Fetch vs Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws wins for most dogs: unlimited payouts, no accident waiting period, and our top score of 9.3/10 against 7.6 for Fetch, at a similar illustrative starting price of about $44/mo versus $47/mo. Fetch's case is specific and real: it genuinely covers dental disease and behavioral care, both excluded by most insurers and entirely absent from Healthy Paws. For a young healthy dog, Healthy Paws is the stronger buy. For an older dog or a breed where dental disease is likely, Fetch covers the claim Healthy Paws will not.
Side by side
| Fetch | Healthy Paws | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score (dogs) | 7.6/10 | 9.3/10 |
| Illustrative starting price | dogs from $47/mo, cats from $27/mo | dogs from $44/mo, cats from $24/mo |
| Annual limit | $15k | Unlimited |
| Deductible | $250 to $2,500 (three recommended amounts shown at signup; other amounts available by contacting Fetch) | One annual deductible, chosen at enrollment: $100, $250, $500 or $1,000 |
| Reimbursement options | 70%, 80% or 90% | 70%, 80% or 90% |
| Accident wait | No waiting period from the policy effective date | No waiting period |
| Illness wait | Up to 15 days | 15 days |
| Orthopedic / cruciate wait | None listed | Hip dysplasia waits 30 or 365 days (depends on state) for pets enrolled at 6 or younger; pets enrolled at 6 or older are not covered for hip dysplasia at all |
| Wellness add-on | Available | Not offered |
| Direct vet pay | No, reimbursement only | No, reimbursement only |
Starting prices are illustrative estimates for a healthy one-year-old animal, not quotes. Your real premium depends on breed, age, ZIP code, deductible and reimbursement rate.
Pre-existing conditions
Fetch: Not covered, standard exclusion for signs shown before enrollment or during the waiting period.
Healthy Paws: Not covered. A condition counts as pre-existing if it showed any sign, even undiagnosed, before your policy started or during the 15-day waiting period. If one knee's cruciate ligament was hurt before enrollment or during the wait, the other knee's cruciate is excluded too.
Choose Fetch if
Dental disease or behavioral care is the claim you actually expect. Fetch covers both, which most insurers exclude, and it has no accident waiting period from the effective date. The limits are the weak spot: $15,000 is the top listed annual tier (higher only by request), and the price sits mid-table for that middling cap.
Choose Healthy Paws if
You want maximum core protection. Healthy Paws pays out with no annual limit, has no accident waiting period, scores 9.3/10 in our rankings, and starts from a slightly lower illustrative price. The exclusions to know: no dental illness or wellness coverage at any tier, premiums climb steeply after age eight, and no hip dysplasia coverage for dogs enrolled at 6 or older.
Questions
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Written by the WhichPetPlan editorial team. We currently earn no commission from any insurer listed, so no comparison here is paid placement. Scores are our own editorial ratings, not an industry standard. See our methodology for how scores are set.