Trupanion vs Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Comparison 2024: Pros, Cons & Verdict

Pet Insurance is a tricky line to walk—you need enough to keep vet payments within your means, even in the case of emergency, but too much coverage can skyrocket your monthly costs. Trupanion and Healthy Paws are two popular pet insurance companies with a lot of similarities and a few differences. Both offer accident and illness coverage for dogs and cats and cover a similar range of conditions and situations. They also have comparable deductibles and reimbursement rates. But subtle differences can help you decide which is right for you.

Overall, we love Healthy Paws more because of their great customer service and because of their generally lower costs, but certain benefits of Trupanion might make it the better choice for some owners.

---

Trupanion was one of the first major pet insurers in the US, and it’s held strong over the past twenty years with great coverage and good service. With no annual limit and a 90% reimbursement level, Trupanion’s plans will cover a big chunk of your vet costs, especially if you choose a low deductible.

Trupanion offers a wide level of coverage that can be tailored to your pet’s individual needs, including some conditions that many insurers don’t cover, like hip dysplasia. They also promise a flat rate even as your pet ages. Two add-on riders offer extra perks, both medical and non-medical, that can help you take care of your pet without unexpected costs.

All this coverage does come with some drawbacks. The biggest one is the lack of customization. Premiums are high, and without the option to add an annual limit or lower the reimbursement level, there’s not much you can do. They are also more limited in their payment plans and have slower turnarounds, with claims taking around 14 days or more to pay out.

Healthy Paws is a nonprofit pet insurance company with close ties to the rescue community—a great cause to support. They are committed to providing affordable pet insurance to everyone. Their plan has similar coverage to Trupanion, and they also have no annual limit. However, they do offer a bit more flexibility when it comes to reimbursement rates, which vary from 70-90%, making it easier to control your monthly price. Their coverage has more restrictions as your pet ages, making it less ideal for older pets.

Healthy Paws also stands out for having great customer service, with 90% of its claims processing in two days and a 24/7 email helpline available for customers. Overall, they tend to be a little cheaper than Trupanion while still offering excellent coverage.

---

Other Top Rated Pet Insurance Companies

---

Trupanion vs Healthy Paws: Plans Available

Both Trupanion and Healthy Paws have one simple plan available, an accident and illness plan, with limited customization.

Trupanion

Trupanion’s base accident and illness plan covers most procedures, lab tests, medication, continued treatment, dental treatment, and medical boarding fees. Coverage can be increased by adding on either or both rider options available.

Healthy Paws

Healthy Paws covers many of the same accident and illness coverage along the lines of procedures, lab tests, medication, continued treatment, and medical boarding, but not dental care. Healthy Paws also covers many alternative treatments that are only available through Trupanion with a policy rider.

---

Trupanion vs Healthy Paws: Reimbursements and Deductibles

Trupanion

Trupanion has a flat 90% reimbursement level. This is a higher level of reimbursement and means your out-of-pocket cost is only 10%. Their deductible is adjustable, and you can choose anywhere from a $0 deductible up to $1,000, depending on your needs. This is a much bigger range than Healthy Paws, and if a high or low deductible is important to you, this is a good option.

Healthy Paws

Healthy Paws lets you choose both your deductible and reimbursement level. You can have a deductible of $100, $250, or $500 and a reimbursement coverage of 70%, 80%, or 90%.

---

Trupanion vs Healthy Paws: Additional Perks

Trupanion has two additional rider options that give extra perks. The Recovery and Complementary Care Rider adds on alternative and behavioral treatments that most insurances don’t cover. The Pet Owner Assistance Rider covers non-vet costs including property damage liability insurance, cremation or burial costs, and lost pet recovery costs.

On the other hand, Healthy Paws doesn’t offer any additional perks. Instead, it focuses on giving great support of its main coverage at a lower cost.

---

Company Verdict: Which One Has the Edge?

Customer Service 📞

• Edge: Healthy Paws

Trupanion has a good but not perfect customer service reputation, with mostly positive reviews. However, it doesn’t hold up to Healthy Paws. Healthy Paws has one of the best reputations in the industry when it comes to customer service—their 24/7 email service and 12 hour/day phone service are phenomenal.

Price of Plans 💲

• Edge: Healthy Paws

Although prices can vary, Healthy Paws is generally cheaper. They have more flexibility to suit your budget, with a wider range of customization options that can let you bring prices down. Trupanion is much more limited and that results in higher premiums. However, if you want a truly budget-friendly option, going with a third company that allows a max annual payout of $10,000–$15,000 may be preferable.

Areas of Coverage 🌐

• Edge: Trupanion

Overall, these insurers have fairly similar coverage policies. However, Trupanion does offer a few options that Healthy Paws doesn’t, like behavioral therapy and dental care coverage. Trupanion is also better for coverage of certain chronic conditions like hip dysplasia.

Perks📱

• Edge: Trupanion

Trupanion’s rider perks are a huge benefit in certain situations, adding on a lot of extra value for only a few dollars a month. Whether property damage from your breed of dog isn’t covered by your home insurance or you want a little help in the event of your dog getting lost, these riders can be a huge reason to switch over to Trupanion.

Claim Processing

• Edge: Healthy Paws

Healthy Paws is known for its speedy claims coverage, with most claims being paid within 2 days. Trupanion does have a direct payment option so that you don’t have to wait for repayment, but this is limited to participating vets. Otherwise, you have to wait around 14 days on average, and sometimes longer, for claims to be reimbursed. If your circumstances don’t allow you to go a few paychecks without reimbursement, Healthy Paws is the clear winner.

Conclusion

	Trupanion	Healthy Paws
Our Rating	Our Rating:	Our Rating:
Dental Options	Dental Options:	Dental Options:
Exam Fees	Exam Fees:	Exam Fees:
Stem Cell Treatment	Stem Cell Treatment:	Stem Cell Treatment:
Behavioral Issues	Behavioral Issues:	Behavioral Issues:
	Compare Quotes	Compare Quotes

As you can see, there are good reasons to pick both Trupanion and Healthy Paws. For most pet owners, we recommend Healthy Paws as the best pet insurance because of its customer service and affordability. However, Trupanion is better if your dog’s breed is prone to some chronic conditions, if you have an older dog, or if any of the extra perks are important to you. Because of this, there’s not one clear winner between the two companies.

• Related Read: Pets Best vs Trupanion Pet Insurance Comparison: Pros, Cons & Verdict