Healthy Paws Review

Overview

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance and Foundation got its start in 2009 when the director of a no-kill animal shelter and an insurance company executive decided to blend their two passions. The result was a pet insurance company that takes pride in donating a portion of their proceeds to homeless animals. Based in Washington, Healthy Paws pet insurance is underwritten by the Chubb Group, a highly-rated and well-recognized insurer located in New Jersey.

With unlimited benefits for the lifetime of your pet’s insurance policy, no caps on coverage of any kind, and industry-leading customer service, Healthy Pets is our Editor’s Choice for pet insurance. Our review of Healthy Pets is going to show you exactly how pet insurance works with this well-known company and give you the info you need to see if it’s the best insurance for your pet’s needs.

Coverage Details

Healthy Paws is a favorite amongst veterinarians and pet owners, thanks to some awesome pet insurance coverage benefits. We’ve gathered up all the info on what’s covered by Healthy Paws for you, so you don’t have to waste your own time when trying to choose the right pet insurance.

Hip Dysplasia Treatment: Unlike many other pet insurance providers, Healthy Paws provides coverage for expensive hereditary conditions like hip dysplasia. Even if your pet has been diagnosed with this harmful joint disorder before being signed up for Healthy Paws, he’ll be able to get the dog hip dysplasia surgery and treatment he needs to stay in tip-top shape. Just be sure you sign your pup up for Healthy Paws before the age of 6 and keep in mind there’s a 12-month waiting period for hip dysplasia coverage to take effect.

Illnesses and Accidents: Healthy Paws was designed to cover your back when the unexpected happens to your pet. Have a cat with a urinary tract infection or a dog that ate something he shouldn’t have? If you’ve got Healthy Paws pet insurance, up to 90% of your pet’s vet bills will be covered for accidents or illnesses. You’ll be able to get your pet the life-saving treatment they need, without having to worry about paying a big bill all by yourself.

Emergency and Specialty Care: Did you know that the average visit to the animal ER costs around $500? And that’s not including any surgery or follow-up care your pet might need after a trip to the emergency veterinarian. Dogs and cats covered by Healthy Paws pet insurance can get the specialty and emergency medical care they need without putting a hurting on the bank accounts of their owners.

Cancer and Chronic Conditions: According to the Animal Cancer Foundation, almost 6 million dogs and cats are diagnosed with cancer each and every year. This terrifying statistic can be hard for pet parents to digest, but if they protect their fur babies with insurance coverage from Healthy Paws, they can at least rest easy in knowing live-saving cancer treatments will easily be within their financial reach.

Hereditary and Congenital Conditions: If your pet is suffering from a congenital or hereditary medical condition, it can not only shorten their lifespan but also drain your bank account. Some of the most common hereditary disorders in dogs and cats include epilepsy, heart disease, or urinary bladder stones. And treatments for these congenital conditions can range from monthly medications to high-cost surgical procedures. Healthy Paws has your pet covered with reimbursement on even the most pricey of hereditary and congenital conditions.

Diagnostic Treatment: Healthy Paws also covers diagnostics to help your vet make sure your dog or cat is getting the optimal medical treatment. You’ll be reimbursed for X-rays, ultrasounds, blood tests, and many other of the most common (and expensive) veterinary diagnostic tools, thanks to Healthy Paws providing unlimited lifetime pet insurance coverage.

Hospitalization and Prescriptions: If your pet has to stay in the hospital to be treated by his veterinarian, your bill can quickly reach thousands of dollars, thanks to constant medical care and pricey prescription medications. Healthy Paws pays for up to 90% of the costs incurred from in-patient vet care or any prescriptions your pet’s doctor might want her to be on at home.

Alternative Therapies: Healthy Paws is serious about keeping your pet healthy, which is why they cover your dog or cat from nose to paws, even if they require alternative care. You’ll be reimbursed for acupuncture and chiropractic visits for your pet and may only have to pay 10% of the bill. Healthy Paws covers a long list of alternative therapies for pets, as long as they’re being performed by a licensed veterinarian.

Like most pet insurance companies, Healthy Paws does have some benefit limits that you should know about. What’s not covered by Healthy Paws pet insurance includes pre-existing conditions, veterinary exam fees, preventative care, dental or elective procedures, behavioral treatment, and pet boarding or doggy daycare expenses.

Plan Rates & Sample Quotes

If you’re looking for clear, comprehensive pet insurance coverage for your furry friends, Healthy Paws might just be the perfect fit. Your pets will get the health insurance they need and depending on the coverage you choose, you’ll pay as little as 10% of the vet bill.

With no annual, per incident or lifetime caps on pet insurance payouts, you really can’t go wrong with Healthy Paws. And their monthly premium rates start at just $15 for cats and $20 for dogs.

