Healthy Paws Review 2024
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We all know that dog is man’s best friend. Our pets are our companions. They’re members of the family, and they deserve to be treated that way; they deserve to be insured by a company like Healthy Paws.
Pets covered: Dogs and Cats
Fortunly Rating
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
Strengths
- Annual deductible (not per incident)
- Unlimited lifetime coverage
- Quick claims process
- Backed by Chubb
- High client satisfaction rates
- Customizable rates
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Discounts for AAA and AMAC members
Weaknesses
- Not the best option for senior pets
- No option for full coverage
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Overview
The story of Healthy Paws is an interesting one. During their job at an animal shelter, the founders of the company agreed on a common goal of providing more affordable veterinary care for pet owners. In 2009, they founded the company that works as both a pet insurer and a nonprofit organization.
Today, this insurer is involved in numerous charities, donating every time a new customer makes a quote. Many shelters across the country have Healthy Paws to thank for keeping them operational through these donations.
Philanthropy aside, what many customers point out is that the company doesn’t put any limits on payouts. There are no caps on annual, lifetime, or per-incident payments, so if you’re looking for unlimited coverage, this is the insurance you want for your pet. It’s not just about removing the caps on the maximum payouts, though.
Healthy Paws doesn’t discriminate, so you can sign up your kitty or pooch as soon as they’re eight weeks old and protect them in case their adventurous spirit leads them to any mishaps. And if you get your pet insured before they’re six years old, they’ll get additional hip dysplasia coverage.
The Healthy Paws app is another great product provided by this company. It’s available for both Android and iOS and works like a hub for all things related to your pets’ insurance. You can manage pet policy for each of your pets through it, take photos of your pet, read up on pet training and health resources, as well as submit claims.
If you refer your friends and relatives through this app, Healthy Paws will donate $25 to pet shelters for each person that signs up via your link.
Anyone that has ever signed up for a plan states there are two things that set this pet insurer apart from the rest – simplicity and speed. There’s just one plan, and its coverage and costs are straightforward. The insurance claim process is equally streamlined. On top of that, it’s affordable pet insurance, one that won’t break the bank, and it comes with a great deductible.
How Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Compares to Other Pet Insurers
2 business days
$15 (cats); $20 (dogs)
Within 15 business days
$10 (cats); $16 (dogs)
Usually within 14 days
$22 (cats); $36 (dogs)
Healthy Paws Coverage
Healthy Paws isn’t sitting at an A+ rating on BBB or a great 4.4 score on TrustPilot for no reason. The insurer, first and foremost, doesn’t have any limits on the maximum benefit for your four-legged friends. Compared to the other offers, the Healthy Paws wellness plan is even quite generous.
Reimbursement levels range from 50% to 90%, with 70 to 80% being the most common, while the annual deductible is between $100 and $1,000. Unfortunately, there’s no option for complete reimbursement, but that’s a rarity today anyway.
It’s also worth noting that the policies are underwritten by Chubb, which is one of the most trustworthy insurance providers in the world.
Moving onto insurance coverage, you can expect all the standard clauses. Your little (or big) furball’s bills for illnesses, accidents, medication, and even hereditary conditions will be covered. The coverage includes diagnostic treatment, surgeries, different examinations like x-ray, ultrasound and blood tests, hospitalizations, cancer treatment, alternative treatment, and any specialty care it may require.
Getting dog insurance before your pooch turns six will also cover them for hip dysplasia, which is a common medical problem for certain breeds.
But getting insurance for your fuzzy pal won’t cover every single one of their vet bills. It’s a standard list of non-coverable fees and conditions we’ve seen at other pet insurers.
For example, the policy doesn’t cover any pre-existing conditions, preventive care (vaccinations, flea control, spaying and neutering, non-accidental dental care), veterinary exams, special diets, cosmetic procedures, or behavioral training. This also includes any injuries your pet suffers before and during the onboarding process.
Is Your Pet Eligible?
A dog or a cat needs to be at least eight weeks old to be eligible for an insurance plan. The upper age limit is currently at 14 years for both cats and dogs. Senior pets, therefore, can’t be very old, or they’ll be turned down for the insurance.
Healthy Paws is a good insurance choice for pets between the ages of two and six. Older pets, especially dogs, won’t get the full benefits of this insurance if they’re not insured on time.
When requesting a quote, you’ll need to provide both the age and breed of your pet, but luckily the policy doesn’t take into account whether the pet is spayed or neutered. In fact, you’ll never be asked about this, which makes sense considering the policy doesn’t cover those expenses anyway. What the pet insurance carrier will ask you is whether your pet has been to the vet in the past year.
In the case of pets younger than six years old, they need to have had a veterinary exam before getting insurance. Since the company examines each applicant’s medical record, and if the last exam was more than 12 months ago, you’ll need to take your pet to the vet during the 15-day onboarding period.
Healthy Paws Policy Plans
One word can describe Healthy Paws – simplicity. Considering that the insurer doesn’t limit a pet’s annual or per-incident coverage, there isn’t really a need for more than one plan. With that being said, it’s not all set in stone. During the enrollment process, the site will give you a quote based on your pet’s breed, age, and location.
Then, you’ll be able to adjust the reimbursement and deductible levels, in turn affecting the monthly rate. Obviously, the more financially beneficial options produce higher rates.
There aren’t too many options, though, just three for each aforementioned feature, and there are no policy add-ons available. It’s so simple anyone can figure it out, but it’s understandable that some pet owners would like more options here.
Further Reading
Find the optimal insurance policy for your needs
Policy Details
Here is a list of all the key features about the policies provided by this insurance company:
- Underwriter: Chubb
- The baseline is the last vet exam within the past 12 months or the first one after the signup.
