Pet insurance can be a great financial decision for pet owners who want to ensure their pet gets all the necessary treatment it needs in the event that it suffers an unexpected injury or illness.
Two highly-rated companies that offer pet insurance are Spot and Healthy Paws.
In this Spot vs. Healthy Paws comparison, you’ll find out what each company offers, which is the best for different situations, and which performed better in our analysis.
In this comparison:
- Spot vs. Healthy Paws: At a glance
- Which offers better coverage?
- Which offers more affordable policies?
- Scenarios in which one provider is better than the other
- Our choice between the two companies
Spot vs. Healthy Paws: At a glance
View Rates
|
View Rates
|
|
| Reimbursement | 70%, 80%, or 90% | 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% |
| Reimbursement | Reimbursement | |
| 70%, 80%, or 90% | 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% | |
| Benefit limit | $2,500, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, or unlimited | No maximum |
| Benefit limit | Benefit limit | |
| $2,500, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, or unlimited | No maximum | |
| Deductible | $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000 | $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000 |
| Deductible | Deductible | |
| $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000 | $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000 | |
| See the best pet insurance. | ||
Does Spot or Healthy Paws offer better coverage?
After reviewing a sample policy from each company, it was clear that Spot’s coverage included much more than Healthy Paws. While both companies cover the basics of accidents, illnesses, and emergency care, Spot stood out by also covering exam fees, behavioral issues, cosmetic procedures, and dietary supplements.
You can use the following table to see some things that are and aren’t covered under each company’s policy.
| Spot | Healthy Paws | |
| Accidents | Yes | Yes |
| Alternative therapy | Yes | Yes |
| Behavioral issues | Yes | No |
| Boarding | No | No |
| Breeding | No | No |
| Cancer treatment | Yes | Yes |
| Chronic conditions | Yes | Yes |
| Congenital conditions | Yes | Yes |
| Cosmetic procedures | Yes | No |
| Dental injury | Yes | Yes |
| End of life expenses | Yes | Unknown |
| Exam fees | Yes | No |
| Experimental treatment | No | No |
| Hereditary conditions | Yes | Yes |
| Illnesses | Yes | Yes |
| IV fluids and medications | Yes | Yes |
| Microchip implementation | Yes | No |
| MRI, CT scans, or X-rays | Yes | Yes |
| Pre-existing conditions | Only if curable | No |
| Prescription food | Yes* | No |
| Prescription medications | Yes | Yes |
| Supplements | Yes* | No |
| Surgery and hospitalization | Yes | Yes |
| Tooth extractions | Yes | Yes |
*Only to treat covered conditions.
Are policies from Spot or Healthy Paws more affordable?
We received several quotes through each company’s free online quote tool to determine whether Spot or Healthy Paws offered more affordable policies. After reviewing four quotes that included the same policy terms (benefit limit, reimbursement rate, and deductible), it was clear that Healthy Paws was able to provide more budget-friendly policies.
The cost difference between the two companies varied by $12.41 to $58.90 per month, depending on the quote submitted, but in all cases, Healthy Paws offered the more affordable policy.
It’s important to note that while Healthy Paws policies were more affordable when the terms were the same, Spot offered more customization allowing for pet owners to lower the price of a policy if needed. Spot policies also offer much broader coverage than Healthy Paws, likely explaining the reason for the higher price.
Here is a full breakdown of the different quotes we received and the monthly cost for each policy:
Quote one: A one-year old male Labrador Retriever in California
The policy details for this quote included unlimited payouts, an 80% reimbursement rate, and a $500 annual deductible.
| Policy | Spot | Healthy Paws |
| Accident & illness | $88.34 | $64.66* |
| Accident-only | $33.59 | Not available |
| Wellness add-on | $9.95 or $24.95 | Not available |
*Healthy Paws added a note to this quote that said their policy may not be the best value and we should consider other options.
