This content was reviewed by our licensed insurance agent, Michelle Schenker.
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Lemonade is a pet insurance newcomer, while Healthy Paws is a veteran. We compare these two pet insurance companies head-to-head and choose a winner. We explain our reasoning for our rankings below.
Remember, you should always get quotes for your specific pet and location and read the policy before signing up. Ultimately, we feel that coverage should be a leading factor for you to consider before purchasing, but we also realize that cost is important.
Visit Lemonade’s Website | Visit Healthy Paws’ Website
| Lemonade | Healthy Paws | |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Coverage | More Limited | More Limited |
| Customer Service & Reputation | Uncertain, New | Excellent, Stable |
| Claim Processing Average | 2 Days | 2 Days |
| Price Of Policy | Lower On Average | Varies |
| Plan Customizations | Many Options | Restricted Options |
| Overall Winner |  |  |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Policy Coverage
The table below shows precisely what Lemonade and Healthy Paws cover. Both companies cover emergency care, surgery and hospitalization, specialized exams and specialty care, X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRIs, rehabilitation, cancer, chronic conditions, euthanasia, hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, non-routine dental treatment, and prescription medications. Neither covers pre-existing conditions, cremation and burial costs, pregnancy and breeding, or unnecessary cosmetic procedures.
| Lemonade | Healthy Paws | |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking In Our Pet Insurance Comparison | Best Newcomer | Fastest Claim Processing |
| Illness Waiting Period | 14 Days | 15 Days |
| Accident Waiting Period | 2 Days | 15 Days |
| Hip Dysplasia Waiting Period* | 14 Days | 12 Months |
| CCL Surgery Waiting Period | 6 Months | 15 Days |
| Behavioral Therapies | | |
| Alternative/Holistic Therapy | | |
| Wellness Care For An Extra Fee | | |
| Exam Fees | Extra Fee | |
| Underwriter | Lemonade Insurance Agency LLC | Westchester Fire Insurance Company/Chubb |
| A.M. Best Rating | Unrated | A++ |
*Healthy Paws only offers hip dysplasia coverage to dogs enrolled before the age of six.
You’ll notice that Healthy Paws has an A++ A.M. Best rating (a measurement of financial stability), which is the best we’ve seen from any pet insurance company. Lemonade’s underwriter is unrated, which shows uncertainty.
Another key deciding factor for you may be the age restrictions attached to each of these companies. Healthy Paws doesn’t enroll pets older than 14 years old. Additionally, Healthy Paws will not enroll pets older than four years old in New York state. And if you choose to enroll your pet with Healthy Paws after their sixth birthday, you’ll notice plan customization restrictions and exclusions for hip dysplasia coverage. Meanwhile, Lemonade has breed restrictions and plan restrictions for specific ages.
Additionally, Healthy Paws is available in 49 states (currently not enrolling new pets in Washington), whereas Lemonade is only available in 36 states and Washington, D.C. Because of this, Healthy Paws is the winner of this category.
Policy Coverage Winner: Healthy Paws
Customer Service & Reputation
Lemonade pet insurance was founded in 2020, so it’s hard for us to gauge if Lemonade will offer consistent coverage and pricing for the long haul. It doesn’t have the longstanding reputation that Healthy Paws does.
Healthy Paws is known for having one of the best standings in the pet insurance industry. In fact, it used to lead the industry with positive change and innovations. Healthy Paws was also the first company to offer unlimited claim limits, and it has excellent customer service.
More recently, Healthy Paws’ innovation has taken a back seat to providing a consistent, reliable service. The company may not be rolling out new ideas as regularly as its competitors, but it’s still giving its customers dependable service. We’ve chosen Healthy Paws as the winner for customer service and reputation for all these reasons.
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Healthy Paws
Claim Processing
Both Lemonade and Healthy Paws process most of their claims within two days. For years and years, Healthy Paws has been consistent with its claim processing average showing how stable it is as a company. Once Lemonade has more years under its belt in the pet insurance space, we could see it winning this category because it has an Artificial Intelligence (AI) -driven claim process. AI allows Lemonade to pay several straightforward claims within seconds of submission. This has really disrupted the pet insurance space and caused competitors to step it up.
Additionally, you may be able to have Healthy Paws pay your vet directly, so you don’t have to pay a hefty vet bill in advance and wait for reimbursement. But this isn’t available everywhere, so check with your vet first to see if this is an option for you.
