Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review
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If you have pets, you know how expensive veterinary bills can be sometimes. This is especially true if your pet faces a sudden illness or injury. That is where pet insurance comes in. While it does require adding another bill to your monthly expenses, the monthly premiums can be well worth it when faced with major veterinary bills. See what Healthy Paws offers if you’re looking for the best pet insurance.
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What is Healthy Paws pet insurance?
Healthy Paws pet insurance is one of many insurance providers offering policies to help pet parents cover the cost of expensive vet bills. Policyholders pay a monthly premium in exchange for an accident and illness plan for their dog or cat. Healthy Paws covers everything from emergency care and hospitalization to prescription medications and chronic conditions. The Chubb Group underwrites the policies, and policyholders can manage their accounts and claims via mobile app for convenience.
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
How does Healthy Paws work?
Healthy Paws pet insurance covers your dog or cat’s veterinary bills. It’s different from human health insurance because Healthy Paws (and most pet insurance companies) reimburse you for qualifying expenses after you’ve already paid the veterinary bill upfront. Claims payouts typically happen via direct deposit to the policyholder’s chosen bank account.
It is fairly easy to enroll your pet in a pet insurance policy. The first step is to get a quote. Getting a pet insurance quote from Healthy Paws only takes a few minutes. When you visit the Healthy Paws website, you can begin the quote process with just a few clicks.
After you’ve input this basic information, Healthy Paws will ask for your pet’s breed and age. You must also input your zip code to help Healthy Paws generate an appropriate quote. The email address saves your quote so you can reaccess it later.
Healthy Paws will then generate a quote for your pet. The first quote that you’ll see is for the most popular plan that Healthy Paws offers.
You can change your reimbursement and annual deductible options by clicking on the “Customize Rate” button. Healthy Paws automatically updates your quote to reflect the new selections.
Once you’ve selected the options you want, you can move on to the next step of the process. You can also add a pet to your quote or have your quote emailed to you so you can save it for later.
When you continue the process by clicking on the “Next” button, Healthy Paws will take you to another page that summarizes your plan, your coverage start date, and waiting periods.
At this stage, you’ll also need to let Healthy Paws know whether your pet has had an exam with their veterinarian within the past 12 months. Healthy Paws uses your pet’s medical records to help determine which conditions are eligible for coverage. If your pet has not been to the vet within the past year, you’ll need to bring them in for an exam within 15 days of enrollment. Your pet’s policy will not take effect until this requirement has been satisfied.
You’ll need to provide your name and full address at this stage to complete the enrollment process. You can also add another pet parent to the account if you’d like to.
Once you’ve finalized your policy options and agreed to the necessary disclosures, you can add your payment method and enroll your pet in a Healthy Paws insurance policy.
How much does Healthy Paws Insurance cost?
The cost of your pet’s Healthy Paws policy will depend on many factors, including where you live and your coverage options.
When considering the true cost of pet insurance, it’s also important to keep common insurance terms in mind:
Deductible: Your deductible is the amount you must pay out-of-pocket for eligible veterinary expenses before the pet insurance company starts paying out for covered expenses. Healthy Paws offers deductible options of $250 and $500.
Example: If your deductible is $250 and the first veterinary bill you submit includes $250 of eligible expenses, you won’t receive any payout for that claim. You will have met your deductible, and your pet insurance company will pay out for eligible claims moving forward.
Maximum payouts: Every pet insurance policy will have a maximum payout — an annual limit. This is the maximum amount the pet insurance company will pay for your pet’s claims within a given plan year. Healthy Paws has unlimited maximum payouts, meaning there are no limits per incident, per year, or for the policy's lifetime.
Monthly premium: The monthly premium is the number that gets the most attention in a quote. The premium (also known as a monthly rate) is the amount of money that you must pay per month to keep the policy active. You can think of it as the base rate for the policy. The monthly premium varies the most because it is based on your location, pet, and the options you choose for the policy.
Reimbursement: When you get a quote, you’ll see a couple of reimbursement percentages to choose from. This is the percentage of each eligible veterinary bill you will receive back from the pet insurance company. The reimbursement percentage does not kick in until after your deductible has been met. Healthy Paws offers 70% and 80% reimbursement rates.