- There are no annual or per-incident limits on claims.
- Most claims are processed within just two days; the mobile app is the fastest way to submit the pet insurance claim as all it requires is the photo of the vet bill, but you can also upload it through the website or send a claim form via email.
- Direct deposit reimbursement is available.
- In some cases, a direct payment from Healthy Paws to an animal hospital is possible, meaning you don’t need to pay the vet bill and then wait to get reimbursed.
- The waiting period is 15 days for illness and accidents and 12 months for hip dysplasia.
- 30-day money-back guarantee (free look)
- AAA and AMAC discounts are available.
- Policy can be transferred to a new pet owner under the condition that the current owner is unable to care for the pet anymore.
Healthy Paws Pricing & Discounts
The finances are an inevitable part of browsing for the ideal insurance for your four-legged friend. It’s not just important to get the best pet insurance, but also to look for the ways it can become more affordable for you. Like with many other insurers, the monthly rate highly depends on your pet’s breed and age and also the state you live in.
While the site will give you a quote right off the bat, you can modify it to become more affordable or expensive, depending on how high you’d like your deductible and reimbursement to be.
This is an affordable service. It starts at $15 a month for cats and $20 a month for dogs. Deductibles are kept comfortably low ($100, $200, $250, $500, and $1,000), while reimbursement levels are between 50% and 90%. Once you enter your pet’s age and breed, the site will give you three levels for both of these options to further customize your monthly premium.
It’s also worth mentioning that the aforementioned levels aren’t available in every state or for every dog and cat breed. Luckily, the quote tool is free to use and doesn’t require signing up for an account, so you can check whether you’ll get the top pet insurance deal in just a few clicks. There aren’t upper limits on per-accident reimbursements or on your pets’ annual vet bills, which is pretty rare.
There are ways to save even more on the insurance for your cat and dog even though it may not seem so right away. During the signup, you can enter a promo code before you make a payment to make the price go down a little.
Alternatively, you might score a better deal if you’re a member of AAA or AMAC, although there is no discount for annual payments like we’ve seen at some other insurance companies.
We have also taken the liberty of requesting some quotes for insurance policies. Of course, feel free to submit your pets’ data directly to Healthy Paws. Here are the estimates for several different breeds and ages of our pets:
| Breed | Male or Female | Age | Location (Zip Code) | Monthly Price | Reimbursement Level | Annual Deductible | Annual Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labrador Retriever | Male | Two years old | Illinois (60290) | $53.95 | 80% | $250 | Unlimited |
| German Shepherd | Female | Four years old | Florida (33134) | $76.18 | 80% | $200 | Unlimited |
| Alaskan Husky | Male | Five years old | California (90001) | $59.68 | 80% | $250 | Unlimited |
| French Bulldog | Female | Three years old | California (90001) | $85.03 | 70% | $500 | Unlimited |
| Mixed-Breed Cat | Female | Six years old | Texas (75001) | $15.28 | 70% | $500 | Unlimited |
Healthy Paws Customer Service
While the mobile app is the best option for submitting claims, you might sometimes need to contact Healthy Paws customer service. You can do so either via phone, fax, or email, every day of the week except Sunday.
If you prefer social media, the company is on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, but we highly recommend giving them a call or sending an email for the best service. The app, unfortunately, doesn’t serve as a way to contact the company anymore.
Even with one less point of contact, the customer support does a tremendous job, and every interaction was a pleasure. You won’t have to wait long for a resolution; the responses are clear and concise, so the only (tiny) downside is that there’s no live chat option.
Customer Service Hours
Healthy Paws answers customer inquiries six days a week – Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The claims are processed during these hours, too. Of course, any account management, including updating payments, can be done online 24/7 through the Customer Center dashboard.
The Bottom Line
Throughout our review, we talked about some great and some not-so-great things about this insurer. The competition today is fierce – every insurance company is trying to one-up another. It’s absolutely true that Healthy Paws can be a very affordable option for dog insurance, but that also comes at a possible future expense on your behalf if you don’t choose a high enough reimbursement level.
There’s also a matter of pet eligibility, as dogs and cats that are 14 or older can’t get insured through this company. Finally, HealthyPaws follows the trend of similar companies that won’t cover every pet expense, including behavioral training and similar preventive care. The medical bill for your puppy and kitten can get expensive even if you have them insured, depending on the breed.
That being said, there’s a lot to like about Healthy Paws. Its claim process is among the fastest and simplest we’ve ever seen, requiring just a photo or digital copy of the vet’s bill. Most customers say they’d submit their claim through the app while still at the vet, and while they get back home, the claim is already processed.
FAQ
What does Healthy Paws not cover?
Healthy Paws will not cover vet exams, pre-existing conditions of your pet, as well as any cosmetic procedures and special diets the pet may undergo. Behavioral training is also not covered by the policy.
Does Healthy Paws cover LVDD?
Healthy Paws will cover tooth extraction and dental reconstruction, as well as any dental injury caused by an accident. Any other dental work, including a pre-existing illness, is not covered.
Does Healthy Paws price increase with age?
Insuring an older pet with Healthy Paws will be more expensive if you’ve insured them while they were just a cub. But the price you pay per month doesn’t change as your pet grows older. Unless you make changes to your pet’s policy, like reducing the deductible, you shouldn’t be seeing any increase to your monthly bill.
Can I cancel Healthy Paws insurance?
Yes, you can cancel the pet insurance at any time, thus stopping the further charges. Even more you can get your money back if you’re not completely satisfied with the policy. Just make sure you submit that request within 30 days.