Claim Processing Winner: Healthy Paws
Price Of Policy
Healthy Paws requires a one-time enrollment fee of $25 and no transaction fees. On the other hand, Lemonade doesn’t have any one-time fees or recurring transaction fees.
Below are some quotes we pulled in January 2022. All information is for pets without a microchip, no multi-pet discount, and no pre-existing conditions.
| Breed | Birthday | Gender | Location | Deductible | Reimbursement % | Annual Payout | Price Per Month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemonade Pet Insurance | Labrador Retriever | April 2017 | Female | California (90024) | $250 | 90% | $100,000 | $72.58 |
| Healthy Paws | Labrador Retriever | April 2017 | Female | California (90024) | $250 | 80% | Unlimited | $100.81 |
| Lemonade Pet Insurance | 40 lb Mixed Breed | January 2015 | Female | Illinois (60604) | $500 | 90% | $10,000 | $39.50 |
| Healthy Paws | 40 lb Mixed Breed | January 2015 | Female | Illinois (60604) | $500 | 70% | Unlimited | $56.54 |
| Lemonade Pet Insurance | American Pit Bull Terrier | July 2021 | Male | New York (10012) | $500 | 90% | 100,000 | $44.83 |
| Healthy Paws | American Pit Bull Terrier | July 2021 | Male | New York (10012) | $500 | 80% | Unlimited | $78.40 |
It’s hard to compare apples-to-apples because Healthy Paws doesn’t offer all of its deductible and reimbursement options for each dog because it’s based on your pet’s details. However, Lemonade is typically less expensive than Healthy Paws.
Price Of Policy Winner: Lemonade Pet Insurance
Coupons
Lemonade Pet Insurance
Lemonade offers the following discounts:
- 10% off if you bundle with your renters, homeowners, auto, condo, or co-op insurance
- 5% off for multiple pets
No promo code is needed. Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price.
Healthy Paws
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price and get a quote for your pet from Healthy Paws. You can also visit our dedicated Healthy Paws promotions page to learn more.
Plan Customization
The major differences between these two companies are the level of plan customization available and age restrictions.
While Healthy Paws has unlimited payouts for all plans, they do have some restrictions on reimbursement and annual deductible amounts, depending on your pet’s age at enrollment.
- Dogs and cats 5 years and under:
- 90%, 80%, and 70% reimbursement
- $100, $250, and $500 deductible
- Dogs and cats 6 and 7 years old:
- 80%, 70%, or 60% reimbursement
- $250, $500, or $750 deductible
- Dogs 8 years and older:
- 50% or 60% reimbursement
- $750 or $1,000 deductible
Lemonade pet insurance offers a lot of customizable options no matter the pet’s age:
- Annual payout options: $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, and $100,000
- Deductibles: $100, $250, or $500
- Reimbursement: 70%, 80%, or 90%
Lemonade offers coverage for pets aged 8 weeks to 20+ years, depending on the breed and species. Some breeds are ineligible for enrollment once they hit a certain age, but they never terminate pets’ coverage as they age. (Healthy Paws doesn’t terminate coverage for pets as they age either.)
Overall, Healthy Paws has more age restrictions and only one annual limit option, making it more difficult to adjust to fit your budget. Lemonade has fewer age restrictions, but it does have some breed restrictions. In the end, Lemonade wins by a hair.
Plan Customization Winner: Lemonade Pet Insurance
What’s The Verdict?
Healthy Paws wins this comparison due to its coverage, reputation, customer service, and speedy claim repayment. However, if you want more customization options or a wellness plan, you may want to consider Lemonade.
If you didn’t find what you were looking for, our experts dig even deeper into each company in our individual reviews of Lemonade Pet Insurance and Healthy Paws.
Overall Winner: Healthy Paws
Our experts have spent hundreds of hours researching to bring you our comprehensive and frequently updated pet insurance reviews, including our top picks as well as details on each of the most popular pet insurance companies.
If you prefer to see winners by category, see our best pet insurance comparison. We give awards for the best price, multiple pet discounts, 100% reimbursement, unlimited payouts, and other “best for” categories, including puppies, older dogs, dental, wellness coverage, bilateral conditions, behavioral therapy, vet direct pay, and more. You’ll even see winners for exotic pets and cats.
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