Healthy Paws: A Pet Insurance Review

This month, epetsure is reviewing Healthy Paws Pet Insurance and Foundation. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance & Foundation was started in 2009 by Steve Siadek and Rob Jackson. It was the first pet insurance company to create an iPhone app and did not require claim forms. Their non-profit foundation has helped hundreds of pet rescues and animal shelters care for sick and homeless pets through our Every Quote Gives Hope™ medical grant program.

Key Brand Differentiators:

• Healthy Paws is the only pet insurance company that offers unlimited lifetime benefits.
• File claims easily and paperlessly via mobile app.
• Complete accident and illness coverage, including genetic conditions and alternative care.
• Highest rated pet insurance by customers in 2014, 2015 & 2016.
• Best in class customer service let’s you focus on your pet’s recovery.

Notable Features:

• Enroll online in under 3 minutes.
• Customizable plan lets you choose the deductible and reimbursement level that’s right for your budget.
• Fast claims payment, with most processed in less than 4 days.
• With every free quote, Healthy Paws donates money to a homeless pet’s medical care.
• Consumer Reports identified Healthy Paws as the only plan that pays out more than it costs.

Select Quotes from Yelp.com about Healthy Paws Pet Insurance:

The Good…

“I [am so] pleased I am that I chose Healthy Paws. After much research (only about 3 short months ago), I purchased a policy for my beloved dog. The past 2 weeks have been horrible, stressful and emotional with him getting very sick but I was able to get him the care he needed and he is on the mend. I am so happy that I didn’t have to make decisions based only on financial capability as the outlook would have been grim. I am very impressed and will be recommending HP to EVERYONE I can. Thank you!” – Stephanie F. 8/6/16

“This is my first experience owning a pet and using pet insurance. I made this choice after getting literally gutted with end of life care fees with my last cat…I got a new amazing Maine Coon kitten this fall-his parents tested negative for all the typical Maine Coon congenital diseases. I did my research and HealthyPaws came out on top- so I went with them.  I have had some recent distressing vet visits for my little guy who is battling with frequent UTIs and the painful symptoms that go along with that.  I have submitted 6 claims so far, and the response from HealthyPaws has been swift, professional, and courteous.  They have already mailed my reimbursement checks.  The claim process is a breeze- all you do is take a photo of your veterinary receipt with your phone and submit it via their handy app. They even have sent me birthday greetings for my cat!…” – Lisa K. 7/12/16

“Sadly to say we have had a problem with our doberman’s  knees. She needed an ACL operation in March. After meeting our 90% deductible Healthy Paws took care of the rest. Even going the extra mile by contacting our vet to get the proper paperwork to them. They processed the claim and we received the check within a week…” Louis S. 5/12/16

(There are 155 five star reviews out of 218 on Yelp for Healthy Paws Pet Insurance.)

And the Not – So – Good…

“The bad rating comes from their business practice.  My first year was $38 a month and my second year premium went to $47a month.  That is a 25% increase!  That is extremely high!  I contacted them and they said they do not assess rates on claims and that everyone in my area received a huge increase like that.  I doubt that – they’d lose most of their customers! They told me I should raise my deductible or get a lower % of coverage if I want to keep a lower monthly fee.  Um, that is no help to me.  Why would I pay the same for less? I’m shopping for new insurance now.” – Pup L. 8/10/16

“My dog is active in Agility. He had a knee injury 11 days into the policy and Healthy Paws wouldn’t cover any of it because the 15-day waiting period had not yet ended. Even though he had surgery after the 15-day waiting period, they wouldn’t cover it because “clinical signs or symptoms of the condition treated were noted in his medical records as being present during the waiting period”.  I asked if they would please waive the final 4 days of the waiting period but they wouldn’t budge. Now I’m screwed if my dog should ever have any further problem or injury with his knee because it won’t be covered under any insurance policy since it occurred literally 4 days before the waiting period was over…” – Michelle E. 7/11/16

“…My wife and I recently lost our 9 month kitten to feline infectious peritonitis. We had recently purchased Healthy Paws insurance from a recommendation and took our kitten in to the vet during the Healthy Paws 15 day grace period because she had an eye infection…Even though the vet had not initially linked the eye infection to FIP, Healthy Paws decided that it was evidence of a pre-existing condition and denied every single one of our claims related to our kitten’s illness and death. They said they were very sympathetic to our loss, but still denied the claims…” – Jacob C. 6/17/16

(There are 45 one star reviews on Yelp for Healthy Paws Pet Insurance.)

Conclusion

As pet lovers and compassionate people, we at epetsure understand how disheartening and daunting it may seem to choose a pet insurance company. As always, we remain unbiased and make every effort to offer pet parents the most comprehensive information available.

The negative reviews can seem upsetting and even unfair. However,  it’s important to remember that pet insurance companies are a business, and they must follow rules, procedures and guidelines in order to help as many pets and pet parents as possible.