Healthy Paws vs Pets Best: A Tight Race to the Finish

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Healthy Paws is our #1 overall pick this year but Pets Best has fewer limitations for senior dogs, so why is it ranked #2 for best pet insurance? We’ll explain why we think Healthy Paws is generally a better choice than Pets Best in this article. However, be sure to keep an open mind because even we will admit that there may be some instances where Pets Best is a better option for you.

Visit Healthy Paws Website | Visit Pets Best Website

The table below shows the different categories we considered while choosing the best pet insurance provider. As you can see, this was a close race. We recommend reassessing your dog’s pet insurance company annually to make sure you’re getting the best deal. But be sure to note that there are fewer pre-existing conditions in your pet’s earlier years so coverage pricing will be cheaper for younger animals. This will also likely mean that you are better off to stay where you are once you sign up, but you never know for sure. Also, be sure to check back regularly to see if our rankings have changed.

	Healthy Paws	Pets Best
Best Coverage Options
Best Price
Best Customer Service & Reputation
Best Claim Terms
Shortest Waiting Periods
Overall Winner

Best Coverage Options

The table below shows specifically what is and isn’t covered by Healthy Paws and Pets Best. To summarize, Pets Best covers exam fees which is a big bonus and Healthy Paws covers alternative/holistic therapy. Neither company covers behavioral therapies or cremation. Healthy Paws limits pets who are enrolled after the age of 8 to a 70% reimbursement level and $500 deductible due to increased risk of illness or accidents due to age. Healthy Paws also does not accept dogs older than 14-years-old for coverage. Pets Best has similar restrictions on dogs that have already experienced certain issues – they will only offer accident coverage. So, be sure you are getting insurance that will cover your pet best. Also, make sure to always get multiple quotes and read the fine print closely to ensure your needs are covered by the policy you choose.

	HealthyPaws	Pets Best
Overall Ranking in our Pet Insurance Reviews	1st	2nd
X-Rays
Blood Tests
Ultrasounds
MRI
Rehabilitation
Surgery
Hip Dysplasia	Waiting Period - 12 Months*	Waiting Period - 14 Days
ACL	Waiting Period - 15 Days	Waiting Period - 6 Months
Hospitalization
Emergency Care
Specialty Care
Pre-Existing Conditions
Check Ups, Vaccinations, Spay/Neuter, Teeth Cleaning		Extra Fee
Non-Routine Dental Treatment
Chronic Conditions
Illnesses	Waiting Period - 15 Days	Waiting Period - 14 Days
Accidents	Waiting Period - 15 Days	Waiting Period - 3 Days
Hereditary Conditions
Congenital Conditions
Cancer Treatments
Diagnostic Treatment
Alternative/Holistic Therapy
Behavioral Therapy		Cover related exam fees & RX meds
Prescription Medications
Exam Fees
Enrollment Fee	$25
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Claim Limits	Unlimited	$5,000 or Unlimited
BBB Rating	A+	A+
Underwriter	ACE Property & Casualty (Chubb)	American Pet Insurance Company
A.M. Best Rating	A++	Unrated
No Exam Required to Set Baseline for Pet's Health

*Healthy Paws only offers hip dysplasia coverage to dogs enrolled before the age of 6.

Wellness plans are gaining popularity but not every pet insurance company offers them. A wellness plan typically covers annual checkups, vaccinations, etc. These are things (asides from the spay/neuter) that all dogs should have every year. We feel that most pet parents are better off just saving for these expenses each year rather than paying a vast wellness plan fee because these are annual costs that you can budget for with the help of your vet’s office (visits will be more frequent during the dog’s first year of life).

Healthy Paws does not offer a wellness plan. Pets Best does offer one but it includes a 14-day waiting period. Below are the two plans offered by Pets Best that pay up to the following, per year, with no deductible.

Since Healthy Paws has more limitations to its coverage, has restrictions on senior dogs and doesn’t offer a wellness plan, we’ve selected Pets Best as the winner. However, if alternative/holistic therapy is something you want to be covered, you’ll want to go with Healthy Paws.

