Pumpkin & Chewy: Key Differences

Chewy offers pet insurance plans through a partnership with Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. While Pumpkin and Chewy both offer pet insurance plans for accidents & illnesses and optional wellness packages or plans, there are some key coverage differences you should be aware of when choosing which provider and plan is right for you and your pet. Let’s dig in…

Pumpkin plans cover treatment for parasite infections. Chewy plans don’t.

Heartworms, ticks, fleas, and intestinal parasites (or worms) are year-round threats to dogs and cats across the US, indoors and out. While routine vaccines and preventive meds can help protect against some parasites and catch infections early, research shows that most dogs and cats will suffer from a parasite-borne illness in their lifetime.¹⁷ For these reasons, Pumpkin insurance plans cover eligible treatments for parasite infections. Chewy insurance plans do not offer this coverage as their policy states, “We cannot pay for the diagnostics, infestation, or treatment of internal or external parasites.”

Pumpkin plans cover vet exam fees for accidents & illnesses. Some Chewy plans don’t.

All Pumpkin insurance plans cover exam fees for accident and illness vet visits as a standard benefit, with both in-clinic and virtual visits included! This can be a huge cost saver as exam fees typically cost $50 to $75¹⁶ and are included in nearly every vet bill. With Chewy insurance plans, coverage for accident and illness vet exam fees isn’t included in Chewy’s Accident Only, Essential, or Essential Plus insurance plans. It is included in their highest priced plan option only – the Complete plan.

Pumpkin plans cover behavioral issues. Some Chewy plans don’t.

With an estimated 40% of cat and dog owners reporting pets with behavioral problems,¹⁰ we believe coverage for behavioral issues like separation anxiety and aggression is a necessity, not a nice to have. That’s why all Pumpkin insurance plans cover behavioral issues as a standard benefit. Coverage for behavioral treatments isn’t included in Chewy’s Accident Only, Essential, or Essential Plus insurance plans. It is included in their highest priced plan option only – the Complete plan.

Pumpkin plans cover rehabilitation therapies for accidents & illnesses. Some Chewy plans don’t.

With more vets using rehabilitation and alternative therapies like acupuncture and chiropractic to help rehabilitate pets with orthopedic injuries or to manage chronic conditions like arthritis, this coverage can prove to be extremely valuable. That’s why all Pumpkin insurance plans include coverage for rehabilitation therapies for accidents & illnesses as a standard benefit. Coverage for rehabilitation therapies isn’t included in Chewy’s Accident Only, Essential, or Essential Plus insurance plans. It is included in their highest priced plan option only – the Complete plan.

Pumpkin plans cover eligible end-of-life expenses. Chewy plans don’t.

Losing a pet is utterly heartbreaking. During such a sad time, taking care of your pet’s end-of-life expenses is a very emotional and difficult thing for any pet parent to face. While nothing can fully ease this pain, Pumpkin insurance plans offer coverage for end-of-life services including cremation, burial, and euthanasia. Chewy insurance plans do not offer this coverage.

Pumpkin plans cover microchip implantation. Chewy plans don’t.

If pets go missing, a microchip can help get them safely back home. A microchip is a small, permanent ID implanted between your pet’s shoulder blades with important information about you and your pet to help a shelter or veterinarian reunite you if you are separated. Pumpkin insurance plans cover microchip implantation procedures by vets. Chewy insurance plans don’t offer this coverage.

Pumpkin plans don’t have a time limit specifically for Rx food coverage.

Rx food can be very helpful for pets suffering from a range of illnesses, from kidney disease to diabetes, but it can also be a costly recurring expense. That’s why Pumpkin insurance plans cover any food prescribed to treat an eligible accident or illness (and not for general health or weight maintenance), without a time limit specifically for Rx food coverage. Chewy insurance plans have a time limit for Rx food coverage which varies depending on the plan. The limit is between 120-180 days when the Rx food is purchased from the Chewy store, or 60-90 days when purchased from any other retailer.

Pumpkin plans don’t just offer one annual coverage limit option.

When it comes to pet insurance, higher annual coverage limits typically result in higher insurance premiums for pet owners. Chewy insurance plans only offer an unlimited annual coverage limit. Pumpkin insurance plans offer this too, but they also offer lower, more cost-friendly annual limits that work for a majority of pet owners. In fact, we found that less than 2% of recent Pumpkin customers with dogs typically file over $10k/yr in claims and less than 3% of recent Pumpkin customers with cats typically file over $7k/yr in claims.¹ It’s why Pumpkin plans offer standard annual limits of $10k for dogs and $7k for cats as well as lower and higher options to suit the needs of different pets and budgets.

