Kanguro Pet Insurance Review 2024
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About Kanguro pet insurance
Kanguro earned 3.5 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet's scoring formula considers consumer experience, coverage options and financial strength ratings. Kanguro offers an accident and illness plan in addition to a wellness plan, but it lacks an accident-only plan.
Kanguro offers fully bilingual English/Spanish customer service and website/app materials. It has quick claims processing and covers hereditary and breed-specific conditions.
However, Kanguro’s plans don’t cover behavioral issues, alternative therapies, prescription food or supplements. Kanguro’s app is the only option for filing a pet insurance claim, and its policies aren’t available in all states.
Bilingual English/Spanish customer support.
Typically processes claims in four days.
Covers hereditary and congenital conditions.
Offers multipet and upfront payment discounts.
No accident-only plan.
Only option for filing a claim is through the app.
Doesn’t cover prescription food or supplements.
No coverage for alternative therapies or behavioral issues.
Not available in all states.
» MORE: The best pet insurance companies
Plans and coverage
Kanguro offers two pet insurance plans for dogs and cats: the Essential plan and the Essential Plus plan.
Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on where you live and the age and breed of your pet.
Accident and illness
Kanguro’s Essential plan is an accident and illness plan for dogs and cats that includes:
Vet exam fees.
Diagnostic testing.
Surgery and hospitalization.
Cancer treatment.
Prescription medications and medical supplies.
Prosthetic limbs, devices and mobility aids.
Dental disease (up to $1,000).
Euthanasia (up to $1,000).
Cremation.
Accident, illness and wellness
Kanguro’s Essential Plus plan includes the coverage listed above, along with the following routine care services:
Wellness exam.
Heartworm test.
Vaccines.
Internal parasite or fecal test.
Bloodwork.
Flea, tick and heartworm medication.
Teeth cleaning and scaling.
» MORE: What does pet insurance cover?
What’s not covered
Kanguro’s Essential and Essential Plus pet insurance plans don’t cover:
Injuries or illnesses that could be avoided with preventive care, such as heartworm or flea and tick disease.
Elective procedures like ear docking, tail cropping, ear cleaning, microchipping and spaying or neutering.
Conditions related to breeding, pregnancy or giving birth.
Alternative treatments and therapies like massage or CBD oil.
Prescription food, vitamins and supplements.
Treatment of behavioral issues.
Plan options
Deductibles: A pet insurance deductible is the amount you have to pay before your plan reimburses you for vet expenses. Kanguro pet insurance plans offer deductibles ranging from $100 to $1,000 per year.
Reimbursement amounts: For both plans, you can choose reimbursement rates of 70%, 80% or 90% for your veterinary expenses. The deductible is applied before the reimbursement amount. For example, suppose your dog gets sick and racks up a $2,000 vet bill for a covered condition. If your policy has a $250 deductible and an 80% reimbursement rate, here’s how reimbursement would work:
$2,000 vet bill - $250 deductible = $1,750.
$1,750 x 0.8 = $1,400 reimbursement.
Coverage limits: The annual limit is the maximum dollar amount your pet insurance will reimburse you for vet expenses during the year. Both Kanguro pet insurance plans allow you to select coverage limits of $5,000 to $30,000.
Restrictions and waiting periods
Age restrictions: Kanguro pet insurance enrollment is available to dogs and cats between 2 months and 14 years old.
Waiting periods: A waiting period is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage starts. Kanguro’s waiting period is 14 days for both accidents and illnesses, and six months for cruciate ligament issues and other knee problems. However, the waiting period can be reduced to 14 days if you provide your pet’s full medical history and it shows no prior cruciate ligament or knee issues. There’s no waiting period for wellness services.
Sample rates
The cost of Kanguro pet insurance will depend on where you live and your pet’s age and breed. Below are sample rates from Kanguro for six common dog breeds at ages 2 and 8. Sample pets lived in Katy, Texas, and had accident and illness coverage with a $200 deductible, $5,000 annual coverage and an 80% reimbursement rate. Your own price will vary.
