Pumpkin pet insurance is an insurance provider that covers cats and dogs with comprehensive care plans. They offer different levels of customizable care and preventative wellness plans to cover your pet’s health care needs.
But does Pumpkin cover cancer? And what might cancer diagnosis and treatment look like for your pet and your pocket? Pumpkin does indeed cover cancer as standard on their accident and illness plans.
Which Pumpkin Plans Cover Cancer?
Pumpkin offers an accident and illness plan that covers cancer diagnosis and treatment as standard. This coverage includes diagnostic imaging such as ultrasound, MRI, and CT scans and treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
There’s no age limit with this plan, and older pets can be covered for cancer, which isn’t always the case with other pet insurance providers.
What Level of Coverage Can I Get for Cancer From Pumpkin?
There is only one plan that Pumpkin offers, their accident and illness plan, which has certain fixed levels of coverage. Their reimbursement rate is fixed at 90%, meaning that owners will receive 90% of the cost of their final veterinary bill for cancer treatment and diagnosis back from Pumpkin.
However, the other options are more flexible. The annual limit for coverage for your pet can be selected at $10,000, $20,000, or unlimited, with higher amounts increasing the monthly premium.
The annual deductible (what owners must pay before being reimbursed for any treatment) also has options, with $100, $250, and $500 available. The higher the deductible, the lower the monthly premium amount will be.
Which Treatments for Cancer Are Covered?
The Pumpkin sample policy details the treatments and diagnostics they cover, which also apply to cancer.
Pumpkin specifically mentions radiation therapy and chemotherapy in their sample policy, as well as surgery. However, they state that treatment includes these items but isn’t limited to them. This means that other options may be included under their coverage, such as a combination of the treatments.
Which Diagnostic Tests for Cancer Are Covered?
There are several ways veterinarians can diagnose cancer in pets. Typically, owners will be the first to discover something is amiss with their pet, such as finding a tumor. Once they’re taken to the vet, different tests can be carried out depending on the veterinarian’s diagnosis.
Diagnostic Imaging (MRI, X-Ray, and CT Scans)
Diagnostic imaging is used to determine whether there is cancer present in a patient and how big it is. For example, X-rays can look for shadows in areas such as the lungs, which can indicate lung cancer. In addition, an MRI can be used to look at the structures that aren’t visible on an X-ray, such as the brain or the spinal cord. The same is true for CT scans.
These are usually very expensive procedures, particularly as the pet will need to be under anesthesia. The cost of an MRI without insurance is between $2,500 and $5,000. This price depends on the complexity of the images needed and the size of your pet, among other factors.
Blood Tests
Blood tests are often one of the first tests that are carried out on pets potentially suffering from cancer. This often isn’t carried out to diagnose cancer itself but rather to look at the pet’s overall condition and look for tell-tale signs that something (such as cancer) is amiss.
There are exceptions to this rule, however. For example, vets can determine bone marrow cancer through a blood test as certain blood cells will be dramatically reduced since the bone marrow cannot produce them due to cancer. Blood cancer can also be determined through a blood test, as the opposite is true: too many of a certain type of blood cell will be present.
Biopsy and Fine Needle Aspirate
Biopsies and fine needle aspirates (FNAs) are two similar procedures performed to look at a sample of cells from the cancer more closely. A sample is taken with either a biopsy punch or a needle (for FNA) from a suspicious area of tissue or lump.
This sample is then usually stained and placed on a microscope to be looked at further or sent to an external lab for testing. The look, shape, and number of cells can be a good indicator of whether cancer is present.
Pumpkin insurance covers all of the above diagnostics and will do so if cancer is a suspected diagnosis.
Will The Price of My Pet’s Insurance Go Up After a Cancer Claim?
The price of your pet insurance policy will likely go up the next year if your pet has had treatment for cancer. In the Pumpkin sample policy, it states that “coverage and rates are subject to change at renewal.”
Will My Pet’s Cancer Be Treated as a Pre-Existing Condition?
If your pet is diagnosed with cancer or visits a veterinarian’s office with symptoms of cancer before your insurance policy with Pumpkin is taken out, it won’t be covered under their policy as it will be classed as a pre-existing condition.
However, Pumpkin has a “cured condition” policy, whereby if a condition has been treated and the animal does not show signs of the disease for 180 days, it will no longer be considered a pre-existing condition (except knee and ligament conditions).
If the cancer returns within 180 days, Pumpkin might not cover it. However, if it returns after 180 days, it’ll likely be covered by Pumpkin.
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Final Thoughts
Pumpkin pet insurance offers comprehensive cancer coverage for pets of all ages, including the very young and the very old. They offer 90% reimbursement as standard, so your pet’s cancer diagnosis and treatment (which can cost $4,100 for dogs and $3,800 for cats) is covered. In addition, Pumpkin offers chemotherapy and radiation therapy among the covered treatments, and all diagnostic tests for cancer, such as MRIs and blood tests, are also covered.
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