COMPARISONS

MetLife Pet Insurance vs. Healthy Paws

Five Minutes
Feb 19, 2024

Nowadays, there are multiple pet insurance companies, and it can be a challenge to find pet insurance that’s right for you. You can make the decision a little easier by doing some research before you commit to a policy. Read on to see how MetLife Pet Insurance compares to Healthy Paws.

Compare Healthy Paws vs. MetLife Pet Insurance**

Healthy Paws offers one plan that covers accidents and illnesses. Here’s a quick glance of how some of MetLife Pet Insurance’s policy provisions compare with those of Healthy Paws.1

MetLife Pet's Plan Vs. Healthy Paws' Plan

This table has 3 columns and 20 rows. 1st column represents the product 2nd & 3rd represent MetLife and its competitors. Each row indicates whether the product is covered by MetLife or its competitors
MetLife Pet  Insurance
Healthy Paws
Wellness and Preventative Care

Yes (optional add-on coverage)2

No

Prescriptions

Yes

Yes

Holistic/Alternative Therapy

Yes

Yes (exclusions apply)

Dental Cleaning and Care

Yes (optional add-on coverage)

No (unless related to an accident)

24/7 Telehealth Access

Yes3

No

Cancer Coverage

Yes

Yes

Euthanasia

Yes

Yes

Cremation

Yes

No

Grief Counseling

Yes4

No

Boarding

Yes

No

Spaying and Neutering

Yes (optional add-on coverage)

No

Includes All Ages and Breeds

Yes

No

Clinical Exam Required to Enroll

No

Yes

No Per-Incident Limits

Yes

Yes

Reimbursement

Flexible (50% – 90%)5

Flexible (up to 90%)

Average Deductible

Flexible ($0 – $2,500)6

Flexible ($100 – $1,000)

0-Day Accident Waiting Period

Yes7

No

Illness Waiting Period

14 days 7

15 days 

Deductible Savings

Yes8

No

NerdWallet Rating9

5 stars

4.0 stars

NerdWallet Callout9 "Customizable plans for dogs, cats and even other animals in some states.”9 "Offers a straightforward plan with no annual or lifetime payout limits, but has more exclusions than many other companies do.”9

A “No” accompanied with a red “X” in the above table means this is not included or that exclusions may apply.

As with any insurance policy, coverage may vary and exclusions apply. See our coverage and exclusions page for more details, and learn how our pet insurance works.

Still searching for pet insurance? See how we compare to other providers.

Reasons To Consider MetLife Pet Insurance Over Healthy Paws

To help you choose the right pet insurance for you and your family, consider which coverage options and features are most important to you. Here are some of the ways we stand out from Healthy Paws:

  • Shorter waiting period: Accidents can happen at any time, including the day after you enroll in an insurance policy. MetLife Pet has a 0-day waiting period for accident coverage,7 while Healthy Paws’ coverage has a 15-day waiting period.1
  • Supportive care: MetLife Pet covers boarding costs, lost pet advertising and rewards, grief counseling,4 and cremation — all of which can give you peace of mind when it comes to your furry family. Other insurers, like Healthy Paws, may not offer this kind of supportive care.
  • Family plans: If you have multiple pets, you can save on costs by insuring up to three pets on the same MetLife Pet policy with a shared deductible. You may be limited to separate deductibles with Healthy Paws and other insurers, which can cost you more before being reimbursed.9
  • Preventive Care plan: MetLife Pet offers a Preventive Care add-on plan that can help cover routine vet visit costs, vaccinations, and preventative care — like parasite protection and treatment.2 Healthy Paws doesn’t offer additional coverage plans.1

Protect your Pets

Looking for more? Explore frequently asked questions, and continue your research with a free quote

Why Choose MetLife Pet Insurance?

Protect your pet’s health without compromising on your budget by only paying for what you need. MetLife Pet’s customizable coverage, paired with flexible reimbursement rates and deductibles, ensure you get the coverage for your pet at a price that’s right for your needs.5,6 Read on for some more reasons why you might choose MetLife Pet Insurance.

