5+ years in auto insurance and personal finance writing
Featured in top personal finance publications
Lindsay is a widely published creator of auto insurance content. She also specializes in real estate, banking, credit cards, and other personal finance topics.
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7+ years in content creation and management
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
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Updated July 26, 2024
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Table of contents
Healthy Paws offers just one simple pet insurance plan intended to protect cats and dogs from a wide variety of unexpected accidents and illnesses. The company doesn’t offer wellness coverage, and its policies exclude conditions and treatments that may be important to some pet parents.
Your pet deserves the best, so you should ensure you understand the policy before signing up. Learn about Healthy Paws’ exclusions, costs, customer satisfaction, and other need-to-know details so you can decide if it’s right for your cat or dog.
Healthy Paws allows you to customize your deductible and reimbursement level, but you can’t customize which conditions and treatments the plan covers.
Healthy Paws is very affordable for young cats and kittens, while it’s more expensive for dogs relative to other pet insurance companies, especially for older dogs.
Customers generally speak positively about their customer service experience with Healthy Paws in their reviews.
Healthy Paws: Our verdict
The Healthy Paws plan covers most veterinary care for a variety of accidents and illnesses but also excludes coverages many pet owners may be looking for, such as treatment for dental disease and behavioral conditions. Healthy Paws also doesn’t cover vet exam fees or routine care.[1] These costs are easy to budget for, but some pet owners may want the coverage.
Unlike some other pet insurance companies, Healthy Paws Insurance, a Chubb company, provides unlimited annual coverage with every policy. You can choose a reimbursement rate of up to 90% and a deductible as low as $100. Customers speak highly of the company’s representatives, and most pet parents receive reimbursement checks quickly.
But Healthy Paws isn’t the cheapest pet insurance company — its premiums are especially expensive for senior dogs — and it doesn’t offer the most comprehensive coverage. If your vet already treated your pet for the same symptom more than once, be aware that Healthy Paws may not cover any related conditions. Healthy Paws is best for young, healthy cats and people seeking moderate coverage for their pets.
Healthy Paws pros and cons
Every pet insurance company has advantages and drawbacks. Consider some pros and cons of Healthy Paws before enrolling your pet in coverage.
Fast claims processing: Healthy Paws typically processes claims within two days, and customers say the claims process is efficient.
Covers alternative therapies: The policy covers a variety of alternative therapies for eligible accidents and illnesses, such as acupuncture and chiropractic.
No policy limits: The policy doesn’t have annual or lifetime limits on payouts, while many pet insurance companies have caps on coverage.
No exam fees: The policy doesn’t cover veterinary exam fees, so you’ll still need to factor that into your pet care costs.
Only offers one plan: Healthy Paws doesn’t offer a wellness plan or any coverage add-ons.
Unclear definition of pre-existing conditions: Healthy Paws is relatively vague about defining a cured pre-existing condition, and some customers were unhappy with the company for denying claims related to a recurring symptom.
Healthy Paws plans and coverage
Healthy Paws offers one accident and illness plan for cats and dogs that covers up to 90% of eligible veterinary care costs with no annual maximum coverage limit.
The company doesn’t offer a wellness plan or an accident-only plan.
Accident and Illness coverage
The Healthy Paws pet insurance policy generally covers common illnesses, including stomach issues, cancer, infections, and accidents, including injuries and toxic ingestion. The plan covers X-rays, ultrasounds, blood tests, surgeries, prescription medication, hospitalization, and emergency care for these issues when you see a licensed veterinarian.
Healthy Paws also covers conditions and treatments that some pet insurance plans won’t cover, including:
Alternative treatments, including acupuncture and physical therapy
Cruciate ligament injuries, with a bilateral exclusion
Hereditary and congenital conditions
Hip dysplasia for pets enrolled before age 6
Specialty care, including chemotherapy
What Healthy Paws doesn’t cover
The Healthy Paws pet insurance plan has some important exclusions. Its policy doesn’t cover the following:
Exam fees
Pre-existing conditions, except in limited cases when a curable condition reoccurs
Cruciate ligament tears that occurred on the other side before coverage was active
Preventive healthcare
Dental healthcare related to illness (extraction and reconstruction are covered after an accident)
Behavioral conditions and associated treatments
Elective procedures, such as tail docking and ear cropping
Spaying and neutering
Anal gland expression
Healthy Paws also doesn’t cover veterinary care that occurs during a waiting period listed in the policy. Waiting periods may vary by state, but an example is 15 days for accidents and illnesses and 12 months for hip dysplasia.
