The Healthy Paws Pet Insurance & Foundation was established in 2009 and is known as one of the top pet insurance companies. The firm provides illness and accident pet insurance coverage to those with feline and canine family members.
Is Healthy Paws Pet Insurance good? In addition to providing full coverage for our four-legged friends, the company is committed to giving back. They’ve donated grants worth more than $1 million to over 300 NPOs. It also provides academic scholarships to students who are passionate about animal health.
So yes, this company is good. But will it be a good option for your pet? Healthy Paws reviews like the one you’re reading now can help you decide.
So, how much does the insurance cost? Does Healthy Paws increase with age? What exactly does it cover? For the answers to these questions and more, keep reading.
Find Out About Healthy Paws Pet Insurance:
- Key insurance details
- Pros and cons
- Insurance coverage
- Limitations and exclusions
- Claims and repayments
- Waiting periods
- Deductible
- Pricing and plans
- Customer service
- Added benefits
- Reputation
Key Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Details
Let’s take a look at the key details that make Healthy Paws one of the top pet insurance providers.
- Insures both cats and dogs
- Able to pay your vet directly if you are unable to
- Offers its customers a 30-day “free look period”
- Its premiums don’t increase with your pet’s age
- Offers unlimited lifetime coverage
Healthy Paws Insurance Coverage
So, what does Healthy Paws Insurance cover?. One thing that Healthy Paws Pet Insurance reviews always mention is that the coverage is comprehensive but, most importantly, it’s clear.
US and Canadian pet parents can find comfort in the fact that their fur kids are covered for:
- Illnesses
- Accidents
- Hospitalization
- Surgery
- Emergency care
- Specialty care
- Diagnostic treatment
- Alternative treatment
- Chronic conditions
- Congenital conditions
- Hereditary conditions
- Prescription medications
- Cancer
- X-rays, blood tests, and ultrasounds
Extra Benefits
Healthy Paws offers its customers access to the Healthy Paws app. It lets you submit your claims, check claim status, manage your account and you’ll be provided with news, tips, and resources to care for your pet as best as you can. Another extra benefit is that they have a referral program — for every friend you sign up, $25 is donated to help homeless pets.
Healthy Paws Insurance Exclusions and Limitations
As comprehensive as the coverage offered is, Healthy Paws Insurance plans for dogs and cats aren’t without their exclusions and limitations. Thankfully, its exclusions and limitation policies are clear so you won’t need to worry about getting a nasty surprise down the line.
Let’s start off by looking at its limitation policy. If your pet is aged 6 years or younger, it needs to undergo a complete clinical examination within 12 months before the policy effective date or within a 15-day period after the policy effective date. If your pet is older than 6 years of age, a complete clinical examination must take place 30 days prior to the policy effective date or within a 15-day period after the policy effective date.
Pets aged 6 years or older will not be covered for hip dysplasia and no coverage will be offered to working pets who have work-related conditions. This includes law enforcement, guarding, breeding, and racing.
The insurance covers dogs and cats aged 8 weeks and up but you can only apply for coverage until the age of 14 years. In other words, if you sign your pet up before they turn 14 they’ll be covered for the rest of their life, but you will not be able to sign them up after their 14th birthday — in human years, that is.
Healthy Paws doesn’t cover anything that occurs before the relevant waiting period is up and pre-existing conditions which they define as any illness or condition that developed before your policy effective date, an injury from an accident that occurred prior to the policy effective date, and any condition or complications that came about as a result of any of the above.
In addition to the exclusions detailed above, Healthy Paws Pet Insurance doesn’t cover:
- Neutering or spaying
- Parasite control
- Anal gland expression
- Dental health care (unless the damage is caused by an accident)
- Special diets, vitamins, and food
- Illnesses or injury related to intentional, neglectful or preventable acts
- Experimental treatments
- Elective, cosmetic or preventive procedures including ear cropping, declawing, tail docking, micro-chipping, and ear cleaning
- Breeding, whelping and queening
- Preventative healthcare including vaccinations, flea control, heartworm medication, deworming, nail trimming and grooming
- Therapy and all forms of behavioral modification
- Diseases preventable by vaccines and prophylactic medications.