MetLife Pet cares

About the community: MetLife Pet donated more than $1.3 million in 2023 to our animal shelter partners. What’s more, our Golden Beagle Award gives $20,000 to an animal welfare organization trying to find forever homes for large-breed dogs. We not only provide funding to shelters, but also provide education to pet parents to help them confidently care for their rescues. And we offer pet insurance through participating partner shelters to make the adoption process smoother.

About our customers: We offer discounts to eligible customers whose work focuses on helping others, like military service members and animal care workers.10,11 Our policies also include potential assistance for boarding costs to help make sure your pets are taken care of while you’re hospitalized.

puppies looking at the camera

Free mobile app

MetLife Pet Insurance strives to make your customer experience easier by offering a comprehensive mobile app. Similar services from other insurance providers often require additional subscription costs, but MetLife Pet includes this service with your policy at no extra charge.12

The MetLife Pet app allows you to access a 24/7 telehealth chat service3 with veterinarians available to answer questions, manage your pet’s vet records, submit claims, and receive artificial-intelligence-recommended articles tailored to you and your pet.

Discounts

At MetLife Pet, we strive to offer affordable rates and expansive coverage. To make it even more affordable, we also offer discounts to eligible policyholders.

Deductible discount: Your pet's deductible automatically decreases by $25 (for IAIC underwritten policies) or $50 (for MetGen underwritten policies) each policy year you don't receive a reimbursement for a submitted claim.8

Internet purchase discount: This applies to the first year of premiums.13

Animal care discount: This is a 10% discount for animal care facility staff, veterinarians, shelter personnel, and more.11

Military discount: This discount is available to eligible active or retired military members, veterans, and first responders.10

Employer benefit discount: This is offered to policyholders who enroll through their workplace.14

Preventive Care plan

MetLife Pet offers an optional Preventive Care plan to increase the amount of coverage you have on top of a standard illness and injury plan. It can typically help cover the cost of routine vet visits, vaccinations, spay or neuter procedures, and teeth cleanings, as well as parasite prevention and treatment.2

Holistic coverage

At MetLife Pet, we know that pets may also benefit from other types of wellness coverage. As such, we may cover alternative treatments like hydrotherapy, acupuncture, laser therapy, and chiropractic care through our insurance policies.

Success stories

We have over 15 years of experience serving pet parents — helping you protect your beloved furry companion(s) and your wallet. Here’s a real life success story so you can see our coverage in action.

In Philadelphia, PA, 9-year-old poodle Ives was happily playing in his yard with his human siblings when things got a little chaotic. Running at full speed, he accidentally tripped over some large rocks. Ives’ family took him to the vet after noticing him limping, and after an exam with X-rays, the vet diagnosed Ives with a fracture.

Between the exam and treatment, the vet bill was almost $6,300. Fortunately, Ives’ family had a dog insurance policy that reimbursed them over $5,800. Ives has fully recovered, and his family breathed a sigh of relief knowing they had dog insurance to help cover the vet costs when an accident happened.15

Just like Ives’ family, you may find enrolling in pet insurance to be worth it. Get started today with a free quote from award-winning16 MetLife Pet Insurance.

Take the Next Step in Your Research

See Personalized Rates

Coverage is subject to the language of the policies as actually issued. This comparison or description of Healthy Paws policy(ies) was not furnished by Healthy Paws. It was prepared solely by MetLife Pet Insurance based publicly available summary information about competitors' offerings and highlights selected coverages of the policies referenced as of January 2024 and is subject to change without notice. It may not be completely accurate and should not be the sole source of information relied upon in deciding which insurance coverage to purchase. To receive the latest information about other providers' available plans, please visit their website. If you have questions regarding the illustration or about a particular competitor’s policy or coverage, please contact a representative of Healthy Paws. Referenced publicly- available material for Healthy Paws sample plan. For completely reliable benefit comparisons, insurance departments (including North Dakota’s) advise that you obtain the benefit schedules directly from each applicable insurance company.

