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Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review

3,291 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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Healthy Paws is a pet insurance company based in Washington state that provides coverage for cats and dogs. They are underwritten by Chubb Group, a consistently highly-rated insurer.

Healthy Paws offers an industry-leading suite of policies that include unlimited lifetime benefits, high reimbursement, affordable coverage, and top rated customer service.

How is Healthy Paws rated?

Breakdown

4.5/5
Coverage
4.0/5
Cost
4.0/5
Extras

Overall Rating: 4.4 / 5 (Excellent)

Healthy Paws ranks highly among the pet insurance companies we've reviewed. The company offers a single pet insurance plan with multiple reimbursement options, comprehensive coverage for alternative therapy and no caps of any kind.

Reimbursement is based on the cost of your actual vet bill and there is no limit as to the type of or how many claims you can make for covered conditions. Healthy Paws provides all of this at the same or sometimes lower prices than less comprehensive plans.

Healthy Paws Coverage

Coverage - 4.5 / 5

Compared to other pet insurance providers, Healthy Paws offers the most comprehensive coverage and does so without any caps or limits. Policies cover all accidents and illnesses without restrictions for hereditary or congenital conditions.

The company also includes services like advanced testing, surgeries, hospital stays, and prescription medications, as well as alternative therapies and emergency care.

Healthy Paws does not have a wellness plan, but they will treat canine hip dysplasia if it is not a pre-existing condition.
Pets Covered
Dogs
Cats
Coverage Types
Medical
Vet Selection
Unrestricted
Out-of-State Coverage
Yes
Commercial Pets Covered

Medical Conditions Covered

  • Accidental
  • Illness
  • Hereditary
  • Congenital
  • Cancer
  • Chronic
  • Accidental Dental

Medical Treatments Covered

  • Diagnostic Testing
  • Surgery
  • Hospitalization
  • Prescription Medications
  • Emergency Care
  • Specialty Care
  • Alternative Care

Benefit Limits

Benefit Limits - 4.5 / 5

Where Healthy Paws really asserts its dominance is in benefit limits. Regardless of the plan you choose, there are no caps on coverage, either annual, lifetime, or per incident.

Generally speaking, other companies offer unlimited benefits as an option available only for their highest level and most expensive plans. This is not the case with Healthy Paws; it is included in their standard price plan.

As long as the condition or treatment is covered under the plan (very few restrictions do apply) there is no limit to what the company will pay to make your animal well.

One Healthy Paws customer reported to us that the company recently paid out over $18,000 on a $20,000 vet bill in order to save the life of a dog suffering from cancer. More recently, another customer wrote, "I have a six-year-old German shepherd. Unfortunately, he already has had more than his share of problems, from herniated discs to cancer. Healthy Paws has not given me any hassle or trouble, even though his expenses to date are approaching $40,000. This was by far the best financial decision I have ever made."
Benefit Limit Types
Unlimited

Reimbursement & Deductibles

Reimbursement - 4 / 5

As with deductibles, Healthy Paws is in line with the industry's best companies by allowing you the flexibility of customizing your reimbursement percentage as well.

You can select either 70%, 80%, or 90% at the outset of your policy. Healthy Paws reimbursement is based on the actual veterinary bill.

The company will compile all covered treatments for a given claim and pay your chosen percent after you've met the deductible. As with low deductibles, high percentage payouts are going to equal a more costly monthly premium.
In general, Healthy Paws pays on a reimbursement model. Policyholders pay the vet up front for treatment, submit their claims to Healthy Paws, and receive a reimbursement. However, in situations where pet owners can't pay their vet at the time of treatment, they have the option of contacting Healthy Paws and asking them to pay the vet directly. If the veterinary hospital is willing to accept payment from Healthy Paws, the insurer can work directly with it to expedite access to medical records and claim processing. This direct payment option is available on a case-by-case basis and applies to treatment by any licensed vet in the United States. It is not limited to any specific network of vets.
Reimbursement Model
Actual Cost
Minimum Percent Reimbursement
70%
Maximum Percent Reimbursement
90%

Deductibles - 4.5 / 5

Like all the best pet insurance companies, Healthy Paws allows you to customize your deductible to best suit your financial needs.