Healthy Paws Insurance Claims and Repayment
You decide how you’d like to file a claim. Either submit your claim via email, fax, mail, or through the Healthy Paws Mobile App. It’s as simple as that.
Claims are processed within 10 days, although Healthy Paws Insurance customer reviews state the average timeframe is 2 days, and you can expect your reimbursement to be issued within 24 hours after approval.
You can choose to be reimbursed through direct deposit or check — just be mindful that your chosen reimbursement method may impact the timeframe.
In situations where you cannot pay the vet, you can reach out to Healthy Paws to pay them directly. There are no maximum claim limits or limits on claim payouts. Claims must be filed within 90 days.
Deductible
Don’t worry about paying each time your pet has an accident or develops an injury as Healthy Paws’ deductible is annual. It resets each year on the anniversary of your pet’s date of enrollment.
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Waiting Periods
The waiting periods for Healthy Paws’ customers are a little longer than at the competition — with the exception of those who live in Maryland or New Hampshire who are exempt from waiting periods altogether. As of 12:01 am of the day after you sign up, you’ll have to wait 15 days for illnesses, accidents, and cruciate ligament events and 12-months for hip dysplasia.
Healthy Paws Insurance Pricing & Plans
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance plans are limited as they only have one. While this may not be ideal for some people, it’s perfect for others as it makes the pricing easy to understand. The Healthy Paws Pet Insurance cost is determined by an online questionnaire.
To receive your personalized quote you’ll need to fill in your pet’s name, whether they’re a cat or a dog, their breed, month and year of birth, your zip code, and email address.
According to the Healthy Paws Pet Insurance reviews BBB and Consumer Affairs’ users have written, the monthly costs for cats start at just $15 while the price to cover your dog starts at $25. You’ll also pay a $25 once-off administration fee when enrolling your pet.
Your pet’s age impacts your annual deductible and reimbursement amounts. Then, how does Healthy Paws work? Like this:
- Pets aged 5 years and under: 70%, 80% and 90% reimbursement & $100, $250 or $500 deductible
- Pets aged 6 to 7 years old: 60%, 70% and 80% & $250, $500 or $750 deductible
- Dogs aged 8 years and over: 60% reimbursement and $750 deductible
Premiums increase annually and NOT as your pet ages but rather to align with the payouts of different states. In other words, your premium increases if you change addresses, add a pet, adjust your coverage, or transfer your account.
Customer Service
Top Healthy Paws Pet Insurance & Foundation reviews often mention the high level of customer service you can expect to receive when engaging with this company. Customer service representatives are available 24/7 via email and via phone from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (PST) from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, the representatives are available via phone from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (PST).
Healthy Paws Reviews
What People Think About Healthy Paws?
Pet insurance reviews can be very insightful and are often the best way to get an idea about a specific company.
The Healthy Paws reviews we found were largely positive. The company has been BBB accredited since 2011 and has earned itself an impressive A+ rating. Healthy Paws positive reviews are full of tales — or rather tails — of how the company swooped in to save the day. They also praise it for its affordability, transparency, and high level of customer service.
On the flip side, Healthy Paws Pet Insurance’s negative reviews are few and far in between but bring up noteworthy points such as how the policy doesn’t cover veterinary visits, its sometimes steep annual increases, and its denials.
Wrap Up
The quest for the best pet insurance is not an easy one. But Healthy Paws is an option worth considering. Its massively affordable monthly premiums, the clear Healthy Paws Insurance cost, cover and exclusion policies, easy claims process, and quick payout times are proof of this.
While this is an option that the majority of pet owners should seriously look into, those whose pets require regular veterinary check-ups or lots of costly preventative care should look elsewhere.
Our advice to you? Take a good look at your pet and their current needs, compare Healthy Paws Insurance plans to plans offered by competitors, read other Healthy Paws reviews like this one, and decide which option will work out best for yourself — and your pet.