Example: After meeting your deductible, submit a veterinary bill with $450 of eligible expenses. The reimbursement option that you chose for the policy was 80%, so you receive $360 back from the pet insurance company.
Let’s take a look at some examples of how age, location, and coverage can impact your monthly premiums:
Pet Info | Location | Deductible Option | Reimbursement Option | Monthly Premium |
4-month-old female Labrador Retriever | Albany, NY | $250 | 80% | $57.46 |
4-month-old female Labrador Retriever | Waco, TX | $250 | 80% | $55.03 |
4-year-old female Labrador Retriever | Albany, NY | $250 | 80% | $72.69 |
4-year-old female Labrador Retriever | Waco, TX | $250 | 80% | $71.75 |
Related: Is Pet Insurance Worth It for Me?
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
Healthy Paws features
Several features set Healthy Paws apart from other pet insurance companies, including:
Single plan
Healthy Paws offers a simple plan for everyone’s dogs and cats. This single plan makes it easier for pet parents to decide and enroll their pets in pet insurance. Some pet insurance companies offer several plans, forcing pet parents to choose between accident and illness coverage, accident-only coverage, and optional wellness plans.
No caps on payouts
Some pet insurance companies ask pet parents to choose an annual maximum limit for pet insurance policies. This can be tricky because low annual limits typically come with lower monthly premiums. However, it only takes one major accident or illness to push many pet parents over this maximum. Healthy Paws does not limit its coverage, giving pet parents peace of mind that is hard to come by.
Quick claims processing
Healthy Paws is known for its top-tier customer service team. In addition to being available to answer questions, the Healthy Paws team includes claims adjusters dedicated to quick turnaround times. Most claims that are submitted to Healthy Paws are processed within two business days.
Every Quote Gives Hope™ program
The Healthy Paws Foundation uses this program to give back to the community and help support important pet medical services. For every insurance quote Healthy Paws provides, a donation is made towards the medical care of homeless pets nationwide. Healthy Paws does this by giving grants to pet adoption organizations for essential services such as spaying and neutering surgeries, vaccinations, and advanced medical treatments.
Who is Healthy Paws best for?
Pet parents who don’t want an annual limit
If you’re a pet parent who doesn’t want to have to choose an annual limit, why not eliminate that limit? Every Healthy Paws pet insurance policy comes with no caps per claim, annual and lifetime limits. This peace of mind truly cannot be overstated.
Pet parents who like supporting companies that make a difference
For every quote you request from Healthy Paws, the Healthy Paws Foundation will donate grants for life-saving pet medical services. There is no cost or obligation to get a quote, so there is no downside for pet parents considering purchasing a pet insurance policy. Knowing that you’re supporting a company committed to making a difference can be a deciding factor for some people.
People with puppies or kittens
For several reasons, establishing pet insurance when you have a puppy or kitten can be a good idea. By purchasing pet insurance when your pet is young, you can secure their coverage before they can show symptoms of an illness that might be considered a pre-existing condition later.
Who shouldn’t use Healthy Paws?
Multi-pet households
Although Healthy Paws has much to offer, it may not be the best option for families wanting to enroll more than one pet in a pet insurance policy. Most pet insurance policies offer a discount for enrolling more than one pet, but Healthy Paws does not.
People who want accident-only coverage
The single, simple pet insurance policy that Healthy Paws offers can be seen as a positive for many people. But if you’re looking for lower coverage, such as accident-only coverage, you won’t find it here.
Pet parents who need immediate assistance
While enrolling in a pet insurance policy is quick and easy, the coverage is not immediate. Ideally, you’ll enroll your pet in a pet insurance policy as a preventative measure. If your pet recently started showing symptoms of an injury or illness, enrolling in a Healthy Paws policy now won’t be able to help you manage those veterinary expenses.