**As with any insurance policy, coverage may vary. Learn how MetLife Pet pet insurance works and review our coverage and exclusions.

1 Based on a Healthy Paws sample plan, retrieved from https://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/PolicyDocuments/StateDocuments/Global/Pet%20Health%20Insurance%20Policy%20Form%20WFIC%20LD-51186%20(08-18)%20(1).pdf, and information found across the Healthy Paws website.

2 For IAIC policies, optional Preventive Care coverage is based on a Schedule of Benefits. For MetGen policies, optional Preventive Care coverage is included in the annual limit.

3 Virtual veterinary services are available through the MetLife Pet App and are provided entirely by AskVet, a third-party partner; MetLife Pet is not responsible for any pet guidance or advice provided or taken. Veterinarians providing virtual veterinary services cannot prescribe medication or answer questions about the pet policy.

4 Grief Counseling services are provided through an agreement with TELUS Health, an unaffiliated third-party service provider. Grief counseling services provided by TELUS Health are separate and apart from the insurance provided by MetLife Pet. Not available to NY residents.

5 Reimbursement options include: 70%, 80% and 90% and a 50% option for MetGen policies and a 65% option for IAIC policies only. Pet age restrictions may apply.

6 Deductible options range include: $0 – $750 in $50 increments and $1,000, $1,250, $1,500, $2,000 and $2,500.

7 Accident and optional Preventive Care coverage begins on midnight EST of the effective day of your policy is compared to a wait time of 2 to 15 days for many competitors; Illness coverage begins 14 days from the effective day of your policy compared to 14 to 30 days for many competitors. Based on a January 2024 review of publicly available summary information. Competitors did not furnish copies of their policies for review. If you have questions about a particular competitor's policy or coverage, please contact them or their representative directly.

Your pet’s deductible automatically decreases by $25 (IAIC policies) or $50 (MetGen policies) each policy year that you don’t receive a claim reimbursement. May not be available in all states.

9 Based on a January 2024 review of publicly available summary information. Competitors did not furnish copies of their policies for review. If you have questions about a particular competitor's policy or coverage, please contact them or their representative directly.

10 Discount may not be available in all states. A discount is available to Healthcare Workers, First Responders, and serving and retired members of the Armed Forces.

11 Discount may not be available in all states. A discount is applicable to staff/owners of animal care facilities.

12 “The 8 best online veterinarians of 2023,” Business Insider

13 When coverage is purchased on-line, a premium discount will apply during the first year of the policy. When using multiple discounts, discounts cannot exceed 30%. Each discount may not be available in all states. Please contact MetLife Pet for further details.

14 Discount is not available in MN or TN. This discount is only available to individuals who are eligible members or employees of an entity that has arranged for MetLife Pet to offer pet insurance. (IAIC policies, the discount is 10% for Groups > 1000 lives and 5% for Groups 51-999 lives. MetGen policies, this discount is 10% for Employer Groups and 5% for Associations).

15 All claims paid amounts are based on MetLife Pet internal claims data from October 2022. Story altered for illustrative purposes.

16 “2023 Pet Insurance of the Year Award” Winners, Pet Independent Innovation Awards

Coverage issued by Metropolitan General Insurance Company (“MetGen”), a Rhode Island insurance company, headquartered at 700 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886, and Independence American Insurance Company (“IAIC”), a Delaware insurance company, headquartered at 11333 N Scottsdale Rd, Ste 160, Scottsdale, AZ 85454. Coverage subject to restrictions, exclusions and limitations and application is subject to underwriting. See policy or contact MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC (“MetLife Pet”) for details. MetLife Pet is the policy administrator. It may operate under an alternate or fictitious name in certain jurisdictions, including MetLife Pet Insurance Services LLC (New York and Minnesota) and MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions Agency LLC (Illinois).

L0224038282[exp0225][All States][DC,GU,MP,PR,VI]