Which Is More Dependable? – CanineJournal.com
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Healthy Paws and Nationwide are two of the big dogs in the pet industry space. However, the way their business models are set up, the customer experience, and the cost are entirely different.
Both companies offer thorough coverage, but there’s a big difference in their reputations, claim repayment time frame and price. We explain why we rank one company much better than the other below.
Visit Healthy Paws’ Website | Visit Nationwide’s Website
Policy Coverage
The table below shows specifically what Healthy Paws and Nationwide cover. Both companies cover x-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRIs, rehabilitation, specialized exams, surgery, hospitalization, emergency care, specialty care, hydrotherapy, chronic conditions, cancer, diagnostic treatment, alternative/holistic therapy, euthanasia, non-routine dental treatment, hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, and prescription medications.
| Healthy Paws | Nationwide | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking in Our Pet Insurance Comparison | 1st | Not Ranked |
| Pre-Existing Conditions | ||
| Preventative Care Available for an Extra Fee |  |
|
| Illnesses Waiting Period | 15 Days | 14 Days |
| Accidents Waiting Period | 15 Days | 14 Days |
| Hip Dysplasia Waiting Period | 12 Months* | 14 Days |
| ACL Surgery Waiting Period | 15 Days | 12 Months |
| Enrollment Fee | $25 | None |
| 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee | (30-Day Certificate) |
|
| Claim Limits | Unlimited | Limited per Condition or Unlimited |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
| Underwriter | Westchester Fire Insurance Company/Chubb | Nationwide Casualty Company (Outside CA) & Veterinary Pet Insurance Company (CA Only) |
| A.M. Best Rating | A++ | A+ |
| No Exam Required To Set Baseline for Pet’s Health | |
*Healthy Paws only offers hip dysplasia coverage to dogs enrolled before the age of 6.
If you want a pet insurance policy that offers a wellness plan as an add-on, Nationwide is the better option. Healthy Paws doesn’t currently offer preventative care options.
As for waiting periods, they’re pretty similar. If hip dysplasia is more concerning for your dog, Nationwide may be a better choice, but if ACL (CCL) injuries are on your radar, Healthy Paws could be the better pick.
However, Nationwide doesn’t list any bilateral exclusions for CCL injuries. The rest of the pet insurance companies we review (except Trupanion) exclude CCL injuries if one leg has experienced pre-existing issues. This makes Nationwide a good option for those of you who have dogs with pre-existing knee conditions because they’re more likely to cover a second, healthy knee than their competitors. However, it’s always important to read your contract carefully because the sample policies we’ve read may be different from yours.
Nationwide is the winner for policy coverage because of its comparable waiting periods, wellness plan option and no bilateral exclusions for CCL injuries.
Policy Coverage Winner: Nationwide
Customer Service & Reputation
Healthy Paws has one of the best reputations in the pet insurance industry. The majority of Healthy Paws customer complaints are from customers who, unfortunately, didn’t read or understand their policy. We can’t fault Healthy Paws for these complaints because there are similar complaints about all pet insurance providers.
Instead, we hope to inform pet parents on the terms of pet insurance, so they fully understand what is and is not covered when they purchase. This is something we think all pet insurance providers can help with as well.
Unfortunately, finding negative reviews for Nationwide isn’t too difficult. However, it’s more common for people to post poor reviews since they’re upset instead of positive reviews when they’re happy. Our Nationwide comment section has complaints of its benefit schedule not including enough coverage, not paying out claims, low claim reimbursements, being told false information about coverage, high premiums, and more.
Nationwide a bigger name, but it also has many more negative reviews online. Healthy Paws is known for leading the industry with new, positive changes.
Both companies have A+ ratings from the BBB. Healthy Paws’ underwriter has a better rating (A++) than Nationwide’s, which is an A+. In the end, Healthy Paws has a better, longer-standing reputation.
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Healthy Paws
Timeliness Of Claim Repayment
Healthy Paws averages a two-day claim repayment, which is the fastest in the industry. Nationwide allows 30 days to pay out its claims but averages 5 to 15 days, which is pretty long in comparison to Healthy Paws.
Timeliness of Claim Repayment Winner: Healthy Paws
Price Of Policy
Healthy Paws has a $25 enrollment fee and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The annual maximum is unlimited, and the deductible is annual. Meanwhile, Nationwide uses a benefit schedule, which means there’s a maximum amount that you can have covered per incident. Nationwide has no enrollment fee but charges a $2 transaction fee, which can add up over time.
One thing we don’t like about Healthy Paws is that it puts exclusions on some pets. So in the quotes below, you may see less comparable quotes between Healthy Paws and Nationwide. That’s because Nationwide isn’t very customizable in its policies, and Healthy Paws only offered one or two options for some pets. Below are some quotes from October 27, 2020.
| Breed | Birthday | Gender | Location | Deductible | Reimbursement % | Annual Maximum | Wellness Coverage | Price Per Month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy Paws | Yorkshire Terrier | June 2017 | Male | Ohio (43205) | $250 | 90% | Unlimited | $34.49 | |
| Nationwide | Yorkshire Terrier | June 2017 | Male | Ohio (43205) | $250 | 90% | Unlimited | |
$73.30 |
| Healthy Paws | Labrador Retriever | April 2016 | Female | California (90024) | $250 | 80% | Unlimited | $88.04 | |
| Nationwide | Labrador Retriever | April 2016 | Female | California (90024) | $250 | 90% | $10,000 | $82.02 | |
| Healthy Paws | Medium Mixed Breed | January 2014 | Female | Illinois (60604) | $500 | 70% | Unlimited | $47.06 | |
| Nationwide | Medium Mixed Breed | January 2014 | Female | Illinois (60604) | $250 | 90% | Unlimited | |
$121.51 |
| Healthy Paws | American Pit Bull Terrier | September 2017 | Male | New York (10012) | $500 | 70% | Unlimited | $78.81 | |
| Nationwide | American Pit Bull Terrier | September 2017 | Male | New York (10012) | $250 | 90% | Unlimited | |
$173.08 |
When we ran additional price quotes, Healthy Paws was consistently among the least expensive, and Nationwide was consistently among the most expensive. Quotes for these two companies can be very different, which is why we always recommend gathering quotes from multiple companies. Overall, Healthy Paws was less expensive than Nationwide in the quotes we ran.
Price of Policy Winner: Healthy Paws
Coupons
Healthy Paws
Nationwide
What’s The Verdict?
Healthy Paws is the clear winner in this comparison against Nationwide. With its outstanding customer service and reputation, fast claim repayment and lower policy prices, it’s hard to beat Healthy Paws. However, if your dog has pre-existing conditions, Nationwide may be a better option for you if you need a condition or disease covered that can affect both sides of the body but has only presented itself on one side.
You can learn more about Healthy Paws and Nationwide by reading our individual reviews and compare them against top pet insurance companies to see how they differ. If you have specific questions about your dog’s health history and the best pet insurance company to cover his needs, feel free to ask us in the comments below.
Overall Winner: Healthy Paws
Do you have an experience with Healthy Paws or Nationwide you’d like to share?
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