Winner: Pets Best

Best Price

This category was tricky for us to declare a winner. For the most part, both companies are priced similarly in terms of monthly premiums. When they do vary, it’s typically by a couple of dollars. In instances where they varied greatly, Pets Best was generally priced higher than Healthy Paws. Below are some quotes we pulled on April 20, 2017. All information is for pets without a microchip, no multi-pet discount and no pre-existing conditions. Please note that your pricing will vary based on your pet’s breed, age, geographic location, etc. so you will want to be sure to get your own quotes to understand how the pricing stacks up for you and your pet.

Other factors we took into consideration are that Healthy Paws has a one-time enrollment fee of $25, Pets Best has no enrollment fee. However, Pets Best has a $2 transaction fee that is charged every time a payment is processed, which could add up if you are paying monthly. You can eliminate this fee if you pay annually or reduce the frequency of this charge if you opt to pay semi-annually or quarterly.

Additionally, while premium increases probably won’t happen every year, when they do, Healthy Paws told us that they try to keep increases to a few dollars totaling a 9% increase or less. When we spoke to Pets Best, they told us they increase 5-7% as the pet ages. These increases are fairly similar since Healthy Paws generally is below 9% and Pets Best is around 5-7%.

Although we feel Healthy Paws is the winner for this category (by a hair), we suggest getting quotes from both companies for your pet’s specific details.

Winner: Healthy Paws

Best Customer Service & Reputation

Healthy Paws has one of the best reputations in the pet insurance business. Founded in 2009, Healthy Paws has better and more reviews from customers online than Pets Best. The majority of Healthy Paws and Pets Best customer complaints are from customers who, unfortunately, didn’t read or understand their policy. Complaints include the companies not paying a claim during a waiting period, not paying as much of a claim due to the deductible and reimbursement level selected, not covering pre-existing conditions, etc. We can’t fault Healthy Paws or Pets Best for these complaints because there are similar complaints about all pet insurance providers. Instead, we can hope to inform pet parents more on the terms of pet insurance, so that they understand fully what is and is not covered when they purchase pet insurance. This is something we think all pet insurance providers can help with as well.

Pets Best was founded in 2005 and has more negative reviews online than Healthy Paws. We think part of these negative Pets Best reviews may be due to the company changing its insurance carrier several times in the past. Pets Best still has great customer service and reputation, it’s just that Healthy Paws has a better reputation.

Another reason we think Healthy Paws is the winner of this category is because Healthy Paws leads the pet insurance providers with positive changes whereas Pets Best seems to react to competitors to keep up with the competition. While we think it’s great that both companies offer great customer service and coverage, we can’t help but point out that Health Paws has been consistent with its performance for a longer time running and led the industry with being the first company to offer unlimited claim limits.

Winner: Healthy Paws

Best Claim Terms

Healthy Paws has unlimited claim limits, period. Pets Best offers $5,000, $10,000 or unlimited. We think that having unlimited claim limits is the best option for pet parents. You can’t predict when your pet will become ill or injured and so you cannot determine how much money you’ll spend at the vet. However, we also understand that some people may want to save a little money by having a limited claim amount, so Pets Best may be appealing to them.

Healthy Paws averages 3.5 days for reimbursement checks to be out the door. The first claim may take a little longer because they review your dog’s medical history. Healthy Paws has an app which makes it easy to submit a claim for reimbursement and they launched a direct deposit option on May 1, 2017. Pets Best typically pays claims within 5 days and they offer an electronic claim filing or direct deposit. Since Pets Best has a quicker turnaround, they win this category.

Winner: Healthy Paws

Shortest Waiting Periods

It’s normal for pet insurance companies to have waiting periods. Below is a table of the waiting periods for both companies.

As you can see, Pets Best has shorter waiting periods except for ACL surgery.

Winner: Pets Best

Overall Winner

This was a tough one to compare because we think Healthy Paws and Pets Best are both excellent pet insurance providers. What it ultimately came down to was Healthy Paws has a slightly better price point and a more recognizable and established reputation. But look out Healthy Paws, Pets Best is putting up a good fight for the #1 spot and with a little more time we could see Pets Best making its way to the top by offering short waiting periods and great coverage. You can learn more about Pets Best and Healthy Paws by reading our individual reviews.

Winner: Healthy Paws

Do you have an experience with  Healthy Paws or Pets Best you’d like to share?