Pros and cons
Pros
- No limits on annual, per-incident, or lifetime claims
- A single plan to eliminate decision-making fatigue for pet parents
- Coverage regardless of the pet’s age
Cons
- No discount for enrolling multiple pets
- No discounts for veterans, senior citizens, or other groups
- Doesn’t cover the exam fee for accidents or illnesses
Healthy Paws vs. competitors
Additional coverages | Deductible Options | Reimbursement options | Maximum limits | |
Healthy Paws | None | $250 and $500 | 70% and 80% | Unlimited |
Trupanion | Recovery and complementary care and pet owner assistance | $0 - $1,000 | 90% | Unlimited |
Fetch | Wellness plans | $300, $500, or $700 | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 |
Trupanion
Trupanion offers a simple pet insurance plan with unlimited maximum coverage and a 90% reimbursement rate. The company covers a wide variety of conditions for dogs and cats. In addition to unexpected illnesses and injuries, it covers unidentified issues as well as hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, advanced dentistry, and more.
When you purchase a pet insurance plan from Trupanion, you’ll also have the option to enhance your pet’s coverage. Trupanion offers a recovery and complementary care package. With this package, your pet will receive coverage for treatments such as acupuncture, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, and behavioral modification.
For pet owners who want even more coverage, Trupanion offers a pet owner assistance package. This helps cover pet bills that aren’t directly related to their veterinary care. It can include coverage for boarding fees if the pet owner is hospitalized and holiday vacation cancellation costs. If the covered pet is lost, the pet owner assistance package can also help with advertising and reward costs.
One of the things that sets Trupanion apart the most is its claims process. Instead of waiting for reimbursement, Trupanion offers the option to pay your veterinarian’s office directly. After the deductible has been met, Trupanion can pay the veterinarian directly for 90% of the bill that they cover for conditions that are covered by the plan.
Fetch by The Dodo
Fetch pet insurance plans offer various options that allow pet parents to customize a plan that will fit their budget. This includes flexible deductible options, reimbursement options, and maximum limit options. Unfortunately, there is no option for unlimited maximum coverage.
In addition to its base plan, Fetch offers routine care and preventative coverage, also known as a wellness plan. Like its base plan, there are a few options to choose from, so pet parents can select the option that best fits their budget. The lowest-level wellness plan covers annual exams and vaccinations. The higher tiers cost more but also include coverage for anal gland expressions, dental cleanings, routine testing, and preventatives.
One of the benefits of Fetch, compared to other pet insurance policies, is what is included in its base plans. This includes holistic care, such as acupuncture and chiropractic care. Some other pet insurance companies include this as well, but many only offer it for an additional cost.
Fetch also recently began offering a “pet health handbook” for dog owners. These handbooks include information about how to prevent health issues in the future and what you might expect as your dog ages. The information is based on veterinary data from other dogs and can provide dog owners with a financial outlook plan for their pup's health issues. The health handbook is available for a one-time fee of $25 and is accessible from any digital device.
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
FAQs
Does Healthy Paws have an age limit?
Healthy Paws does have a maximum age limit of 14 years for enrollment. However, once your pet is enrolled in a policy, they’ll have coverage for the rest of their life.
What are pre-existing conditions in pet insurance?
Pre-existing conditions are conditions that your pet showed symptoms of prior to the start of their pet insurance policy’s effective date. There does not need to be a diagnosis for a condition to be considered pre-existing. Healthy Paws (and most other pet insurance companies) do not cover pre-existing conditions.
Does Healthy Paws offer any coverage for preventative care?
No, Healthy Paws does not offer coverage for preventative care. Preventative care includes routine veterinary care such as vaccinations, spaying/neutering, annual heartworm testing, and dental cleanings.
The bottom line
If you’re wondering whether pet insurance is worth it, most pet parents will tell you it is. When selecting a pet insurance policy, you should consider the coverage limits each company offers. Fortunately, Healthy Paws has unlimited coverage, which can be a huge relief if your pet faces a serious medical condition like cancer.
Selecting the best pet insurance is subjective. Some pet parents might want full comprehensive coverage, including a wellness plan. If that’s the case, Healthy Paws might not be your best choice. However, if you’re looking for a simple pet insurance plan with unlimited coverage and a reimbursement level of 90%, Healthy Paws is a good option.
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Writer
Ashley Hart is a lead copywriter and digital marketing expert covering finance, law, real estate, music, entertainment, health and wellness.
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