible-first” calculation for claims payments, which we favored in our analysis because it leads to higher claim payments for pet owners. Some pet insurers use a “reimbursement-first” calculation for paying claims.
Pumpkin has a low $100 deductible option that will lower your out-of-pocket costs for claims, and there are no condition-specific caps that can take you by surprise.
But Pumpkin doesn’t have a system for direct-to-vet payments.
Premium stability
Pumpkin pet insurance has OK premium stability in our analysis, mainly because it won’t raise rates just because you make claims. But we found its spread of rates between puppies and senior dogs to average $45 a month for $5,000 in coverage, compared to a national average of $39. This can mean bigger cost increases as your pet ages.
Cost
Pumpkin’s rates for $5,000 in coverage are about average, but we found its rates are high for an unlimited policy. For example, its unlimited annual coverage for dogs averages $94 a month compared to a national average of $76. That said, your money buys you substantial coverage.
Other notable features
- ASPCA, Spot and Pumpkin pet insurance are largely the same policy but with slightly different pricing and certain features that vary.
- Microchipping costs are covered.
- Euthanasia, burial and cremation are covered.
What does Pumpkin pet insurance cover?
Pumpkin covers medically necessary treatment, including:
- Alternative therapy, such as acupuncture, when performed by a veterinarian or at a facility with a supervising veterinarian on staff
- Behavioral problems if the treatment is done by a veterinarian or through a written referral to a certified professional
- Cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation treatment
- Diagnostics such as MRIs, CT scans and X-rays
- Euthanasia, burial and cremation
- Microchip-implantation costs, but not registration, monitoring or renewal fees
- Poison-control consultation
- Prescription medications
- Prescription pet food and supplements if they are prescribed to treat a specific condition
- Stem cell therapy
- Surgery and hospitalization, tooth extractions, intravenous fluids and medications, and medical supplies (such as casts, and splints)
Curable pre-existing conditions
A pet’s pre-existing conditions are usually excluded from coverage, but Pumpkin has a 180-day “reset” for curable pre-existing conditions: If your pet had a curable pre-existing condition and has been cured and free from treatments and symptoms for 180 days, any new episodes will be considered a new occurrence and eligible for coverage. (Does not apply to ligament and knee conditions.)
Pet-wellness plans
Pumpkin’s optional pet-wellness plans can help pay for preventive care. There are three choices for annual coverage. All include 24/7 pet telehealth and discounts for pet-related products.
Dog wellness plans
- Essential: $315 in benefits annually
- Premium: $715 in benefits annually
- Elite: $995 in benefits annually
Cat wellness plans
- Essential: $255 in benefits annually
- Premium: $630 in benefits annually
- Elite: $830 in benefits annually
What isn’t covered by Pumpkin?
Unlike most other pet insurers we analyzed, Pumpkin doesn’t include 24/7 telehealth in its base policy. Instead, pet telehealth is offered through its wellness plans. Pumpkin’s other pet insurance exclusions include:
- Aesthetic, cosmetic, endodontic, or orthodontic dental services (such as fillings and root canals)
- Boarding
- Breeding, pregnancy, whelping or nursing
- Cosmetic and elective procedures, such as claw removal and ear cropping
- Dental and cosmetic procedures
- Dietary and a certain alternative treatments, such as herbal products, including cannabis and food products
- Experimental and investigational treatments and medications (including clinical trials)
- Grooming and grooming supplies
- House-call fees
- Organ or heart valve transplants
- Pre-existing conditions that occurred on or before the first effective date of coverage or during a waiting period
- Prescription pet food for whole-food, fresh-food, custom and other diets
- Routine and preventive care, unless you bought a wellness plan
- Training and training devices
How much does Pumpkin pet insurance cost?
Pumpkin’s rates are around average for $5,000 in coverage, but higher-than-average for unlimited coverage, so you might want to look elsewhere if you’re looking for cheap pet insurance.
Dog insurance rates for $5,000 in annual coverage
Cat insurance rates for $5,000 in annual coverage
Dog insurance rates for unlimited annual coverage
Cat insurance rates for unlimited annual coverage
Methodology
We evaluated 16 pet insurance policies based on:
- Base-plan generosity (50%). The most important factor in a pet insurance policy is how much coverage you’re getting for your money. For this category, we looked at coverage included without add-ons, such as alternative therapies, vet-exam fees, dental illness, burial and cremation, and more. We also factored in whether curable pre-existing conditions are covered after a certain period.
- Cost (20%). We factored in average costs for plans with $5,000 and unlimited annual coverage for cats and dogs ages 4 months, 2 years and 8 years.
- Price-shock protection for claims (15%). No one wants an unpleasant surprise with a claim. For this category, we analyzed how claims payments are calculated, low-deductible options, condition-specific payment caps and direct-vet-payment systems.
- Premium stability (10%). When you find good pet insurance, you want to avoid being priced out of it in the future. We looked at the current cost spread between puppies and older dogs and whether making a claim can lead to a rate increase.
- Customization power (5%). It’s beneficial to have some control over your monthly premium. We looked at the range of annual coverage and reimbursement and deductible options available from each pet insurance company.
We use a curved-rating system: Scores are assigned relative to the top-performing product or company; providers that score the most points are assigned 5 stars, and other star ratings are assigned based on performance relative to the top performer. The lowest-scoring companies received 1 star.
