Trupanion vs. Lemonade Pet Insurance

Both Trupanion and Lemonade offer one standard policy with optional add-ons for additional coverage, giving you a level of flexibility some competitors don’t offer. That said, Lemonade tends to be a bit more cost-effective and customizable.

Trupanion vs. Lemonade

Before selecting a policy, compare Trupanion and Lemonade’s offerings side-by-side:

	Trupanion	Lemonade
Deductible Options	Between $0 and $1,000	$100, $250, or $500
Reimbursement Options	90%	60%, 70%, 80% or 90%
Wellness Add Ons?	No	Yes
Customizable Coverage?	No	Yes
Waiting Periods	5 days for accidents, 30 days for illnesses	2 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, 6 months for cruciate ligament events
Average Customer Review	1.2 to 4.3 out of 5	2.4 to 4.4 out of 5
Average Reimbursement Timeframe	24 hours to 2 days	Almost instantly, longer if the claim is complex
Accepted By Every Vet?	Yes	No; Only accepted by licensed vets in 37 U.S. states
Pays the Vet Directly?	Yes	No

Coverage Comparison

Trupanion offers one standard pet insurance policy, intended to cover accidents and illnesses such as:

• Hereditary conditions (eg. hip dysplasia, diabetes, and thyroid disease)
• Congenital conditions (eg. liver disease, heart disease, and cataracts)
• Medical expenses related to an unexpected accident or illness (eg. surgery, hospitalization, herbal therapy, and prosthetic devices)
• Issues without a diagnosis (eg. vomiting, cough, change in weight)
• Prescription supplements, when prescribed by a vet for the treatment of an illness of injury
• Prescription food, for up to two months of normal feeding

Lemonade also offers one standard policy to cover accidents and illnesses. It covers expenses such as:

• Diagnostic testing
• Inpatient and outpatient surgery
• Emergency procedures
• Medication

It’s important to note that Lemonade can only be used in 37 U.S. states, while Trupanion can be used in all 50.

	Trupanion (Standard Plan Only)	Lemonade (Standard Plan Only)
Accidents	✓	✓
Illnesses	✓	✓
Emergency Care	✓	✓
Hospitalization	✓	✓
Diagnostic Testing	✓	✓
Hereditary Conditions	✓	✓
Chronic Conditions	✓	✓
Cancer	✓	✓
Hip Dysplasia	✓	✓
Euthanasia	✓	X
Prescription Pet Food	✓	X
Prescription Supplements	✓	X
Spaying/Neutering	X	X
Pre-Existing Conditions	X	X
Cosmetic Surgery	X	X
Alternative Treatments	X	X

Wellness Coverage

Trupanion offers two optional add-ons that cover traditional wellness expenses, although they don’t refer to them as wellness coverage:

• Recovery and Complementary Care Rider: Covers non-clinical procedures and care like acupuncture, behavioral therapy, chiropractic care, and physical therapy
• Pet Owner Assistance Package: Covers care outside the vet, including rewards and advertising for lost pets, boarding fees if you become hospitalized, cremation and burial, and liability coverage for third-party property damage

Lemonade, on the other hand, provides five optional wellness add-ons, each covering one of the following:

• Vet visit fees
• Physical therapy, acupuncture, and hydrotherapy
• Dental illnesses, cleanings, extractions, and other treatment
• Behavioral conditions such as anxiety and aggression
• End of life and remembrance (eg. vet-recommended euthanasia and cremation)

With both insurance companies, you can choose which add-ons you’d like to tack onto a standard plan, giving you a great level of customization.

Age Restrictions

In some cases, pet insurance companies will exclude pets below or above a certain age from coverage. Lemonade will not insure pets under 2 months old. Trupanion, on the other hand, has no lower age limit, but they do have an upper age limit of 14. While they won’t kick an already insured pet off their plan on their 14th birthday, they don’t accept new pets if they are over 14.

Customization/Flexibility

Both Trupanion and Lemonade offer one standard policy and a variety of optional add-ons. This gives you flexibility, as you can choose which coverage you desire and only pay for that.

That said, Lemonade allows you to select your reimbursement level, while Trupanion does not. This means that Lemonade policies will allow you a bit more customization than Trupanion.

Cost Comparison

Trupanion and Lemonade plans come with a deductible, reimbursement level, and annual maximum that impacts the premium you’d pay.

	Deductible Options	Reimbursement Levels	Annual Maximums
Trupanion	Between $0 and $1,000	90%	No limits
Lemonade	$100, $250, or $500	60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%	Between $5,000 and $100,000

Here’s how rates for a male pet in Dallas, Texas would stack up against each other.

	Trupanion Standard Plan, with no annual limit, 90% reimbursement rate, and $200 deductible	Lemonade Accident + Illness Plan, with $20,000 annual limit, 80% reimbursement rate, and $250 deductible
8-week-old Labrador Retriever	$102.60	$85.27
8-week-old German Shepherd	$102.27	$83.79
5-year-old French Bulldog	$266.90	$136.55
5-year-old Poodle	$108.79	$84.96
Senior Golden Retriever	$228.88	$148.50
Senior Exotic Shorthair Cat	$183.89	N/A

Trupanion’s plan offers a bit more coverage, in terms of the lower deductible, higher reimbursement rate, and unlimited annual payout. So, it makes sense that their rates are a bit higher. That said, Lemonade does offer a 5% multi-pet discount, which makes the pricing even more competitive.

Enrollment, Waiting Periods, and Submitting Claims

Purchasing a policy with either insurance company is simple — just get a free quote on their website and follow the onboarding process from there.

Once enrolled, you’ll be subject to specific waiting periods, which are as follows:

	Trupanion	Lemonade
Injuries	5 days	2 days
Illnesses	30 days	14 days
Cruciate Ligament Events	N/A	6 months

Both Trupanion and Lemonade have similar claims processes, which are:

• Trupanion: Log into Trupanion’s online claims tool to submit an itemized receipt from your visit.
• Lemonade: Open the Lemonade mobile app and tap the “File a Claim” button. Then, follow the prompts to submit your claim.

With Trupanion, you’ll have the option to pay the vet directly at the time of service. This means that you won’t be subject to the traditional reimbursement timeline that follows a claim. With Lemonade, however, you’ll need to submit a claim and wait a bit for reimbursement — although they state that their process is almost instant.

Customer Reviews

Before purchasing a pet insurance policy, read customer reviews. Here’s how Trupanion and Lemonade rank against each other based on popular review websites:

	Trupanion	Lemonade
Trustpilot	4.3/5	4.4/5
Better Business Bureau	1.2/5	2.4/5
Yelp	2.5/5	Not Rated

It’s important to remember that customers tend to leave reviews after incredibly positive or negative experiences — average experiences are less likely to be reported. So, these ratings may be exaggerated in one way or the other.

Bottom Line: Which is Better?

Both policies ultimately offer a great level of flexibility and customization, which allows you to purchase only the coverage you desire. In most cases, Lemonade will be a more cost-effective option, but keep in mind the state restrictions. If you live in a state that doesn’t have coverage, or if you plan to move to one, it might be better to opt for another plan like Trupanion.