Values can be set at $100, $250, and $500. Lower deductibles do result in higher premiums. But many customers will appreciate the flexibility Healthy Paws offers.
Deductible Type
Annual
Minimum Deductible Offered
$100
Maximum Deductible Offered
$500

Pricing: How much does Healthy Paws cost?

Cost - 4 / 5

Considering the few benefit limits Healthy Paws imposes and the company's customizable payout percentages and deductibles, Healthy Paws plans are reasonably priced and even cheaper than less substantial plans.

Starting Monthly Premiums

Dog: Sample Monthly Premium, 1 year old male Golden Retriever in zip code 92683
$32.83
Cat: Sample Monthly Premium, 1 year old male American Shorthair in zip code 92683
$17.19
Rate Details: Annual Deductible: $500, Benefit Cap: Annual & Unlimited, Reimbursement Model: 70% of Annual Cost
Available Discounts:

Enrollment & Waiting Periods

Enrollment - 5 / 5

Healthy Paws enrolls pets 8 weeks and older. While some companies have no upper age enrollment restrictions, Healthy Paws limits coverage to pets 13.99 years old and younger.

Some companies offer accident coverage immediately upon premium payment. Healthy Paws imposes a 15-day waiting period for accidents and illnesses.

The waiting period for hip dysplasia is 12 months. Healthy Paws will not cover hip dysplasia if the pet was 6 years or older at the time of enrollment. Other companies we review have no such restrictions on hip dysplasia.

For pets younger than 6 you'll have to provide documentation of a complete physical within the last 12 months. Pets older than 6 must have had a complete examination within the last 30 days.
Min Enrollment Age
8 weeks
Max Enrollment Age
14 years
Accident Waiting Period
15 days
Illnesses Waiting Period
15 days
Free Look Period
30 days

Claims & Service

Extras - 4 / 5

Healthy Paws has a proven track record of fulfilling claims fast and with as little fuss as possible compared to other pet insurance companies.

Customer support is efficient, courteous and available 7 days a week. With Healthy Paws, you have the ability to file a claim online or through their mobile app.

You simply submit the veterinarian invoice and the company will send you the reimbursement check. 99% of claims are processed in 2 days.
Advertised Response Time
3 days
Claim Form
Email
Fax
Online Portal
Mobile App

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Headquarters Address
11120 NE 33rd Place, Bellevue, WA, 98004
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 50034, Bellevue, WA, 98105
Year Founded
2009

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3291 Customer Comments & Reviews

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tkeenan6

6/15/2022
My dog had surgery for intestinal cancer. I submitted the claim and within one week Healthy Paws agreed to reimburse me for the procedure.


billbrancaccio

6/14/2022
I work in the financial service industry and spend a bit of time reading through insurance contracts for my clients. Healthy Paws has a few features that some carriers didn't have such as no coverage cap, various reimbursement amounts, and offers a broad amount of coverages. I recently had to file a claim and generally, this is an uphill battle with the insurance carriers. I submitted the claim which was a large claim and within four business days, I received an answer and reimbursement amounts that matched the reimbursement I anticipated. I would highly recommend Healthypaws.


M
Merrie

6/11/2022
My dog was diagnosed with a large mass attached to his kidney. There was a high probability that it was cancer but, even if it wasn't, the danger to him was grave if the mass burst, as it would fill his abdomen with blood. We opted to do surgery right away which would include removing the kidney. The estimate for this surgery was very high. As such, I decided to look back for all the vet bills that I hadn't filed an insurance claim for, during the current policy period, and frantically started sending them in just hoping they would cover enough to satisfy our deductible. There were 20 submissions, and the speed at which they reviewed, approved, or denied them, was record time! They... Read More


P
Phi T

6/9/2022
Fast response and very caring insurance company! So happy I chose to go with Healthy Paws who has a great insurance coverage.


