Three months ago, I brought home an eight-pound puppy. We found Pongo at a small humane society in a rural area and brought him home as soon as he turned eight weeks old. Since then he’s been quickly growing into his paws – and getting into all kinds of trouble along the way. That’s when I started looking into Pumpkin.
Puppies are known for getting themselves into trouble. As the brand new dog mom of a puppy, I know this to be true. Pumpkin Pet Insurance offers pet insurance plans that could save my wallet if my pup runs into an unexpected medical bill.
Although he hasn’t encountered any major medical catastrophes just yet, I could see how he might get himself into trouble at some point.
Pumpkin offers top of the line pet insurance for pet owners that want the very best for their pets. The goal of the company is to provide pet insurance with a holistic approach. Instead of only waiting for the worst to happen, Pumpkin takes preventative measures to help your pet stay healthy at all times.
- Affordable preventative care
- Digital reminders
- Another monthly bill
- Not available in every state
What is Pumpkin?
Pumpkin is a pet insurance agency that launched earlier this year. The goal of the company is to provide pet insurance with a holistic approach. Instead of waiting for the worst to happen, Pumpkin takes preventative measures to help your pet stay healthy at all times.
With Pumpkin, you’ll have some preventative care covered in addition to many unexpected issues.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Affordable preventative care — With affordable optional preventative care, you can keep your pet healthy for a long life.
- Digital reminders — It can be hard to keep track of everything that your pet needs. With helpful reminders, Pumpkin makes sure that nothing falls through the cracks.
Cons
- Another monthly bill — If you are adding pet insurance to your monthly expenses, then make sure that your budget can handle that.
- Not available in every state — Pumpkin offers a great service, but you may not be able to take advantage of it just yet. However, they plan to open up coverage to the whole country soon!
How does Pumpkin product work?
If Pumpkin sounds interesting, then here’s how you can sign up.
First head to Pumpkin’s homepage. Then click on the “Create My Pet’s Plan” option.
Next, you’ll tell Pumpkin what kind of pet you have. At this point, you can let them know if you have more than one pet.
You’ll need to fill out some basic information about your pet.
At this point, Pumpkin will ask you more about what issues you worry about with your pet.
Next, you’ll need to give Pumpkin a better picture of his daily life.
Finally, you’ll fill out a short contact form. You’ll need to provide your name, email address, and zip code. After that, you’ll receive a quote for your pet’s insurance.
How much does Pumpkin cost?
The exact cost of a Pumpkin insurance plan will vary based on your individual pet. The best way to find an exact price for your pet is to build an insurance plan on Pumpkin’s site. I’ve included a screenshot of Pumpkin’s site below after getting a quote for a male, Medium Mix dog, aged 6-11 months, in zip code 43221.
Note that Pumpkin offers different annual limits for cats and dogs. Pumpkin gives every family a generous 90% reimbursement rate on eligible vet bills, up to an annual coverage limit of $10k or $20k for dogs and $7k or $15k for cats.
Affordable preventative care
Medical emergencies can be a major cost, but they are not the only type of care that your pet needs. Beyond emergency care, preventative care is extremely important to help keep your pet healthy and happy for years to come.
If you sign up for Pumpkin’s optional Preventive Essentials plan, for dogs, each year you’ll be reimbursed for the annual wellness exam, any two shots each year, and more. For cats, the plan will also reimburse you for the annual wellness exam and one annual vaccine will be covered.
A mission that delivers value
Beyond helping your pet receive top-quality care, Pumpkin is working hard to support the veterinary community during these tough economic times. On April 2nd, they launched a campaign “#ArfMeowOrVets” to help support vets and staff that are caring for pets through the COVID-19 crisis.
The gesture shows that they care about keeping the vet community strong. A strong community is important in keeping pets healthy across the nation.
Top-notch customer service
Pumpkin is designed to make your life easier. When you need to file a claim, you can do so easily online.
You can call for support Monday through Friday between 8 AM and 8 PM EST. You can also email them at help@pumpkin.care
My experience researching Pumpkin
My first impression of Pumpkin is that it was very easy to use. When I filled out the information to receive a quote, I was pleasantly surprised at the straightforwardness of the application. As the parent of a mixed-breed shelter dog, I was very glad that Pumpkin did not ask me to determine a particular breed. I’ve found that a few of the other pet insurance companies I’ve considered wanted to know more details about my dog’s breed than I have to give them.
