Started in 2009, Healthy Paws Pet Insurance & Foundation is one of the most loved and trusted pet insurance companies. Since 2012, Healthy Paws has been rated the #1 pet insurance company on several pet insurance review websites, including Customers Advocate.
Healthy Paws advocates for homeless pets. In fact, every time you get a free Healthy Paws insurance quote, the company will donate money to dogs in need. Healthy Paws makes cash donations to pet adoption agencies to help cover the costs of vaccines, vet care, spaying and neutering, and more.
Additionally, Healthy Paws is committed to making your dog’s insurance simple. The company wants dogs to stay protected so they can live a long, healthy life with you. Therefore, Healthy Paws strives to make its policies easy to understand and its claims process fast and stress-free.
Rating
Healthy Paws Review
Is Healthy Paws pet insurance good coverage for your dog? In my opinion, yes! Not only is it one of the most loved and trusted companies customers rave about, it provides some of the best coverage with affordable prices. And, it seems that its customer service is unbeatable, according to customer reviews.
Although there are some Healthy Paws pet insurance complaints regarding denied claims, it seems that Healthy Paws is quick to address them. Additionally, the majority of its customers rave about the ease and speed of the claims process.
Once you open a policy, there is a short waiting period of 15 days before you can make any claims. After that, you can submit claims online, through the Healthy Paws mobile app, or by snail mail. Healthy Paws processes most claims within 7-10 business days, unless it needs additional medical information from your vet.
Here are a few of the benefits and downfalls of Healthy Paws coverage for dogs:
Pros
One Simple Policy With Broad Coverage
Healthy Paws makes dog insurance easy with one policy. You can choose deductibles and co-pays to help your premiums stay within your budget. But, regardless of the amounts you choose, you’ll receive the same coverage.
Additionally, Healthy Paws provides some of the broadest policies of dog insurance companies. Basically, any high-cost medical service or condition, even if your dog has a hereditary or chronic condition, will be reimbursed. So, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that high vet bills for covered conditions and services won’t all come out of your pocket.
For example, Atlas’ parents explain why choosing Healthy Paws insurance for him saved them tons of money on surgeries and vet bills:
Budget-Friendly Options
Choose your co-pay, deductible, and reimbursement rate to help fit your policy premiums within your monthly budget. Make a few calculations to find out what makes sense for you before you sign up for a policy.
And, your deductible is annual, rather than per-incident. An annual deductible can help save you more money if your dog has several medical incidents per year. Therefore, it creates more of a safety net to help you budget your dog’s medical bills.
Unlimited Lifetime Coverage
Healthy Paws has no renewal process. Once you have your policy, it’s yours until its cancelled, so you can ensure your dog will have continuous coverage. Even if your dog develops a chronic condition that lasts throughout the rest of his life, your Healthy Paws policy will keep him covered.
This also means that there are no caps on claims annually or over the life of your policy. If your vet bills run up thousands per year, you can be reimbursed up to 90%, depending on your reimbursement rate, for all covered services and conditions.
Cons
No Coverage For Vet Exam Fees Or Preventative Care
If you’re looking for a policy that will cover vet exam fees and preventative care, like dental exams or spaying and neutering, Healthy Paws unfortunately isn’t the policy for you. However, Healthy Pets states that it makes vet exam fees the owner’s responsibility so it can provide reimbursements for more high-cost, comprehensive medical care coverage.
Conditions For Vet Exams For Adult Dogs
If your dog is younger than six years old and has had a vet exam within the past 12 months, your policy will automatically be effective. For dogs older than six, he must have a vet exam within the past 30 days to be effective. If not, you have to get him one within 15 days of beginning the policy for it to be effective.
This is to ensure that your dog has no pre-existing conditions that will affect any claims you submit. Although it’s for a good reason, it can be a hindrance for dog owners to get their dog to the vet on short notice. Therefore, I feel it’s important to mention here, so you’re aware of the rule before opening a policy.
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review Of Policy
Healthy Paws provides one comprehensive plan to take the guesswork out of covering your dog. This plan provides reimbursement for the following conditions and medical services:
- Illnesses
- Accidents
- Hereditary, congenital, and chronic conditions
- Cancer
- Diagnostic treatments
- X-Rays, bloodwork, ultrasounds
- Surgery
- Hospitalization
- Prescriptions
- Specialized, alternative, and emergency treatments
You can choose your deductible level for the plan, with $100, $250, and $500 options. You’ll be responsible for paying this annual deductible before Healthy Pets will reimburse your vet bills. Additionally, you can choose your co-pay amount, between 10% and 30%, to help your premiums stay within your monthly budget.
Unfortunately, a Healthy Paws policy will not cover vet exams, pre-existing conditions, pre-existing ligament conditions, and preventative care. So, Healthy Paws will not reimburse you for your dog’s spaying or neutering, dental care, grooming, and other routine care.
Conclusion: Healthy Paws Review
There’s a reason Healthy Paws continues to be one of the highest-rated pet insurance companies. It does what it claims to do: provides comprehensive coverage for your dog and works to get your claims processed as fast as possible.
The customer satisfaction rate for Healthy Paws is one of the highest out of similar pet insurance companies. With an A rating on the Better Business Bureau, a 4/5 star rating on Yelp, and a 9.5/10 rating on TrustPilot, I don’t think you can go wrong with this company.
From comprehensive coverage to budget-friendly monthly premiums, Healthy Paws can give you the peace of mind in knowing you can afford your dog’s vet bills, no matter what situation arises.
I suggest getting a free online quote from Healthy Paws if you’re considering dog insurance. Remember, simply getting a free quote will help homeless dogs through donations! It’s a win-win.
I first got a Healthy Paws policy for our 4 month old pup last September. At that time the premiums were 41.74 per month. One year later, as of October 2019, my premium was raised to 51.76 a month. This is a 24 percent increase in 1 year!!
To make matters worse, I checked the price for a new customer…same pet, same location, and same coverage. The price for a NEW customer is 39.66 per month.
Something is very wrong here!!
Stay away from Healthy Paw, by the time you need coverage the premiums will be unaffordable.