Pumpkin Pet Insurance Comparison

Pumpkin Insurance Services Inc., a pet care company and insurance agency, launched its pet insurance in early 2020. With the average cost of veterinary services climbing in the U.S. and so few pets covered by pet insurance, Pumpkin saw an opportunity to offer a solution that could help pet owners and veterinarians work together for the good of pets across the country.

They created a simplified Pumpkin animal insurance plan for accidents and illnesses that goes beyond the industry norm, and paired it with an optional add-on package for preventive care called Preventive Essentials.

This package helps pet owners keep up with the routine care that vets recommend by providing reimbursement for the cost of the yearly checkup, and key vaccines and lab tests. See Pumpkin Optional Wellness Benefit section below for details. Pumpkin cat insurance and dog insurance is available.

The Pumpkin team of veterinary and insurance experts, product managers, marketers, data nerds, engineers, designers and customer service gurus, as they describe themselves, love and live for their pets and yours.

While some insurance providers offer an array of plan customization options, Pumpkin opted for one standard plan that they believe works well for the widest range of pet owners. Their plan offers a 90% reimbursement percentage, with minimal customization options for the deductible and annual benefit limit.

A 90% reimbursement percentage is one of the highest offered in the pet insurance industry. Pumpkin chose this so pet owners can have help providing the care their pet needs, regardless of cost, knowing they will be reimbursed for 90% of eligible services.

Pumpkin offers four annual deductible options: $100, $250, $500 or $1,000 (the lower the deductible, the higher the monthly premium).

For annual benefit limits, Pumpkin offers $10,000 or $20,000 for dogs and $7,000 or $15,000 for cats. Pumpkin’s analysis of industry data indicates only a very small percentage of pet owners ever exceed those limits in claims in a given year.¹ Some other pet insurance providers offer annual benefit limits starting as low as $2,500 and as high as unlimited (the lower the limit, the lower the monthly premium, but the more financial risk in the event of an expensive illness or injury). While a lower annual limit may look tempting from a cost perspective on a monthly basis, you may find that you’re out of pocket thousands of dollars as your pet ages and requires more expensive procedures.

Unlike some providers, with Pumpkin there are no per-incident deductibles and no lifetime maximum on benefits.

Pumpkin believes their set plan limits, standard 90% reimbursement, choice of deductibles and broad coverage provide the perfect amount of protection for every dog or cat.

When you run a quote for Pumpkin, you’ll be asked a series of questions to help Pumpkin learn more about your pet. Some of these questions may impact your monthly premium, while some are informational only and help to inform which options Pumpkin recommends based on your needs.

Pumpkin dog insurance cost, in part, is based on your pet’s breed, age and zip code. Because of their high 90% reimbursement percentage, and higher annual benefit limits combined with the deductible you choose and the factors noted above, the monthly cost for Pumpkin Pet Insurance won’t be the lowest in the industry. However, for the premium coverage included in the plan, Pumpkin may be a better overall value than some of the other plans out there.

Here are sample Pumpkin plan prices using the lowest and highest options for a mixed breed dog or cat in an average metropolitan area.³

Pumpkin Preventive Essentials is an optional package of routine and preventive care benefits you can add to your insurance plan for an additional monthly charge of $11.95 for cats and $18.95 for dogs. It is an integral part of the Pumpkin brand, and one they believe should go paw-in-paw with their insurance plan.

Preventive Essentials was designed with vets for pets and takes a three-pronged approach to wellness: assessing current health, detecting diseases early, and preventing illnesses year-round. It reimburses you for these yearly covered essentials at the top of every veterinarian’s list:

• Annual Wellness Exam – Full reimbursement for the exam fee when your dog or cat goes for its yearly checkup, vaccines and tests
• Vaccines at the Vet – Full reimbursement for any two vaccines for dogs six months and older that you and your vet choose each year (four vaccines for puppies under six months; one vaccine for kittens and cats)
• Lab Tests to Detect Diseases – Full reimbursement for one yearly blood test to screen for heartworm disease and diseases spread by ticks (Lyme, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis) or one yearly blood test to screen for heartworm disease only, PLUS one yearly fecal “poop” test to screen for intestinal worms (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms) for dogs six months and older (one yearly “poop” test for puppies under six months and kittens).

* For more information on reimbursement of the yearly essentials underlined above, see Preventive Essentials under pumpkin.care/customeragreement on Pumpkin’s site.  Pumpkin Preventive Essentials is not an insurance policy. It is offered as an optional add-on non-insurance benefit. Pumpkin is responsible for the product and administration. Pumpkin Preventive Essentials is not available in all states.

Because Preventive Essentials is separate from your insurance plan, there is no deductible and no waiting period—they will even accept claims for covered services your pet received up to two weeks prior to enrolling. If you have a puppy less than 6 months old, they will reimburse you for any of these services you received at any time before enrolling.

Offering an optional preventive care add-on benefit is not unique to Pumpkin, but their approach is interesting and different. Other pet insurance providers almost always structure preventive care as a list of benefits with a flat-rate reimbursable dollar amount for each. That amount may not cover the full cost for the listed service, or the service itself may not pertain to your pet’s health needs. With Preventive Essentials, eligible services are generously covered as outlined above. This helps to make routine and preventive care an affordable priority for pet owners, and keeps pets healthier in the long run.