Healthy Paws and Fetch are two major pet insurers. Healthy Paws has lower average premiums and offers unlimited annual coverage, but Fetch may be a better choice. Pet owners with Fetch can benefit from a quick claims process and added benefits, like wellness plans, reimbursement for behavioral therapy, and online vet visits.
When pets need unexpected medical care, it can be expensive. Emergency veterinary bills can be in the thousands. Pet insurance can help with the cost, but choosing the right insurance company is important.
Here’s what you should know about coverage offerings, costs, and more from Fetch and Healthy Paws.
Both companies offer accident and illness policies for dogs and cats, but Fetch also has additional wellness coverage.
Fetch has a higher customer service rating than Healthy Paws on Trustpilot.
Healthy Paws and Fetch both offer claims filing via mobile apps.
Healthy Paws vs. Fetch: The verdict
Both Fetch and Healthy Paws are well-known companies in the pet insurance industry. Healthy Paws offers unlimited annual coverage, and its rates tend to be significantly lower than Fetch’s premiums. That said, Fetch beats out Healthy Paws in the following ways:
Wellness plans: Healthy Paws offers only accident and illness policies, but Fetch allows pet owners to purchase a wellness plan to cover routine or preventative care expenses.
Claims: With Fetch’s mobile app, policyholders can submit a claim and receive reimbursement in as little as two days.
Vet exam fees: Unlike Healthy Paws, Fetch’s policies cover vet exam fees for covered issues.
Healthy Paws vs. Fetch
Healthy Paws
Fetch
How Healthy Paws and Fetch compare
Healthy Paws and Fetch both offer reliable coverage for your pet, but the companies differ in several ways. Learn more about how costs, coverages, exclusions, claims, and customer reviews compare.
Cost of pet insurance policies
The cost of your pet insurance policy depends on several factors, including your location, policy details, your pet’s age, and its breed.[?] The best way to understand how premiums vary by company is to compare quotes from multiple insurers.
Coverage from Fetch is generally more expensive than coverage from Healthy Paws. Fetch policyholders pay an average of $57 per month for dog insurance and $22 for cat insurance. On average, pet insurance from Healthy Paws costs $44 per month for dogs and $21 for cats.
Healthy Paws’ policies include unlimited annual coverage, while Fetch’s policies have a maximum of $15,000 per year.
Coverage and plan features
Fetch and Healthy Paws sell accident and illness policies, providing coverage for unexpected emergencies like broken bones, wounds, or cancer.[?] Like other pet insurers, Fetch and Healthy Paws don’t cover pre-existing conditions. But they do cover hereditary or chronic conditions.
Both pet insurance companies cover diagnostics, surgeries, and other treatments. But Fetch offers the following coverages that Healthy Paws doesn’t, including wellness coverage. Fetch provides additional coverage for dental disease and care, online vet visits, canceled vacations due to pet illness or injury, advertisements for lost pets, stolen or lost pets, and pet death.[?]
The following table showcases some of the key features of Fetch and Healthy Paws policies. Learn more about how they compare below.
Feature | Healthy Paws | Fetch |
|---|---|---|
| Vet exam fee coverage | No | Yes |
| Coverage for alternative or complementary therapies | Yes | Yes |
| Wellness coverage | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile claims-filing | Yes | Yes |
| Direct vet pay | Yes, in limited circumstances | No |
| 24/7 pet helpline | No | No |
| Online policy management | Yes | Yes |
| Live customer support | Yes | Yes |
Policy exclusions
Pet insurance policies usually have waiting periods. If your pet develops a health condition during that time, your policy will exclude coverage for it. Healthy Paws has waiting periods of 15 days for injuries and illnesses and 12 months for hip dysplasia. That said, Healthy Paws doesn’t cover hip dysplasia in pets enrolled at the age of 6 or older.
Fetch has a waiting period of 15 days for injuries and illnesses. But it has a 180-day waiting period for orthopedic conditions, such as hip dysplasia.
Neither company has an upper age limit, but Healthy Paws does have more limited deductible and reimbursement options for senior pets.
Claims process
The standard claims process for pet insurance is to submit a claim after you’ve paid for your pet’s treatment and then wait for reimbursement. Both Healthy Paws and Fetch use this method to handle claims.
Fetch encourages customers to use its mobile app. You have a 90-day window for claims after your pet receives treatment. If you submit the claim and the necessary documents through the app, you could receive your reimbursement via direct deposit in as little as two days.
With Healthy Paws, you can submit a claim online or through the mobile app. You can choose to receive your reimbursement payouts via direct deposit or a mailed check.
Customer reviews
Fetch has better customer reviews than Healthy Paws. On Trustpilot, Fetch has a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on more than 5,000 reviews. Customer reviews cite good experiences with customer service representatives, noting their helpfulness and empathy.
Healthy Paws has a rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on more than 2,600 reviews. Several reviews noted that the company is slower in handling claims than it used to be and that wait times to speak with customer support tend to be longer.
Healthy Paws vs. Fetch FAQs
If you’re researching the best pet insurance companies, the following information may help you make a decision between Healthy Paws and Fetch.
Is Healthy Paws better than Fetch pet insurance?
Healthy Paws doesn’t offer the same coverages and extra benefits that Fetch does. But if you don’t mind trading fewer coverage options for cheaper premiums, Healthy Paws may be a good choice for you.
What are the main differences between Healthy Paws and Fetch?
The biggest differences between the two insurers are cost and preventative care. Healthy Paws tends to be less expensive than Fetch, but it doesn’t have a wellness plan. Fetch has a wellness plan and other benefits like reimbursement for online vet visits.
Which company offers the cheapest pet insurance?
Healthy Paws is usually cheaper than Fetch for both dogs and cats, based on the pet insurance quotes we pulled. Fetch was significantly more expensive for certain breeds, such as French bulldogs.
What is the waiting period for Healthy Paws?
The waiting period for Healthy Paws pet insurance is 15 days for injuries and illnesses and 12 months for hip dysplasia. If you enroll your pet at the age of 6 or older, it won’t be eligible for hip dysplasia coverage.
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