dandoun1415

6/8/2022
Please avoid at all costs. Newbies to HP- please, please, please, read- as you're honeymoon period will end. They will increase your premiums as your pet ages by 100%+ YoY and force you out. They will just copy and paste the same scripted response to everyone, and they will take weeks to tell you "corporate is going to reach out to you to see what can be done, as your increase is insane" [direct statements from several CSRs there as well as Tim- who replies on this site- and is super nice but clearly powerless] to be emailed the same templated responses by someone else other than the person they said would call. I signed up with them in 2011...Started out at $34ish a month...now... Read More

Tim  
Official Response

Customer Care of Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
dandoun1415, We understand that no one likes any form of premium increase. Per your request, our customer care team attempted to contact you by phone in May but was not successful, leading to an email being sent regarding a good time to connect. As our team member covered in their recent call with you and as you stated in your review, premiums are determined based on the rates and rating rules filed and approved within each state’s Department of Insurance. These rates take into account the cost of treatment, advances in veterinary medicine (including specialty and emergency care), your individual pet’s breed, gender, age and other factors, within the region your pet resides. All pet insurance companies, no matter how they market their benefits, will raise rates to keep up with the rapidly rising cost of veterinary care, including specialty and emergency care. In regards to any removed reviews, businesses cannot remove reviews. Please contact those review sites for clarification on their terms of service. The Healthy Paws Team

H
Heather B

6/7/2022
I have been a customer of Healthy Paws for 9 years, insuring my dog when he was 3 months old. Premiums started off at $43/mo, steadily climbing to $167/mo. I thought that was too much, but I kept it anyway. I just received an email stating that monthly premiums will be going up to $249/mo!!! This is outrageous. I know my dog is 9, but I have barely filed any claims over the duration of our time with Healthy Paws. There is no negotiation or even short-term discount if you call. I just canceled, which is really unfortunate because NOW is probably when my dog will actually need veterinary care. When I have submitted claims, I had no issues, but I feel like this is absolute robbery. I get... Read More

Tim  
Official Response

Customer Care of Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
Heather - We understand no one likes any form of premium increase. All premiums are based on the rates and rating rules filed and approved by each state’s Department of Insurance. These rates take into account the cost of treatment, advances in veterinary medicine (including specialty and emergency care), your individual pet’s breed, gender, age and other factors, within the region your pet resides. As a result, we need to increase the premium level for all pets in your state so your babies can have continued access to the best veterinary care. All pet insurance companies, no matter how they market their benefits, will raise rates to keep up with the rapidly rising cost of veterinary care, including specialty and emergency care. We do our best to be transparent regarding annual premium increases by including this information on the "Frequently Asked Questions" page of our website. We're sorry to lose you as a policyholder and hope you and your pet stay well.

S
Stacy

5/31/2022
They are so great to work with! Site is user friendly, they are super responsive and get through claims very quickly.


meruthie001

5/28/2022
We have used healthy paws for our Sophie a few times. Each time they were quick to respond and it was very easy to submit a claim. We would recommend this insurance to all pet owners.


erosenzweig

5/25/2022
Our 1 year old dog was recently diagnosed with EPI and will need to have powdered enzymes added to her food for the rest of her life, but thankfully, that should take care of the issue and allow for a full and healthy life. I was able to easily upload all vet invoices for the tests, treatment and prescription med. After the first claim, which only took a week or so, subsequent claims have sometimes been resolved on the same day. Our plan provides for 80% coverage once the $500/year deductible is met. It's worked out very well and is a huge help in this situation.


E
Erin A

5/21/2022
I had been enrolled in Healthy Paws pet insurance since I adopted my dog Polly from the shelter in 2018. In all of that time, I had never needed it, but continued on. A few weeks ago, our sweet girl started to show bruising all over her belly and groin. She had developed a life-threatening auto-immune disease called ITP and had to be in the emergency vet ICU for several days. While there, in order to get her platelet count up, and save her from spontaneous internal bleeding, she was treated with chemo drugs and other medications that saved her life. If I had not had Healthy Paws, there was no way I could afford it. I honestly was worried that maybe it wouldn't be covered or something,... Read More



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