How much does Healthy Paws cost?
The cost of a Healthy Paws pet insurance policy depends on your pet’s species, breed, age, and ZIP code. The annual deductible and reimbursement option you choose will also affect the cost of your individual plan.
To give you an idea of what your pet insurance cost with Healthy Paws might be, Insurify pulled sample quotes for dog and cat insurance policies with a $500 deductible and an 80% reimbursement percentage.
Cost of Healthy Paws dog insurance
The quoted monthly premium for a 2-year-old medium-sized mixed-breed male dog living in Hartford, Connecticut, is $48.05. You can get a lower premium by choosing a higher deductible or a lower reimbursement level.
Deductible options range from $100–$1,000, and you can choose a 70%, 80%, or 90% reimbursement level.
Cost of Healthy Paws cat insurance
The monthly premium for a 2-year-old female American shorthair cat living in Hartford, Connecticut, is $23.11. Choosing a different deductible amount or reimbursement option will affect your monthly cost.
How customers feel about Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws has excellent customer reviews on Trustpilot, with a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars based on more than 2,000 reviews. People praise the quick and easy claims process and the caring and friendly customer service representatives. Most reviewers indicate that they’re in good hands with Healthy Paws.
Healthy Paws customers on Yelp and the Better Business Bureau were less impressed overall. Some people report great experiences with customer support but aren’t happy with the coverage. Others complain about rising premiums and feel they’ve wasted money. Some people also disagreed with Healthy Paws’ determinations regarding pre-existing conditions.
Healthy Paws responded to most negative comments on the BBB, as above, and the company is accredited, with an A+ rating. On Yelp, Healthy Paws has an average rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars from nearly 2,000 customer ratings.
The bottom line: Is Healthy Paws pet insurance worth it?
The decision to purchase pet insurance is a personal one. Some people prefer the peace of mind, while others might want to contribute to a savings account for their pet instead. A veterinary emergency or chronic condition can be very costly — emergency surgery can cost upwards of $5,000, for example.[2]
If the cost of veterinary care is overwhelming and you’d rather not weigh your pet’s life against the financial burden, a pet insurance policy is probably worth buying. The quotes Insurify pulled from Healthy Paws for cats and dogs were cheaper than the average pet insurance premiums in the United States, based on 2023 data from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.[3]
But some pet insurance companies offer more affordable policies that may provide adequate coverage for your pet. You may want to compare the costs and benefits of a few different pet insurers before choosing the best pet insurance company for your pet’s needs.
Healthy Paws FAQs
If you’re shopping for pet insurance for your furry friend, this additional information can help you decide whether Healthy Paws is the right company for you.
How much is Healthy Paws per month?
A Healthy Paws plan costs around $48 per month for dogs and $23 per month for cats, based on sample quotes that Insurify pulled.
But your Healthy Paws premium will depend on individual factors, like your pet’s age, breed, and location. Your coverage choices also affect your monthly cost — you can get a lower rate by choosing a higher deductible or a lower reimbursement percentage.
Does Healthy Paws cover prescription meds?
Yes. The Healthy Paws insurance plan covers prescription medications to treat eligible accidents and illnesses. But the insurer won’t pay for prescriptions for conditions that aren’t covered, like behavioral issues.
How do you cancel Healthy Paws?
You can cancel your Healthy Paws pet insurance policy by sending an email request to [email protected]. Include the following personal information: your name, your pet’s name, your policy number, and the effective date and reason for your cancellation. You can also cancel by phone, mail, or fax. You may qualify for a refund within the first 30 days.
How do you contact Healthy Paws customer service?
You can reach Healthy Paws by filling out an online form or calling 1 (855) 898-8991 on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time and on Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time. Many customers leave great reviews about the customer support at Healthy Paws.
Sources
- Healthy Paws. "Pet Insurance Coverage and Benefits."
- CareCredit. "Back to Veterinary Financing How Much Does a Vet Visit Cost?."
- North American Pet Health Insurance Association. "Average Premiums."
Lindsay Frankel is a content writer specializing in personal finance and auto insurance topics. Her work has been featured in publications such as LendingTree, The Balance, Coverage.com, Bankrate, NextAdvisor, and FinanceBuzz.
7+ years in content creation and management
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
Featured in