MetLife vs. Healthy Paws: Which Is the Best for Your Pet? (2025)
MetLife is the better pet insurer for most pet owners due to its wellness coverage and family plans that Healthy Paws doesn’t offer.
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MetLife is a major insurance company that offers a range of products. MetLife’s pet insurance used to be PetFirst before the name changed in 2019. Healthy Paws only offers pet insurance.
MetLife has more policy options and might even cover health problems your pet already has if you’re switching from another insurer. Healthy Paws offers just one plan and has unlimited payouts, but you can’t get routine or preventive coverage.
To get the right pet insurance for your furry family member, you’ll want to compare premiums, customer service, and what your policy actually covers. Here’s what you need to know about MetLife and Healthy Paws pet insurance.
Quick Facts
MetLife has wellness plans and coverage for exotic pets, like birds and reptiles.
Healthy Paws offers accident and illness coverage for dogs and cats only.
Neither company pays vets directly. You’ll pay up front and get reimbursed later.
MetLife vs. Healthy Paws: The verdict
MetLife pet insurance is the clear winner if you value flexibility and extra perks. Coverage options include wellness add-ons, family plans for multiple pets, and your choice of different policy limits. Plus, you get access to a 24/7 helpline to save you from Googling answers in the middle of the night.
For simplicity and unlimited coverage, Healthy Paws pet insurance comes out ahead. You get a single plan with no annual limits or lifetime limits on payouts. Healthy Paws also has an online-only claims process and can reimburse your costs within 24 hours.[?]
MetLife vs. Healthy Paws
Data in this table has been sourced from Insurify users who received a pet insurance quote from our partner Fletch.
MetLife
Healthy Paws
How MetLife and Healthy Paws compare
The choice between MetLife and Healthy Paws depends on what your pet actually needs and what care options you value. Here’s how to figure out which pet insurer is best for your situation.
Cost of pet insurance
MetLife pet insurance starts at $27 per month for cats and $53 per month for dogs. Healthy Paws comes in around $21 per month for cats and $44 per month for dogs.
Pet insurance pricing isn’t the same for everyone. Your premiums depend on things like your pet’s breed, age, health history, and how much coverage you want.[?]
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Coverages and plan features
MetLife and Healthy Paws both offer accident and illness plans, but neither company gives you the option of buying accident coverage by itself. Plans cover hereditary and congenital conditions. You can get coverage for prescription medications, alternative care, and cancer treatments from both insurers, too.[?]
One key difference is that MetLife covers exam fees as part of its standard plans, while Healthy Paws doesn’t. MetLife also insures exotic pets, such as birds and reptiles, but Healthy Paws only insures dogs and cats.
But the biggest difference is in the benefit limits. Healthy Paws offers just one annual unlimited coverage cap. With MetLife, you can opt for unlimited coverage or customize your plan with various coverage limits.
MetLife also offers an add-on wellness plan that covers routine care like teeth cleaning, spaying and neutering, heartworm prevention, vaccinations, supplements, and vitamins. Healthy Paws doesn’t offer wellness plans.
Feature  | MetLife | Healthy Paws |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile claims filing | Yes | Yes |
| Direct vet pay | No | No |
| 24/7 pet helpline | Yes | No |
| Online policy management | Yes | Yes |
| Live customer support | Yes | No |
| Family plans | Yes | No |
Policy exclusions
MetLife and Healthy Paws cover emergency care, but policy terms exclude most of the same things: cosmetic procedures, grooming, and breeding-related issues. Both companies also exclude pre-existing conditions, but MetLife gives you some wiggle room. MetLife may cover pre-existing problems if you’re switching from another insurer that covered those conditions.
Where the companies really differ is on age limits. Healthy Paws has an upper age limit. Once your pet reaches 14 years old (or 5 years in New York), you can’t enroll it in coverage. MetLife has no age restrictions for individual plans, but dogs have to be younger than 12, and cats have to be younger than 14 for family policies.
Claims process
Most pet insurance companies don’t offer vet direct pay, and MetLife and Healthy Paws are no exception. You’ll pay up front and ask for reimbursement from your insurance company once you’ve met your plan’s deductible.
With MetLife, it’s often easiest to submit claims through the MyPets online portal or mobile app. But you can also file a claim by email, fax, or regular mail. You’ll pay your bill and then send in your itemized receipt and medical records. MetLife processes claims within five days and can send payment through direct deposit, Zelle, PayPal, or check.
Healthy Paws is completely paperless. After paying your bill, you can submit claims online or through its mobile app. Doing it this way can get payment in your hands within 24 hours. If email, fax, or regular mail is more your style, you have that option, too. But reimbursement by check can take up to 15 days. Direct deposit is a little faster and can happen in about 72 hours.
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Customer reviews
Customer reviews vary quite a bit between these two companies, but the ratings depend on which platform you check.
MetLife performs pretty well overall, scoring 4.5 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot and 4.2 out of 5 on Google reviews. Customers love the mobile app and quick reimbursements, and most are happy with the customer service. Yelp is a different story. MetLife comes in at 2.7 out of 5, with customers complaining about slow claims processing and difficulties canceling their policy.
Healthy Paws gets more mixed feedback across the board. Trustpilot gives the company 3.6 out of 5 stars, with customers mentioning a fast claims process and a helpful support team. Yelp reviews come in at 3.3 out of 5. The main complaints for Healthy Paws center on steep premium hikes as pets get older and claim denials that frustrate customers.
MetLife vs. Healthy Paws FAQs
Your pet is family, and choosing its insurance is an important decision. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about MetLife and Healthy Paws.
Is MetLife better than Healthy Paws pet insurance?
Choosing MetLife or Healthy Paws depends on your situation. MetLife is better if you want wellness coverage or have multiple pets or an exotic animal. Healthy Paws is better if you want unlimited payouts and don’t care about routine care coverage.
What are the main differences between MetLife and Healthy Paws?
Healthy Paws coverage details are simpler and don’t have annual coverage caps. But you can’t get preventive care, and you’ll run into age limits for enrollment. MetLife has more options to customize your coverage, including a wellness plan add-on, family plans, and different policy limits.
Does Healthy Paws pet insurance cover medication?
Yes. Healthy Paws covers prescription medications that treat covered accidents and illnesses. But policies don’t cover prescription diets and special allergen foods.
What is the waiting period for Healthy Paws?
Healthy Paws makes you wait 15 days before your accident and illness coverage kicks in. If your pet gets sick or hurt during the waiting period, Healthy Paws treats the injury or illness as a pre-existing condition.
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