Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review
Healthy Paws offers good coverage and a solid value for pet owners. There aren’t caps on payouts and conditions such as hip dysplasia are often covered, although there are age limits and waiting periods.
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What we like:
Strong financial strength
| Monthly Premium | As low as $17 for cats and $27 for dogs |
| Deductible | $100 $250 or $500 |
| Reimbursement | 70%, 80% or 90% of annual costs |
| Age Restrictions | Minimum: 8 weeks Maximum: 14 years |
Pet owners rightly feel as if their animals are part of their family. Just as with any other member of your family, you want your pet to be safe, healthy, and protected. Unfortunately, vet bills and health care costs can add up quickly, making it hard for pet parents to provide high quality medical care. Many pet owners opt to purchase pet insurance to offset those high costs. Pet insurance can offer owners peace of mind by protecting them in case of a large veterinary bill — especially if there’s an emergency.
Pet insurance has many of the same features of health insurance for humans including an annual deductible and copays. With pet insurance, your policy may also come with waiting periods and limitations on coverage for pre-existing conditions. Because policy terms can vary from one insurer to another, comparison shopping before choosing a provider and a plan is very important so you can find the best pet insurance for your needs.
Healthy Paws is one company offering pet insurance. Healthy Paws receives high marks from consumers, and makes low-cost coverage options available, but there are also some downsides to be aware of. This Healthy Paws review will help you make the best decision on whether this coverage is right for you.
In this review:
- Benefits of Healthy Paws Insurance
- Downsides of Healthy Paws Insurance
- What Does Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Cover?
- How Much Does Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Cost?
- Where is Healthy Paws Insurance Available?
- How is the Customer Service for Healthy Paws Pet Insurance?
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review
Healthy Paws is a top-rated pet insurance provider. The co-founders of the company met through their work at a no-kill animal shelter so there’s a true love for animals serving as a foundation for Healthy Paws Insurance. The company is an A+ rated insurer, and unlike many other companies, they don’t require a claim form.
Healthy Paws pet insurance may provide up to a 90% reimbursement level for vet bills, and the company offers a variety of insurance plans including:
- Dog and puppy insurance: Plans cover genetic conditions such as hip dysplasia, emergencies, injuries, and illnesses. Coverage includes chronic conditions, cancer, alternative treatment, prescription medicines, and specialty care.
- Cat and kitten insurance: As with dog and puppy insurance, accidents, illnesses, and genetic conditions are covered for cats and kittens. There are no lifetime caps or annual payout limits and claims are processed quickly.
Benefits of Healthy Paws Insurance
Some of the benefits of Healthy Paws insurance include low costs; coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions; and no caps on payouts.
The fact that there aren’t caps on payouts is one of the primary differentiators between Healthy Paws and other pet insurance companies. Other insurance companies may pay only up to a specified amount each year or per incident.
Healthy Paws also offers more comprehensive coverage than many competitors. As long as a pet is enrolled before the age of six, conditions that are hereditary and congenital may be covered.
For those covered through Healthy Paws, the plan structure is straightforward and it’s simple to submit necessary information for reimbursement because Healthy Paws doesn’t require a claim form. Everything can be managed online or using the company’s mobile app.
Downsides of Healthy Paws Insurance
While overall Healthy Paws is a good insurance provider, it’s not without potential downsides.
First of all, as with most pet insurance companies, there’s a waiting period. For accidents and illnesses, the Healthy Paws waiting period is 15 days. For hip dysplasia,there is a 12-month waiting period for pets younger than six. Plus, hip dysplasia coverage is not available for pets ages six or older at the time of enrollment.
If a pet is injured or gets sick during a waiting period, you won’t be covered. And, any resulting health problems are considered a pre-existing condition and are excluded.
>> Read More: Pet insurance with no waiting period
Exam fees aren’t covered with Healthy Paws either, and there are some customer service complaints about the company.
What Does Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Cover?
Healthy Paws covers a wide variety of different conditions including:
- Illnesses
- Accidents
- Hereditary and congenital conditions (limitations apply)
- Chronic conditions
- Cancer
- Diagnostic treatment
- X-rays
- Blood tests
- Ultrasounds
- Surgery
- Hospitalizations
- Prescription medicine
- Emergency care
- Specialty care
- Alternative treatment
Healthy Paws does not cover:
- Exam fees
- Pre-existing conditions
- Pre-existing cruciate ligament injury
- Preventative care (including vaccinations, flea and heartworm control, dental care, spaying and neutering, and anal gland expression)
- There’s no reimbursement for elective procedures, boarding, therapy, or behavioral modification or behavioral training
There are no caps or maximum limits annually, there are no lifetime caps, and there are no incident caps.
How Much Does Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Cost?
The starting monthly premiums cost around $27 for dogs and $17 for cats. Discounts are also available to lower Healthy Paws pet insurance costs. For example, if you are a member of AAA, you can receive a 10% lifetime discount.
You can get a personalized pet insurance quote on the Healthy Paws website to see what you might expect to pay monthly and what your reimbursement rates would be so you can decide if a policy is worth buying.
Where is Healthy Paws Insurance Available?
Healthy Paws is available in all 50 states.
How is the Customer Service for Healthy Paws Pet Insurance?
To contact customer service, you can visit the online Healthy Paws Customer Center. Using the online Customer Center, you can manage your policy, file claims, review the status of claims and update your billing information.
Healthy Paws is a paperless company, and all information is sent electronically. There is also a Healthy Paws Mobile App. And, with the Speedy Claims Payout process, you can take a picture of your vet bill and submit it online or through the mobile app. Healthy Paws promises that 99% ofclaims are processed in two days — and you can see the status of your claim in real time.
On the BBB website, Healthy Paws has an A+ rating, is an accredited BBB Business, and has an average of four out of five stars from customers. For the most part, customers seem really happy with the products and services available from Healthy Paws as well as with the customer care provided– although there are some outliers.
For example, one customer complained to the BBB because of increases in premiums each year. Other customers have described the customer service as problematic and complained of difficulty getting in touch with a customer service representative despite repeated attempts.
Bottom Line
If you’re searching for pet insurance, Healthy Paws may be a viable option for you. Healthy Paws stands out from competitors because of low monthly premiums and no caps on claims payouts. However, you should compare all your options to find the right pet insurance provider for your needs.