Quote two: A 10-month old female Australian Shepherd in New Jersey
The policy details for this quote included unlimited payouts, a 90% reimbursement rate, and a $250 annual deductible.
| Policy | Spot | Healthy Paws |
| Accident & illness | $97.08 | $38.18 |
| Accident-only | $57.32 | Not available |
| Wellness add-on | $9.95 or $24.95 | Not available |
Quote three: A two-year old male Persian in New Jersey
The policy details for this quote included unlimited payouts, a 70% reimbursement rate, and a $500 annual deductible.
| Policy | Spot | Healthy Paws |
| Accident & illness | $32.80 | $20.39 |
| Accident-only | $18.60 | Not available |
| Wellness add-on | $9.95 or $24.95 | Not available |
Quote four: A six-year old female Scottish Fold in California
The policy details for this quote included unlimited payouts, a 70% reimbursement rate, and a $500 annual deductible.
| Policy | Spot | Healthy Paws |
| Accident & illness | $54.61 | $31.61 |
| Accident-only | $21.31 | Not available |
| Wellness add-on | $9.95 or $24.95 | Not available |
Scenarios in which Spot or Healthy Paws are better than the other
Now that we’ve reviewed the coverage offered by each company, and the cost of that coverage, let’s take a look at some different scenarios in which Spot or Healthy Paws are better than the other. If one of these scenarios is important to you, then it could help you determine which provider is best for you and your pet.
- If you want to customize your policy
- If you want to be reimbursed for preventative care
- If you want an accident-only policy
- If you want exam fees to be covered
- If years in business is important
- If you have multiple pets
If you want to customize your policy: Spot
When we say “customize your policy,” we’re referring to your ability to choose your benefit limit, reimbursement rate, and deductible, amongst a range of options. This ability allows you to adjust the terms of your policy so that you get the coverage you desire, at a price you can afford.
What made Spot stand out over Healthy Paws in this scenario is that Healthy Paws only offers one benefit limit (albeit a desired one), while Spot offers six different options, including the one offered by Healthy Paws. Additionally, in many quotes we received, Healthy Paws offered a limited selection of terms compared to its full offering. It seemed that factors such as breed, age, and location were impacting the options available to us.
If you want to be reimbursed for preventative care: Spot
Pet insurance offers coverage for unexpected accidents and illnesses. This does not include things like wellness exams, vaccinations, or blood tests. That’s because these are considered forms of preventative care, and to be reimbursed for this type of care, you’ll need to add a wellness plan to your pet insurance policy.
If you’re interested in this add-on, Spot is your option. While Spot’s wellness plan earned a high rating by our team, the reason it was selected over Healthy Paws is simple: Healthy Paws doesn’t offer a wellness plan.
If you want exam fees to be covered: Spot
You may have assumed that all pet insurance policies would cover exam fees, but that’s actually not the case.
When it comes to Spot and Healthy Paws, Spot’s the only one to include these costs in its plan. Any exam fees for accidents or illnesses related to covered conditions will be covered. However, annual physical exams are not covered as these are considered preventative care and are covered by wellness plans.
If you want an accident-only policy: Spot
While the most common form of pet insurance is an accident & illness policy, many providers offer an additional option, called an accident-only policy. This policy, as the name implies, only covers unexpected accidents to your pet. Any illness your pet suffers from will not be covered under this plan.
A reason why some pet owners consider an accident-only policy is the lower monthly cost. This lower cost provides a middle ground between having no coverage and full coverage.
If you’re interested in this type of policy, you’ll want to go with Spot. Healthy Paws doesn’t offer an accident-only plan. You can see the price difference between Spot’s accident & illness policy and its accident-only policy through its free online quote tool or the quotes we received above.
If years in business is important: Healthy Paws
If you value experience, Healthy Paws is your choice. Healthy Paws has been providing pet insurance to pet parents since 2009. Spot, on the other hand, has only been in business since 2019.
It’s worth noting that Spot’s insurance plans are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, which has been offering pet insurance through other brands for many years.
If you have multiple pets: Spot
If you plan to insure multiple pets at the same time, Spot offers a 10% multi-pet discount. Unfortunately, Healthy Paws doesn’t offer a multi-pet discount, so you’ll be paying full price even with multiple pets.
Which company is our choice between Spot and Healthy Paws?
Our team viewed Spot as the better option between these two companies. After a comparison of 17 leading pet insurance providers and 40+ hours of research, we scored Spot with a 4.5 out of 5, while Healthy Paws received a 3.8 out of 5.
The reason Spot performed better in our analysis was due to its comprehensive coverage, customizability of terms, variety of plans, and available discounts.
We value companies that allow pet owners to have control over the cost of their policy and the level of coverage they receive. When our analysis was completed, Spot clearly stood out in this regard. In addition to a strong rating by our team, Spot currently has an excellent rating of 4.3 out of 5 from its customers through Trustpilot, as of March 16, 2022.
Interested in getting a personalized quote from Spot? Visit its website for a free quote.