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Pumpkin Pet Insurance is quickly creating some buzz with its comprehensive coverage and plan customization options. But how does it compare against Healthy Paws, a stable pet insurance provider with a great reputation? We put them head to head to choose a clear winner for most pet owners.
We compare coverage, customer service and reputation, claim processing, pricing, and customizations and explain which company we think is better in most cases. But, remember that each pet and household budget varies, so obtaining quotes from multiple companies for your unique situation can help ensure that you get the best policy and price to meet your needs.
Visit Pumpkin’s Website | Visit Healthy Paws’ Website
Policy Coverage
Contents
The table below shows precisely what Pumpkin and Healthy Paws cover.
Both companies cover emergency care, surgery and hospitalization, specialized exams and specialty care, X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRIs, rehabilitation, cancer, chronic conditions, euthanasia, hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, non-routine dental treatment, and prescription medications.
Neither covers pre-existing conditions, cremation and burial costs, pregnancy and breeding, or unnecessary cosmetic procedures.
Pumpkin Pet Insurance comes out ahead because it offers coverage for behavioral therapies, wellness items, exam fees, and alternative/holistic therapy. Pumpkin also has shorter waiting periods for hip dysplasia. Otherwise, the two have nearly identical waiting periods (14 days as opposed to 15 days).
Pumpkin’s underwriter has an A rating from A.M. Best (a measurement of financial stability). This means that it is considered slightly less stable than Healthy Paws (which has an A++ rating) regarding the dependability of claim repayment. Additionally, Healthy Paws has been in business for 11 years longer than Pumpkin, so it has more experience paying out claims.
Ultimately, Pumpkin is the winner of this category because it provides more thorough coverage and excludes fewer health conditions; however, this is a close race due to Healthy Paws being in business longer with a strong customer experience reputation (read more below).
Policy Coverage Winner: Pumpkin
Customer Service & Reputation
Pumpkin is new to the pet insurance space, starting up in 2020. And from the customer reviews we’ve seen, there are many complaints regarding pricing, cancelation difficulties, lengthy claim processing periods, and more. It can take years for a company to stabilize its performance and pricing, and it appears that Pumpkin is still working through these challenges.
Meanwhile, Healthy Paws has one of the best reputations in the pet insurance business. It introduced many things to the industry, including being the first company to offer unlimited claim payouts. However, in recent years, it hasn’t led the charge in innovation.
The majority of Healthy Paws’ complaints center around its customers’ misunderstanding of what is covered and excluded in their policy. Unfortunately, this is common among all pet insurance companies, so we encourage you to read your policy in its entirety before signing up.
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Healthy Paws
Claim Processing
Pumpkin states it processes claims in two to four weeks. This is much longer than most of its competition. The majority of companies average fewer than ten days. Healthy Paws pays most of its claims within two days, which is among the fastest you will find.
Healthy Paws also offers an option to have them pay your vet directly, so you aren’t required to pay a hefty vet bill in advance and wait for reimbursement. However, this isn’t available everywhere, so check with your vet to see if this is an option for you.
Because Healthy Paws has a much shorter claim processing average and may offer a direct payment option to your vet, it wins this category.
Claim Processing Winner: Healthy Paws
Price Of Policy
Healthy Paws requires a one-time enrollment fee of $25 but has no monthly transaction fees. Pumpkin has a monthly transaction fee of $2 but no one-time sign-up fee. In just over a year of coverage, you will be nearly at breakeven with the two companies ($25 vs $24 ($2 x 12 months)), but Healthy Paws will charge fewer extra fees if you stay on longer.
Pricing is based on your pet’s details (age, breed, location, etc.). We recommend obtaining quotes from each company for your specific pet. You can also visit our pet insurance comparison quotes to see a few sample prices we’ve gathered. Then use our pet insurance quote form to see how other top companies compare for your actual pet.
Healthy Paws tends to offer some of the most affordable coverage for unlimited claim payouts. Meanwhile, Pumpkin is among the most expensive, on average.
Price Of Policy Winner: Healthy Paws
Coupons
Pumpkin
Pumpkin offers the following discount:
- 10% off for multiple pets
No promo code is needed. Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price.
Healthy Paws
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price and get a quote for your pet from Healthy Paws. You can also visit our dedicated Healthy Paws promotions page to learn more.
Plan Customization
One of the significant differences between these two companies is the plan customizations they offer. Pumpkin offers several customizations, so you can adjust your policy to fit your budget.
- Annual payout options for dogs: $10,000, $20,000, and unlimited
- Deductibles: $100, $250, and $500
- Reimbursement: 90%
- Add-on wellness plan is available for preventative care
On the flip side, Healthy Paws offers fewer customizations. They have unlimited payouts for all plans and some restrictions on reimbursement and annual deductible amounts, depending on your pet’s age at enrollment.
- Dogs and cats 5 years and under:
- 90%, 80%, and 70% reimbursement
- $100, $250, and $500 deductible
- Dogs and cats 6 and 7 years old:
- 80%, 70%, or 60% reimbursement
- $250, $500, or $750 deductible
- Dogs 8 years and older:
- 50% or 60% reimbursement
- $750 or $1,000 deductible
Overall, Pumpkin has more customization options than Healthy Paws, which may make it a better, more flexible fit for your budget.
Plan Customization Winner: Pumpkin
What’s Our Verdict?
In the end, Healthy Paws wins this comparison against Pumpkin due to its longstanding reputation, faster claim processing, and lower pricing. However, if you want coverage for your pet’s wellness-related expenses or more customization options, you may want to consider Pumpkin.
If you didn’t find what you were looking for, our experts dig even deeper into each company in our individual reviews of Pumpkin and Healthy Paws.
Overall Winner: Healthy Paws
Our pet insurance experts have spent hundreds of hours researching to share our comprehensive and frequently updated pet insurance reviews, including our top picks along with details on the most popular pet insurance companies.
If you prefer to see winners by category, check out our best pet insurance comparison. We give awards for the best price, multi-pet discounts, 100% reimbursement, unlimited payouts, and other “best for” categories, including puppies, older dogs, dental, wellness coverage, bilateral conditions, behavioral therapy, vet direct pay, and more. You’ll even see winners for cats and exotic pets (i.e., rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, etc.).
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