Pumpkin’s optional wellness packages are uniquely designed for your puppy, dog or cat’s preventive care needs.

At Pumpkin, we’re just as committed to preventing illnesses and detecting diseases early as we are to treating them. That’s why we worked with leading vets to create Preventive Essentials – our wellness package. It’s not insurance, but an optional benefit you can add to your insurance plan for a monthly fee of $14.95 for cats or $22.95 for dogs if you want 100% refunds for routine care pets need to stay healthy each year, including: your pet’s annual wellness exam fee; vaccines (4 for puppies, 2 for dogs, 1 for cats); a fecal “poop” test for intestinal worms (roundworms, hookworms & whipworms); and for dogs, a blood test for heartworm disease and diseases spread by ticks (lyme, ehrlichiosis & anaplasmosis).

Chewy offers two different wellness plans at two different price points. Chewy’s Wellness plan costs $20/month and reimburses $40-$80 for a list of 5 services up to a maximum $290 annual reimbursement limit. The services include annual checkup exam fees, vaccines, fecal tests, heartworm tests, and bloodwork. Chewy’s Comprehensive plan costs $33/month and reimburses $40-$90 for the same 5 services, up to a maximum $455 annual reimbursement limit. The Comprehensive plan also includes live vet help, and up to $125/year towards flea, tick, and heartworm medications purchased from the Chewy store or up to $50 per year when purchased from other retailers.

It’s worth noting that Pumpkin Preventive Essentials packages are designed and priced differently for puppies or dogs and cats because their routine wellness needs are different. For example, cats typically require fewer vaccines per year than dogs. Chewy’s wellness plans are priced the same for dogs and cats, so before purchasing one of Chewy’s higher priced wellness plans, you may want to run through their list of benefits and make sure your cat or dog will use all of them over the course of one year. Whatever benefits you don’t use in the year term, you lose – there are no carryovers.

Compare Plans

Plan Feature
Type of Insurance	Accident & Illness	Accident & Illness Accident Only
Reimbursement Rate	80% or 90% of covered vet bills	70-90% of eligible vet bills, depending on the plan
Annual Coverage Limit	$5k, $10k, $20k, or unlimited for dogs $5k, $7k, $15k, or unlimited for cats	Unlimited only
Deductible	Annual Deductible options of $100, $250, $500, or $1k	Annual Deductible of $250 for all plans
Illness Waiting Period	14 days in most states*	14 days in most states*
Accident Waiting Period	14 days in most states*	5 days in most states;* 30 days for knee injuries with Accident Only plan & 14 days with all other plans
All Pets Ages 8 Wks. & Up Are Eligible to Enroll
All Pets Eligible to Enroll, Regardless of Health
Hereditary & Congenital Conditions
Chronic Conditions
Behavioral Issues		Depends on the plan
Dental Illnesses
Preventable Illnesses		Only covered if your pet develops one despite taking all of your vet’s vaccine & preventive care recommendations
Parasite Infections
Exam Fees for Accident & Illness Related Vet Visits		Included with Complete plan only
Diagnostics, including Radiology & Lab Tests
Surgery, Emergency Services & Hospitalization
Specialized Care
Rehab Therapies incl. Alternative Therapies		Included with Complete plan only
Prescription Meds
Prescription Food to Treat Covered Conditions		Yes, for up to 180 days depending on the plan
Prescription Supplements to Treat Covered Conditions
Microchip Implantation
End of Life Services
Wellness Package / Plan	Preventive Essentials package: (Not insurance, but an optional add-on) 100% refund of the following routine care services each year: + 1 Annual Wellness Exam Fee + 4 Vaccines for Puppies, 2 for Dogs, 1 for Cats + 1 Fecal “Poop” Test for Intestinal Worms + 1 Blood Test for Heartworm & Tick Diseases or Heartworm Only (for Dogs) Total Monthly Cost: $14.95 for Cats $22.95 for Dogs	Wellness plan: Reimburses $40-$80 per service per year from the following routine care services each year: + Annual checkup exam fees + Vaccines + Fecal tests + Heartworm tests + Routine bloodwork Comprehensive plan: Reimburses $40-$90 per service per year plus: + Live vet help + Up to $125/year towards flea, tick, and heartworm medications purchased from Chewy.com or up to $50 per year when purchased from other retailers Total Monthly Cost: Wellness: $20 Comprehensive: $33
Discount for Multiple Pets	10% off for each additional pet	5-10% depending on the plan
Money Back Guarantee	30 days, as long as you have not received approval or payment for a claim (except in NY)	30 days, as long as you haven't received payment for a claim