After a few months of vet visits, I’ve been somewhat surprised at how quickly the expenses are adding up. Even Pongo’s most basic preventive measures are adding up to around $75 per month. With that, the option for affordable preventative care is very attractive.
Overall, I think that Pumpkin could be a good option for Pongo. However, I am holding off on purchasing his plan until I have a chance to talk to his vet about it.
Who is Pumpkin best for?
Pet owners that want the best for their pet without breaking the bank
Medical emergencies happen to pets all the time. With each emergency, you might find yourself with a bill of hundreds or thousands of dollars. Without insurance, that can be a stressful time. If you have the right insurance, you will have help focusing on keeping your pet healthy instead of how you will pay for their medical bills.
Pet owners without an emergency fund
Pets are known for getting themselves into trouble at the most inconvenient times. Without an emergency fund, you may find yourself between a rock and a hard place when your pet gets injured.
Pet owners seeking affordable preventative care
We all want the very best for our pets, but their preventative care can be a strain on your budget. With that, finding affordable preventative care is essential. Pumpkin offers a very affordable option to help keep your pet healthy all year.
Who shouldn’t use Pumpkin?
Pet owners with a rock-solid emergency fund
If you’ve built an amazing emergency fund, then you may not need pet insurance. When a pet medical emergency pops up, you might be able to fund the procedures without help from insurance. However, make sure that you are comfortable spending thousands of dollars on your pet should the need arise.
The competition
Check out our article on the best pet insurance companies or take a closer look at how Pumpkin stacks up to the competition below.
| Pumpkin | Lemonade | Embrace | Healthy Paws | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preventative care options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Annual limit | $10,000 or $20,000 for dogs; $7,000 or $15,000 for cats | up to $100,000 | $5,000 – $30,000 | No annual limit |
| Reimbursement | 90% for insurance, 100% for preventative care | 70-90% | 70-90% | Up to 90% |
Pumpkin vs Lemonade Pet Insurance
Lemonade offers pet insurance at competitive prices, starting as low as $10 a month with policies for both cats and dogs. The insurance covers everything from blood tests, urinalysis, x-rays, MRIs, labwork, CT scans, ultrasounds, emergency care, hospitalization, and surgery; they also cover prescription medication for your pet.
Lemonade Pet Insurance offers comprehensive coverage, industry-leading tech, and strong customer service at a great value. Policies are super customizable, so you can build the right policy for your pet without paying for stuff you don’t need.
- Superb technology-led experience
- Offers some of the best value
- Instant claims payout
- Free access to Chewy’s Connect with a Vet service
- Not available everywhere
- Older pets may not qualify
- No exotic pet insurance
With Lemonade Pet Insurance, you have the option of purchasing additional wellness coverage, which includes an annual checkup, bloodwork, vaccines, and some tests. There’s also an option to add on additional coverage for vet visit fees, physical therapy, behavioral conditions, dental illness, and end-of-life and remembrance.
Lemonade’s application process is easy and straightforward and you’ll get a quote after answering a few basic questions about your pet. If you decide to purchase coverage from Lemonade, you’ll need to provide medical records for your pet from the past 12 months, or up to 14 days after the start date for the policy.
» MORE: Read our full Lemonade Pet Insurance review
Pumpkin vs Embrace
Embrace offers policies with customizable options so that you can get the coverage that you need. You can adjust the monthly premiums and annual payout limits to fit your budget. Beyond flexible insurance choices, you’ll be able to sign up for a Wellness plan that rewards you for taking care of your pet’s needs on time.
One unique feature of Embrace is that you can get international coverage for your pet for up to six months. This is a great option if you plan to take your fur baby abroad.
Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws offers one plan for pet insurance with no caps on claim payouts including no per incident caps, no annual caps, and no lifetime caps.
If your cat or dog shows signs or symptoms of a new accident or illness after enrollment, and after any applicable waiting period, you can visit any licensed veterinarian and Healthy Paws will reimburse you based on your final bill.
Summary
Overall, Pumpkin has a worthwhile insurance product for pet owners that want the very best for their pet. You will no longer need to worry as much about unexpected vet bills, simply make your monthly payment. I would suggest learning more about Pumpkin Pet Insurance sooner rather than later, especially if you have a pet with a nose for trouble.