Lemonade vs. Spot vs. Healthy Paws
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A pet insurance policy can keep costs low for pet owners and help them with emergency vet visit expenses. You will also save money on routine checkups. Lemonade, Spot, and Healthy Paws are three of the top pet insurance providers available. This guide will explore the strengths and weaknesses of each company so you can decide which insurance policy is right for you. Remember to take a deeper look into the inclusions and exclusions before you choose an insurance provider.
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Lemonade vs. Spot vs. Healthy Paws
Lemonade pet insurance
Lemonade is an insurance company that offers pet health insurance and other types of policies, including life, renters, and homeowners. You can receive pet insurance coverage in seconds and get claims approved in minutes. Lemonade’s pet insurance policies cover diagnostics, procedures, and prescription medications.
The pet insurance provider has a two-day waiting period for accidents, 14 14-day waiting period for illnesses, and a six-month waiting period for cruciate ligament events. A preventative package gives you access to these protections the day after you purchase the policy. It also offers wellness coverage for pet parents seeking extensive coverage.
Lemonade also offers a 5% multi-pet discount if you insure multiple pets under its policy. You will have to provide medical records for your pet so Lemonade can assess your pet’s health and see if it has any pre-existing medical conditions. Most pet insurance companies do not work with pets that have pre-existing conditions. However, it is not available in all states.
Lemonade is available on desktop and mobile devices. The app has a 4.9 rating out of 73,000 reviews in the App Store. It also has a 4.4 rating out of 16,000 reviews in Google Play.
Spot pet insurance
Spot specializes in pet insurance policies and offers up to 90% cash back on vet bills. The insurer also lets you visit any vet in the U.S. or Canada, while some insurers limit you to specific vets in the United States. Pet insurance companies usually let you visit any vet in the country instead of requiring that you visit an in-network pet to receive coverage.
You can also enjoy a more generous 10% multi-pet discount. Most pet insurers only offer a 5% discount if you insure multiple pets under the same company. Spot also has a 24/7 pet telehealth helpline available if you have any questions or need help keeping your pet healthy.
Spot has multiple pet insurance policies based on how much coverage you want and how much you can pay. You can choose Accident and Illness coverage or Accident Only, with the former giving you more coverage. Accident & Illness also comes with higher premiums, and a wellness plan is also offered.
Spot is available on desktop and mobile devices. The app has received less fanfare than Lemonade in the App Store or Google Play.
Healthy Paws pet insurance
Healthy Paws has established a niche in the pet insurance industry since 2009. The company is a top-rated insurance provider for dogs and cats in the United States. The insurer processes most claims within two days without maximum annual or lifetime payouts.
The company’s policies cover a wide range of topics, including accidents, illnesses, cancer, emergency care, genetic and hereditary conditions, breed-specific conditions, and alternative care. More than 560,000 pets are enrolled in Healthy Paws’ insurance policies. Policyholders get flexible premium and deductible options and don’t have to worry about any enrollment or administrative fees.
When filing a claim, you can work with any licensed vet in the United States and take pictures of your vet exam fees through the app. Healthy Paws insures people’s pets while giving back to help homeless pets. The insurer started a foundation in 2009 to help animal rescue teams care for sick pets without homes. The insurer has donated to more than 600 non-profit pet rescue organizations. Total donations exceeded $2 million as of December 31, 2022.
The Healthy Paws app is available in the App Store and Google Play. You can also use the desktop version. The pet insurance provider has more than 2,200 Trustpilot reviews with an average rating of 4.3 stars.
Key features
Lemonade
Quick claim approval process. Your claim can be approved in a few minutes. Lemonade’s artificial intelligence can quickly review your vet bills and distribute funds based on your coverage.
1-day waiting time. Most pet insurance policies have waiting periods before certain protections begin. However, if you get a preventative care package, you will receive coverage for various protections the day after you get the policy. The waiting period is only one day for accidents, illnesses, and cruciate ligament events. For most pet insurance providers, the latter can have a waiting period of several months.
Qualifying vets. Your pet insurance offers coverage if you work with any licensed veterinarian in the United States.
Coverage. Use your pet coverage for diagnostics, procedures, and medications. You can also save a lot of money on preventative care checkups, tests, and treatments.
Younger pets. Lemonade has policies specifically designed for kittens and puppies.
Spot
Vet coverage. Instead of limiting yourself to a network of vets, you can work with any veterinarian in the United States or Canada. Most pet insurance providers offer coverage for any licensed vet in the United States. Spot is one of the few insurers offering coverage for licensed vets in Canada.
Multi-pet discount. Enjoy a 10% multi-pet discount if you enroll multiple pets with the same provider. Most pet insurance companies only offer a 5% multi-pet discount.
Flexibility with your policy. You can choose between Accident Only or Accident & Illness. Both policies offer a lot of customization that can help you get the coverage to meet the pet's needs at reasonable monthly premiums.
24/7 pet telehealth line. Receive professional support if you have any questions about your pet’s health care.
High cash back. You can receive up to 90% cash back on vet bills.
Curated discounts. Thanks to its partnerships with several companies, spot offers discounts on pet essentials like food, toys, pet sitting, and more.
Affordable plans. Premiums start as low as $9/mo for cats and kittens. Dog owners can get pet insurance plans starting at $15/mo.
Healthy Paws
Coverage. Healthy Paws offers extensive coverage, including hereditary conditions, breed-specific conditions, alternative therapies, and optional wellness care.
Quick claim process. Receive your funds within two days after submitting a claim.
