This content was reviewed by our licensed insurance agent, Michelle Schenker.
To keep the lights on, we receive affiliate commissions via some of our links. Our review process.
Pet insurance is a great proactive solution if you sign up before a health emergency occurs with your dog. It’s your responsibility to think ahead in case something terrible happens. Could you afford treatment for a cancer diagnosis?
Perhaps Trupanion or Healthy Paws is the solution you need to reduce your financial risk. Find out which pet insurance provider is the top dog. Our experts compare features and give you a side-by-side quote comparison to show you the different options.
Visit Trupanion’s Website | Visit Healthy Paws’ Website
| Trupanion | Healthy Paws | |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Coverage | More Limited | More Limited |
| Customer Service & Reputation | Excellent, Stable | Excellent, Stable |
| Claim Processing Average | 2 Days | 2 Days |
| Price Of Policy | Higher On Average | Varies |
| Plan Customizations | Very Limited | Restricted Options |
| Overall Winner |  |  |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Policy Coverage
The table below shows specific differences between what Trupanion and Healthy Paws cover. Note: 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.
| Trupanion | Healthy Paws | |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking In Our Pet Insurance Comparison | Unranked | Fastest Claim Processing |
| Illness Waiting Period | 30 Days | 15 Days |
| Accident Waiting Period | 5 Days | 15 Days |
| Hip Dysplasia Waiting Period | 30 Days | 12 Months |
| CCL Surgery Waiting Period | 30 Days | 15 Days |
| Behavioral Therapies | | |
| Alternative/Holistic Therapy | Extra Fee | |
| Wellness Care For An Extra Fee | | |
| Exam Fees | | |
| Underwriter | American Pet Insurance Company | Westchester Fire Insurance Company/Chubb |
| A.M. Best Rating | Unrated | A++ |
As you can see, Trupanion and Healthy Paws offer very similar coverage. The primary difference is that Healthy Paws does not cover behavioral therapies or offer alternative/holistic therapy for an extra fee, and Trupanion does. Neither provides coverage for wellness care or exam fees.
You’ll also 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. Meanwhile, Trupanion’s underwriter is unrated by A.M. Best.
Another key deciding factor for you may be the age restrictions attached to each of these companies. Neither company enrolls pets who are 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.
Because of Healthy Paws’ behavioral therapy exclusion and age restrictions, we feel Trupanion has the better coverage of the two. However, if behavioral therapy isn’t a concern for you and your dog is young, we recommend Healthy Paws because of its superior financial stability.
The video below shares more about what makes Trupanion stand out.
Policy Coverage Winner: Trupanion
Customer Service & Reputation
Customer service and reputation can be overlooked when you’re met with an attractive quote for your policy, but we think it’s one of the most important elements you should consider. We hope you never have to file a claim, but should the need arise, we want it to be as painless and easy on you and your furry friend as possible.
It doesn’t matter how much you pay; if you call a company and never get your questions answered or problems solved, you feel like you’ve wasted your money. Both companies offer multiple support options, including phone and email. They also offer 30-day money-back guarantees, so if you find that the plan you chose isn’t working for you, then you can cancel and get your money back.
Healthy Paws has some of the best customer service reviews we’ve seen. Our readers have shared many positive testimonials with us, raving about their experiences. On the other hand, we’ve received more complaints about Trupanion, which is why Healthy Paws wins this category.
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Healthy Paws
Claim Processing
Both Healthy Paws and Trupanion pay most of their claims within two days. This is a speedy turnaround on repayment. Compare this to the time it may have taken to get your money back when you’ve filed a claim for a car accident or on your homeowners insurance policy.
Additionally, Trupanion may be able to pay your vet directly for the covered portion of your bill, so you wouldn’t have to wait for reimbursement. Direct payment to the vet is one of the unique perks that Trupanion offers its customers, but only at participating vet offices. (Note: Healthy Paws may be able to provide this option as well if you call and discuss it with them. However, you may not find it as necessary since its claim processing is more timely.)
Claim Processing Winner: Trupanion
Price Of Policy
To give you an example of the price difference between Trupanion and Healthy Paws, we’ve created a quote comparison with an example dog.
Characteristics considered for these quotes:
- Neutered male Jack Russel Terrier, 2-years-old
- No pre-existing conditions
- Residency in New York (10034)
- Quote is from December 2021
| Deductible | Reimbursement % | Price Per Month | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy Paws | $250 | 90% | $40.76 |
| Trupanion | $250 | 90% | $116.59 |
| Healthy Paws | $500 | 90% | $34.65 |
| Trupanion | $500 | 90% | $86.30 |
Keep in mind that it’s always best to get quotes for your specific dog to compare what pet insurance could cost you. You can use our pet insurance quote form to get started. To see more quote comparisons, take a look at our pet insurance comparison page. You’ll find that Trupanion was consistently more expensive than Healthy Paws for every quote we ran.
Both companies charge enrollment fees upon signup. Trupanion’s is $35 ($25 in Washington; $0 in Maryland & Michigan), and Healthy Paws charges $25.
Additionally, Healthy Paws has an annual deductible, whereas Trupanion’s deductible is per-condition and lifetime. An annual deductible is important if your pet experiences multiple accidents or illnesses during the policy period (one year). However, if your dog is subject to chronic conditions, like allergies, hip dysplasia, cancer, urinary tract infections, etc., then Trupanion’s per-condition deductible for the life of your pet may be a better choice.
Healthy Paws wins this category because it offers comparable coverage at a lower price almost always, and it has lower enrollment fees.
Price Of Policy Winner: Healthy Paws
Coupons
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.
Trupanion
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price and get a quote for your pet from Trupanion. You can also visit our dedicated Trupanion promotions page to learn more.
Plan Customization
Trupanion has a set 90% reimbursement and a set unlimited payout limit, so their policies aren’t nearly as customizable as many other pet insurance companies. Trupanion also has a per-incident deductible (choose from $0 to $1,000), which means you’ll have to meet the deductible multiple times for each emergency or illness in a given policy period. This can result in more expenses for you.
Healthy Paws has unlimited payouts on all plans, and they offer more plan flexibility than Trupanion. Unfortunately, Healthy Paws has 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
In the end, Healthy Paws offers more customization options for its plans than Trupanion does. Although the options may become more limited for older pets seeking new enrollment, Healthy Paws still offers more customizations than Trupanion.
Plan Customization Winner: Healthy Paws
Why Should You Get Pet Insurance?
Find out why Michael chose to get pet insurance for his pup, Bambie. He makes some pretty valid points.
What’s The Verdict?
Healthy Paws is the winner in this comparison. For comparable coverage and more plan customization options, most people can save money by choosing Healthy Paws over Trupanion. If you didn’t find what you were looking for, our experts have gone in-depth with individual reviews of Trupanion and Healthy Paws so you can expand your comparison.
Overall Winner: Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws won this showdown against Trupanion, but how do these two companies stack up against other providers? Our experts have spent hundreds of hours researching to bring you our comprehensive 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, we award the best price, multiple pets, 100% reimbursement, unlimited payouts, and “best for” categories, including puppies, older dogs, dental, wellness coverage, bilateral conditions, behavioral therapy, and more in our best pet insurance comparison. You’ll even see winners for exotic pets and cats.
Tagged With: Reviewed By Insurance Agent
