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Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review

3,345 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 Do We Rate Healthy Paws?

Breakdown

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

Our 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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3345 Customer Comments & Reviews

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rebecca

8/1/2017
Healthy Paws has been a pleasure to deal with! My sweet dog just had knee surgery and Healthy Paws reviewed her claim and processed our payment very quickly. They even sent an email after her surgery checking in on her to see how she was doing. Very thoughtful!


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Mark R

8/1/2017
I just wanted to publically thank Healthy Paws Pet Insurance for performing above an beyond in processing my claim for our Golden Retriever (Newman). He was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor. They processed the claim w/in a 3 business days, and thru direct deposit, I received m reimbursement. Health related issues are bad enough, so the last thing on your mind that you want to deal with is the administrative part. I've been a Healthy Paws policy owner since 2013. I had a few issues along the way...like our dog swollowing an entire baseball hide whole. In each and every claim, Healthy Paws has stepped up to the plate. It is well worth the investment, and I would urge anyone and everyone... Read More


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Lesli M

8/1/2017
As cat parents, my husband and I learned the hard way how costly excellent cat healthcare can be. Our first fur babies were both rescued as adult cats and did not have insurance. We realized the importance of getting pet insurance too late; thousands of dollars later. When we adopted our triplets from the shelter (we had only planned on getting two, but there they were, three beauties waiting for a home) we learned from our previous experiences and immediately began researching for insurance. We knew that we needed to get insurance while they were still young because some insurance companies place age restrictions and other limiting parameters on purchasing insurance. Healthy Paws... Read More


Roman Z

7/31/2017
Never in my life have I experienced such a high level of customer service and care than Healthy Paws. My car Chewie got really sick, multiple times, and Healthy Paws helped lighten the burden and helped my cat survive his operation. They even sent messages each time he was hospitalized to see how how was coming along. Thank you HP! I highly recommend them and hope they one day start insuring human beings :)


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Donna F

7/31/2017
We are so thankful to have Healthy Paws Pet Insurance. Two days after our insurance became effective our puppy new puppy, Snowflake, started having a horrible cough that progressed to pneumonia within a week. Snowflake had to go to the Emergency Vet. Hospital near us and required intense treatment overnight. She was released with instructions to take 6 different prescriptions and had several follow up visits. We were so pleased not to have to worry about the high cost of vet. bills, medication and hospital stay. Healthy Paws covered most of the expenses and within a few days we received the reimbursement checks. More recently Snowflake became ill, underwent several diagnostic tests... Read More


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Mike M

7/31/2017
I transitioned to HealthyPaws approximately 3 years ago, coming from several prior years with a plan from Pets Best Insurance. The trigger for the transition was that my German Shepherd underwent two surgeries, ultimately ending with a diagnosis of a gastrinoma (microscopic tumor). While we ultimately ended up paying out-of-pocket for a rather substantial amount (absolutely worth it to save our dog), insofar as pet insurance, there were a few takeaways the interaction with Pets Best provided: * Many common / less-expensive policies have per-incident and lifetime maximums. While we hadn't thought this would be an issue in our home from a few years prior, when we moved to the Pacific... Read More


Carol M

7/31/2017
We have never purchased pet insurance until we got our goldendoodle 2 years ago. This month she had to have a rock removed from her stomach, and I dreaded processing the information necessary to launch a claim with Healthy Paws. As it turned out, it was a very positive experience. We submitted the claim with the App for Healthy Paws, and within a week and a half, we had the reimbursement in our hands. Could not have been easier, and was so professionally handled. (Keep in mind that your deductible is to be met yearly and that office exams are not included.) In other words, as in any insurance,read the details. We also received a follow-up email from Healthy Paws, asking how our pup is... Read More


Melanie M

7/31/2017
Sometimes you have a dog for many years with few or no emergency vet visits. Then there is the beloved pet that spends a bit too much time at the vet and/or hospital. When your four legged buddy has a problem, you don't want think about, "can I afford this?" Or "there goes our vacation savings!" After our previous dog had some expensive medical issues, we decided that our new dog (now 6 years old) should be covered under an insurance plan. We studied several plans but decided Healthy Paws was the one for us. We are SOOOOO glad we opted for Healthy Paws Pet Insurance. Our lovable, but slightly crazy black lab has seen the vet far too many times....broken tooth from chewing on a bone;... Read More


Lauren S

7/31/2017
I've had several dogs in my life, but decided to get pet insurance for the first time when we adopted our Pit Bull 2 yrs ago. HealthyPaws has been a life-saver. Our pup tore both CCLs within 5 months of each other, and I don't know what we would have done if we didn't have insurance. They send emails to check on our dog after we submits claims to see if she's alright, and it's a real person, not an automated message. Can't say enough good things!


Janine P

7/30/2017
I put a lot of time and effort into researching a reputable "Show Breeder" when searching for a pup a year ago. Five months on a waiting list, then another 10 weeks waiting for shots and records to clear, I finally picked up my Black Miniature Schnauzer "Giuseppe" from his Show Breeder, 200+ miles from my home. I was blessed; Blessed with an angel. That day, while he was napping, I opened a policy with Healthy Paws. I didn't think anything major would happen (I spent so much time and energy researching a super reputable breeder in hopes that his health would be "Top Notch" as well as paying a hefty penny for his fuzzy butt), but *just in case* I wanted to be covered. Little did I... Read More



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Rated "Best Choice Overall" by Mashable

  • No Maximum Annual or Lifetime Payouts
  • No Enrollment or Administrative Fees
  • Most Claims are Processed in 2 Days
  • Trusted by More than 625,000 Parents