Breed | Age 2 | Age 8 |
|---|---|---|
French bulldog | $60 | $98 |
German shepherd | $39 | $64 |
Golden retriever | $39 | $64 |
Labrador retriever | $39 | $64 |
Medium mixed-breed dog | $26 | $43 |
Poodle | $45 | $74 |
We also gathered rates for a variety of cat breeds with the same coverage limits as above. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for cats living in Katy, Texas.
Breed | Age 2 | Age 8 |
|---|---|---|
Devon rex | $19 | $30 |
Domestic shorthair | $12 | $19 |
Exotic | $19 | $30 |
Maine coon | $16 | $26 |
Persian | $19 | $30 |
Ragdoll | $19 | $30 |
» MORE: The best cheap pet insurance
Discounts
Depending on where you live, you may be eligible for the following discounts on pet insurance:
10% multipet discount.
10% discount when you pay 12 months of premiums upfront.
State availability
Kanguro pet insurance is available in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Availability may change at any time. Coverage may not be available to all pets in a given state.
» MORE: How to get pet insurance quotes
Consumer experience
Website: You can get pet insurance quotes and buy a policy through Kanguro’s website. Information is available in both English and Spanish.
App: Kanguro has a mobile app that’s available on both the App Store and the Google Play Store. You can use the app to file claims and view your pet’s medical history, policy details and claim status.
Claims: When you click “file a claim” on Kanguro’s website, you’re directed to download the app. To submit a claim, use the app to provide a picture of the vet invoice. Kanguro says it typically takes four days to get reimbursed for a claim.
Customer service: Kanguro offers English and Spanish customer service support. You can reach customer service by phone or WhatsApp at 888-546-5264. You can also use the website’s live chat service or email [email protected]. Customer service hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time Saturday.
Getting a quote
Getting a Kanguro quote is a fairly straightforward process. First, you’ll choose whether you want to proceed in English or Spanish.
After you select your language, you’ll reach a screen where you need to enter your name, email address, phone number and ZIP code. Before you can move on, you’ll need to consent to receiving calls and text messages from Kanguro. This is a step not many other insurers require in order to see a quote, which could deter some potential customers.
Then it’s time to provide information about your pet, including its name, gender, age and breed.
Your quotes appear on the next page, with separate prices for the Essential and Essential Plus plans. Scroll down the page, and you’ll see options for customizing your deductible, reimbursement rate and annual limit. For each change you make, your quotes will update automatically.
After finalizing your coverage, you’ll proceed to enter payment details and confirm your purchase.
Kanguro pet insurance vs. competitors
See how Kanguro pet insurance stacks up against plans from several other popular carriers.
Company | NerdWallet star rating | Maximum coverage limit | Policy highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
$30,000 | Typically processes claims in less than a week. | ||
Unlimited | Many ways to save on your policy. | ||
Unlimited | May be able to pay your vet directly. | ||
$100,000 | Pays some claims within minutes. | ||
Unlimited | Covers dogs, cats, birds, rabbits and other pets. | ||
Unlimited | Unlimited annual coverage for all pets. |
How we review pet insurance
Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines that ensure fairness and accuracy to help you choose the financial products that work best for you. In our pet insurance reviews, we consider coverage, discounts, financial strength ratings from AM Best and more to determine our star ratings.
Our rating system rewards companies that cover a wide range of potential expenses, offer many ways to customize your plan and have a strong financial rating. Within the consumer experience category, we looked at features such as mobile app ratings and whether the company offers direct vet payments. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.
Dive deeper with our criteria for evaluating pet insurance companies.
Methodology
Pet insurance star ratings
NerdWallet’s pet insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, scope of coverage, the ability to customize your plan and more. Our “consumer experience” category looks at factors such as website transparency and mobile app ratings. To calculate each insurer’s star rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale. See our full pet insurance methodology.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Pet insurance sample rates
To find sample pet insurance rates, NerdWallet gathered quotes for the base level of accident and illness coverage on each insurer’s website. Quotes reflect the monthly cost of a policy and do not include wellness coverage or other optional add-ons. Each plan for a given company had the same deductible, coverage limit and reimbursement rate for all sample pets.
These are sample rates gathered for specific pets living in Katy, Texas. Your own rates will be different.
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