Healthy Paws makes it super-easy to get a free pet insurance quote by phone or quick online form. But in case you want to get a good overview of what you can expect to pay for your pet to be covered by Healthy Paws, we’ve gathered up some sample policy quotes for you.

Domestic Shorthair Cat: 1 year old, Male, Florida (32818) covered for $22.41 per month.

Golden Retriever: 3 years old, Female, Illinois (60007) covered for $44.72 per month.

French Bulldog: 6 years old, Male, California (94102) covered for $105.10 per month.

German Shepherd: 2 years old, Female, New York (10003) covered for $41.72 per month.

Please Note: All sample policy quotes come with an 80% reimbursement rate, a $200 annual deductible, and unlimited maximum payouts for life.

Reimbursements & Deductibles

Healthy Paws offers reimbursement percentages that are well in-line with the highest pet insurance industry standards. And they give you the flexibility of being able to customize your pet’s insurance coverage by choosing your own reimbursement rate.

You can customize your pet’s Healthy Paws plan with 70%, 80%, or 90% reimbursements, all of which are based on the actual bill from your veterinarian.

Once Healthy Paws has compiled all the treatments your pet received which are covered under his insurance policy, they will pay your chosen reimbursement percentage after your annual deductible has been met.

Reimbursement Structure: Actual Cost

Minimum Reimbursement: 70%

Maximum Reimbursement: 90%

As with the other best pet insurance companies, Healthy Paws gives you the option to customize your deductibles to suit your financial needs. Customizable pet insurance deductibles from Healthy Paws are set at $100, $250, or $500.

Deductible Type: Annual

Minimum Deductible: $100

Maximum Deductible: $500

Just remember that a lower deductible and higher reimbursement percentage will result in a pricer monthly premium. But your per-incident payout will also be larger, which means you get more return on your pet insurance investment.

Enrollment & Waiting Periods

Maybe you’re asking yourself, “Should I enroll my pet in Healthy Paws pet insurance?” If so, one of the things you should keep in mind is your pet’s age and any waiting periods you’ll have to contend with before your dog or cat is fully covered.

Healthy Paws enrolls puppies and kittens from 8-weeks of age and older. And unlike other pet insurance companies, you can enroll older dogs or cats up until their 14th birthday. Just keep in mind there’s a standard 15-day waiting period for the coverage of illnesses and accidents.

If your dog is suffering from the pains of hip dysplasia, Healthy Paws will help you pay for any necessary treatment or surgery. But you must enroll your pet before they’re 6-years-old and there’s a hip dysplasia waiting period of 12 months before coverage begins.

Minimum Enrollment Age: 8 weeks

Maximum Enrollment Age: 13.99 years

Standard Waiting Period: 15 days

Hip Dysplasia Waiting Period: 12 months

We recommend you take waiting periods into consideration when shopping for pet insurance. If you have a younger dog or cat without any known health concerns, you should be more than safe waiting the standard 15 days for their Healthy Paws insurance coverage to kick in.

Claims & Customer Support

Healthy Paws has a stellar track record when it comes to addressing customer concerns and answering the questions of pet parents. All of their customer support reps are experts in the field of pet insurance and we found them to be friendly, sympathetic, patient, and professional.

You can reach a member of the Healthy Paws customer support team 7 days a week during PST business hours and claims can be filed 24/7 using fax, email, an online portal, or the Healthy Paws mobile app for iPhone or Android.

While putting Healthy Paws through its paces, we found that the process of filing a claim was quick and easy. Their support team will walk you through any issues you might encounter and 99% of all Healthy Paws pet insurance claims are paid within 2 days of being filed.

Pet Owner Opinions

As a part of our Healthy Paws pet insurance review, we wanted to see what actual pet owners had to say. We turned to Google, Yelp, and the BBB to get some real info from Healthy Paws customer reviews. Here’s what they had to say…

“These peeps are the best. We have so many pets and this insurance company has helped us make sure that they stay healthy all the time. We signed up with them after hearing about them from our neighbor in Seattle. We’ve moved since then and are still using them. I like the app very much, as it makes getting claims solved very nice. The claims are always direct deposited into my account and there is never any hassle to deal with. I have a friend who uses another company and they have many hassles.” India C, Yelp 11/26/18

“We are so grateful for our Healthy Paws Pet Insurance! Our French Bulldog, Tugboat, ruptured a disc for the second time in two years. We knew from our first experience that Healthy Paws would quickly reimburse our claim and that the process would be fast. We were not disappointed! Best pet insurance a paw parent could hope for.” Janice H, BBB 12/4/18

“I’m really glad I chose their service from the start. The claim process is quick and smooth. The bill for my dog’s hip surgery as well as the therapy and pills needed for post-surgery were covered without any difficulties. I can’t express my gratitude enough. I wouldn’t be able to afford any of the medical costs without them.” Liu J, Google 1/1/19