Pumpkin Pet Insurance Review: Comprehensive Coverage and Multi-Pet Discounts

This pet insurer is a good fit for: Owners of multiple pets looking for a generous reimbursement rate.

Pumpkin Pet Insurance Snapshot

Pricing
Pumpkin Pet Insurance prices policies based on breed, location, age, annual coverage limit, and annual deductible. It does not publish average policy prices, but premiums are competitive with coverage for a two-year-old dog coming in at around $43 per month for accident and illness protection. An optional wellness package adds an additional $18.95 per month.

Discounts

Pumpkin provides a 10% discount for insuring multiple pets.

Perks
Pumpkin offers a 90% reimbursement rate on all plans, which is more than many competitors provide. There is no upper age limit or breed restrictions that could prevent you from obtaining coverage, and plans are comprehensive with the option to choose unlimited reimbursement when buying a policy.

Customer Service

Pumpkin covers care provided by any licensed veterinarian in the United States. Claims can be filed online, and Pumpkin prides itself on making the process easy. The process is 100% digital and involves logging into your account; uploading a photo or copy of the itemized vet bill, and providing any necessary veterinary records to validate the claim. You can also call 1-866-ARF-MEOW or email [email protected] to make a claim or track current submitted payment requests.

Top perks

90% reimbursement rate

Pumpkin reimburses 90% of the cost of covered veterinary care. If you have a $100 bill, Pumpkin will pay $90 after your deductible is met. Many competitors offer lower reimbursement rates, leaving you responsible for 20% or more of the costs of care.

Multi-pet discounts

Pet owners who insure several pets with Pumpkin will save 10% on premiums for each additional enrolled pet. This makes getting coverage for everyone less expensive.

Comprehensive coverage

Pumpkin Pet Insurance provides coverage for:

• Exams necessitated by an illness or an accident
• Dental illness
• Behavioral problems
• Prescription foods necessary to treat conditions covered by insurance
• Microchipping
• Alternative therapies

Some competitors exclude some of these types of care, such as dental conditions. Pumpkin also offers coverage for parasite infections and hereditary conditions which some pet insurers don't cover at all or charge extra for.

What could be improved

Shorter waiting period for accident coverage

Pumpkin has a 14-day waiting period for accident coverage to take effect. Many competitors have a shorter wait time.

Policies for exotic animals

Pumpkin covers only dogs and cats. If you have a bird, hamster, ferret, or any other exotic pet, this insurance will not be an option.

Pumpkin is priced competitively, especially since coverage is comprehensive and deductibles are affordable. Costs vary by animal, breed, age, location, and many other factors. Insuring a 2-year-old beagle would come at a cost of around $43 per month for an accident and illness plan, while adding preventative care would bring the price up by $18.95 monthly.

If you want a pet insurer who offers coverage for exotic pets: Nationwide offers coverage for a much wider variety of animals, including turtles, birds, ferrets, goats, gerbils, geckoes and many others. But Nationwide doesn't provide 90% reimbursement rates with all plans, so you might end up paying more out of pocket for care.

Accident and illness coverage

This pays for care necessitated by both illness or injury. It covers the exam; prescription food necessary due to a covered condition; alternative therapies; and traditional treatment with any licensed veterinary in the United States. Behavioral issues and dental illness are also covered, as are alternative therapies.

Preventative essentials

This add-on coverage runs around $18.95 monthly and includes one annual blood test to identify diseases caused by ticks or heartworm; one annual wellness fee; two annual vaccines; and one fecal test to determine if a pet has internal parasites.

Multi-pet

If you insure multiple pets with Pumpkin, you will save 10% on each additional animal. Remember, though, that only dogs or cats can get covered.

Pumpkin makes it easy to apply for pet insurance online. After answering a simple series of questions about a pet's age, breed, and lifestyle, Pumpkin offers a choice of plans. Owners can customize coverage by choosing an annual limit of $10,000, $20,000 or unlimited. Pet owners can also select a $100, $250, or $500 deductible and choose whether to add preventative essentials.

After choosing coverage options, pet owners will provide their name, address, city, state, phone number, and payment information to complete the enrollment process.

Only dogs and cats are eligible for coverage, which means Pumpkin is not an ideal choice for those with exotic animals. However, there are no age or breed restrictions, so even older and younger animals can get protection in place.

Pumpkin provides customer service via phone, email, and online chat. Telephone customer service is available Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST while Pumpkin promises to respond to emails within a day.

While Pumpkin has an F rating from the Better Business Bureau and is not accredited, the insurer did receive 4.06 out of 5 possible stars from reviewers on the BBB website. Positive reviews described the staff as helpful while negative reviewers complained of coverage denials due to a broad definition of pre-existing conditions.

Pumpkin is best suited for people who:

• Want to minimize out-of-pocket spending
• Want a plan that covers a wide variety of medical issues
• Own dogs or cats

But you may want to consider other pet insurance companies like Nationwide if you have an exotic animal or Figo if you want a one-day waiting period for accident-only coverage instead of the 14-day waiting period Pumpkin imposes.