CostByBreedWhat Healthy Paws's own policy documents say, captured on October 27, 2026, restated in plain words. Where the documents do not say, this page does not guess.
The policy facts
| Policy point | What the documents say |
|---|---|
| Accident waiting period | 15 days in Healthy Paws' general descriptions, described on one page as a 15 to 30 day waiting period depending on the state. Note: the 2026 state insurer disclosures checked say there is no waiting period for illness, injury or orthopedic conditions resulting from an accident, and 15 days for illness or injury not resulting from an accident. |
| Illness waiting period | 15 days from the pet policy effective date for illness or injury not resulting from an accident, in the state disclosures checked. Healthy Paws' general pre-existing page describes the waiting period as 15 to 30 days depending on the state. |
| Orthopedic waiting period | In the 2026 state disclosures checked: 15 days for orthopedic conditions other than hip dysplasia not resulting from an accident, and 30 days for hip dysplasia not resulting from an accident, with the waiting period waived on completion of a complete clinical examination. Note: other Healthy Paws material and its comparison footnote describe hip dysplasia differently, with a 12 month hip dysplasia wait and coverage only when the pet is enrolled before age 6. That 12 month figure was not in the state disclosures checked and is flagged as conflicting, state dependent material. |
| Hereditary and congenital conditions | Covered. Healthy Paws' plan page says hereditary and congenital conditions are eligible for coverage so long as signs and symptoms first manifest after enrolling and after any applicable waiting periods, with no restrictions stated on that page. Hip dysplasia is an exception in practice: Healthy Paws' comparison footnote says it includes coverage for hip dysplasia when you enroll your pet before the age of six. |
| Two sided (bilateral) conditions | Healthy Paws' coverage page says pre-existing cruciate ligament injuries are not covered, and if the cruciate ligament on one leg is injured prior to enrollment or during the 15 day waiting period, then the cruciate ligament on the other leg is excluded from coverage. It states this is the only bilateral exclusion in the policy. |
| Pre-existing conditions | A pre-existing condition is a condition for which, before the policy effective date or during a waiting period, a vet provided medical advice, the pet received previous treatment, or the pet had signs or symptoms directly related to the condition, based on verifiable sources. Healthy Paws' coverage page says curable conditions that fully resolve and remain symptom free and treatment free for a continuous period of 365 days may be eligible for coverage again. |
| Exam fees | Not covered. Healthy Paws' coverage page and its state pages state examination fees are not covered, and its North Carolina page lists exam fees among what the plan does not include. |
| Dental illness | Not covered as dental illness. Healthy Paws' coverage page excludes dental healthcare and periodontal disease claims, but says when teeth are injured due to an accident the plan covers extraction and/or reconstruction of damaged teeth. Its dental page says eligible dental accidents and illnesses are covered up to the chosen annual limit with no separate dental sub-limit, but does not cover the vet exam fee for dental treatment, which conflicts in wording with the periodontal exclusion and is flagged in the notes. |
| Age rules | Minimum age described in Healthy Paws own blog is 8 weeks, in the context of an 8-week-old puppy or kitten. No maximum enrollment age was stated in the Healthy Paws pages checked, except that hip dysplasia coverage requires enrollment before age 6. Reimbursement and deductible options available at enrollment can be more limited for older pets, but the specific age-based limits were not stated on the Healthy Paws pages checked. |
| How claims are paid | Actual vet bill. Healthy Paws' coverage page says it reimburses based on the actual vet bill, not a benefit schedule. Its terms page says the reimbursement percentage is applied to the covered claim first and the annual deductible is then subtracted, which is the reverse order from most other brands here. |
| Direct payment to the vet | Yes, by arrangement. Healthy Paws' plan page says it offers a Direct Pay option that lets you arrange to pay your reimbursable benefit to your vet before services are performed. |
| The insurer's own published example | Healthy Paws' own 2026 puppy and kitten blog gives average monthly cost for a puppy (0 to 12 months) as $47.00 and for a kitten as $22.34, and lists the lowest monthly payments as $7.66 for a puppy and $2.84 for a kitten, noting those lowest premiums may not be available in all states. |
The insurer's own price example
Healthy Paws' own 2026 puppy and kitten blog gives average monthly cost for a puppy (0 to 12 months) as $47.00 and for a kitten as $22.34, and lists the lowest monthly payments as $7.66 for a puppy and $2.84 for a kitten, noting those lowest premiums may not be available in all states.
That is the insurer's own published figure, in its own context. It is not a quote for your pet, and this site does not present it as one.
What stands out
It can pay the vet directly, which changes the cash flow of a big claim.
Its accident waiting period is 15 days in Healthy Paws' general descriptions, described on one page as a 15 to 30 day waiting period depending on the state. Note: the 2026 state insurer disclosures checked say there is no waiting period for illness, injury or orthopedic conditions resulting from an accident, and 15 days for illness or injury not resulting from an accident..
It runs a curable condition rule, so some conditions that existed before the policy can be covered again. The policy facts above carry the exact terms.
How this site is paid: this page will carry affiliate links, and if you buy through one, the insurer may pay CostByBreed a fee. None are live yet, so every button currently routes to the quote page, which says which partners are open. Read the affiliate disclosure for the full picture.
Healthy Paws runs no affiliate program this site can join, so there is no quote button for it here. It stays in the comparison tables because leaving it out would make the tables less honest.