No maximums. If you have a higher pet bill than expected, Healthy Paws will still cover it. The policy doesn’t have any lifetime payout limits either.
Low costs. You do not have to pay any enrollment or administrative fees, which helps to keep the total monthly costs low.
Recommends other insurers. Healthy Paws will recommend other pet insurance providers if it believes its pet insurance coverage does not offer the most value for your pet.
Flexible policies. You have a lot of choices when it comes to premium and deductible options.
Related: Lemonade vs Trupanion vs ASPCA
- 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
Summary of Lemonade, Spot, and Healthy Paws
Company | Veterinarian Coverage | Coverage Limit | Coverage for existing medical conditions | Multi-pet discount |
Lemonade | U.S. only | $5,000 to $100,000 | No | 0% |
Spot | U.S. or Canada | Several choices that range from $2,500 to unlimited | No | 5% |
Healthy Paws | U.S. or abroad | Unlimited | No | 10% |
Lemonade
- Lemonade does not offer insurance for a 10-year-old female Shih Tzu with a 18098 zip code.
- The insurer also couldn’t insure a 5-year-old Shih Tzu or a 5-year-old Beagle with the same zip code
Spot
- $14.64/mo for a 10-year-old female Shih Tzu seeking an Accident Only Plan with a 18098 zip code.
- $50.76/mo for a 10-year-old female Shih Tzu seeking an Accident + Illness Plan with a 18098 zip code.
Healthy Paws
- $97.39/mo policy with a 50% reimbursement rate and a $1,000 annual deductible for a 10-year-old female Shih Tzu with a 18098 zip code.
- Healthy Paws is upfront about this quote not being the best value for your pet. You can get a better quote if you have a younger pet.
- 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
Pros and cons
Lemonade
Pros
- 1-day waiting time for cruciate ligament events if you get the right policy
- Quick claim process
- Multi-pet discount
Cons
- Does not offer policies for older pets
- Does not work with certain breeds
Spot
Pros
- Work with vets in the United States and Canada
- 24/7 pet telehealth helpline
- Many coverage options
Cons
- Lower ratings in app stores
- The insurer only offers pet insurance, which limits opportunities to get discounts on other policies
Healthy Paws
Pros
- No maximum coverage limits (annual limit or lifetime)
- Claims get processed within two days
- Many coverage options which include breed-specific and hereditary conditions
Cons
- No multi-pet discount
- No opportunities to get discounts on policies outside of pet insurance
FAQs
Is Lemonade pet insurance legitimate?
Lemonade is a legitimate insurance company that has been around since 2015. Shares of the corporation are traded in the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LMND.
Does Lemonade let you work with any vet?
Lemonade lets you work with any licensed vet in the United States. You do not have to choose from veterinarians within a network.
How long do Lemonade claims take?
Some claims get settled on the same day thanks to Lemonade’s artificial intelligence technology. However, some claims can be closer to two weeks.
Is Spot pet insurance legitimate?
Spot pet insurance is a legitimate solution for pet owners who want to give their pets
more coverage. Spot was founded in 2017 and has insured more than 560,000 pets.
Can you use Spot pet insurance anywhere?
You can use Spot pet insurance anywhere in the United States or Canada. Most insurers based in the United States only let policyholders work with licensed vets in the U.S. Spot gives you more choices, but you must use a licensed vet.
Can you cancel any time with Spot pet insurance?
Spot offers a 30-day money-back guarantee when you open your policy. You cannot use the money-back guarantee if you have filed a claim during that time. You can still cancel your policy after the first 30 days, but you will have to call Spot to facilitate the process.
Is Healthy Paws pet insurance legitimate?
Healthy Paws is a legitimate pet insurance provider that has been around since 2009. The insurer has more than 2,200 Trustpilot reviews with a 4.3 average rating. Healthy Paws has also donated more than $2 million to homeless pets as of December 31, 2022. The insurer has helped numerous pet owners while making a difference in many communities.
Does Healthy Paws insurance go up by pet’s age?
Insurance premiums go up as your pet gets older. An older pet presents a greater risk to the insurer, which results in higher costs for the pet owner. It’s a common practice among Healthy Paws and other insurers to raise premiums on pets when they get older. This rule remains constant for people with life insurance policies.
Is Healthy Paws a good dog insurance provider?
Healthy Paws has a quick claims process and offers a lot of coverage. It checks many of the boxes you may have for your pet. However, you should compare several insurance providers before deciding which one is right for you.
- 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
The bottom line
Lemonade, Spot, and Healthy Paws are some of the top pet insurance providers in the industry. However, it can be difficult to compare numerous insurers and decide which is right for your pet.
Most insurance companies have streamlined their processes, allowing you to get an online quote within a few minutes. You can compare quotes and see if your pet qualifies for a policy. Healthy Paws will be upfront with you if its policy does not provide the best value for your pet. You can also cross Lemonade off your list if the insurer does not offer policies for your pet due to its breed, upper age limit, or other factors.
Receiving more quotes will give you a better idea of what makes the best pet insurance company. You can narrow your list of insurers and go through the next steps. You can then make a more informed decision and consider the add-ons once you receive final policies rather than online quotes that can change during the process.
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Writer
Marc Guberti is a business freelance writer who specializes in personal finance, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship. His award-winning book "Content Marketing Secrets" teaches readers how to create, promote and optimize content for growth and revenue. Marc also hosts the "Breakthrough Success Podcast," where listeners learn how to master content marketing and get more clients.
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