Embrace Pet Insurance Review – Protection for Furry Friends
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If you’ve acquired a pet in the last few years, you’ve most likely heard of pet insurance. Veterinarian offices often have brochures for various pet insurance providers within the exam rooms or at the front desk. Some breeders and shelter/rescue organizations even offer new owners a complementary pet insurance trial.
Pet insurance can be worthwhile for many reasons, but it’s important to purchase it sooner rather than later. Unlike human health insurance, pet insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions. So, while pets with pre-existing conditions can still be enrolled in a policy, they may not receive coverage for as many conditions.
Before you purchase a policy, it’s important to consider your options. You ’ll want to look at what each provider has to offer, as well as the levels of coverage that you can receive. Embrace is just one of many pet insurance providers on the market today. Here’s what you need to know.
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What is Embrace Pet Insurance?
Embrace is a pet insurance provider that offers policies for dogs and cats. The company is available to pet owners across the United States, though coverages could vary between states. Pet parents should request a quote from Embrace to see what is available.
Pet insurance is a type of insurance that is similar to health insurance for humans. It is primarily used for unforeseen accidents and illnesses, but some pet insurance companies, such as Embrace, also offer some coverage for routine vet care. With Embrace, pet parents can submit a claim for reimbursement after their pet has received veterinary care. After the customer has met their deductible, Embrace sends reimbursement for eligible claims via direct deposit or check.
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
How does Embrace Pet Insurance work?
The first step to signing up for an Embrace Pet Insurance policy is to visit its website for a free quote. You can do this by clicking on the “Get Quote” button in the top right corner of the home page.
This will bring you to the first page of the quote process, where you will enter basic information about the pet you are considering purchasing a pet insurance policy for.
When you click on the “Start Quote” button, your pet’s information will be processed, and you’ll be brought to a page where you can review your policy options. The website will automatically provide a quote using some of the policy options. However, you can adjust your selections and receive an updated quote automatically. The items highlighted in purple are the currently selected options.
On this page, you can also add optional coverages if you want to add them to your pet’s base policy. The additional cost for these coverages is listed on this page as well. You can toggle the optional coverages on or off before moving forward.
When you scroll further down the page, you can also add wellness rewards for routine care. This is another optional coverage, so you can click on the rewards you want to add to your policy or select “None” if you don’t want wellness coverage.
Once you have decided what coverages you want included in your policy, you can move on to review the plan before completing your purchase. You can also add another pet to the plan if you’d like.
Embrace will list the coverages you’ve selected for your pet on the review page. You can edit the plan if you want to change anything.
Embrace will also break down the cost of your plan, and you can choose whether you’d like to pay annually or monthly.
Before you purchase, you’ll have to provide your basic information, including your phone number and mailing address.
You’ll also need to input your payment information.
Finally, you’ll review the terms of service and agreements and complete the purchase of your new pet insurance policy.
How much does Embrace Pet Insurance cost?
The cost of your Embrace Pet Insurance plan will depend on a few factors, including which pet(s) you enroll and the types of coverage you choose.
Generally speaking, you might find higher costs based on your region, your pet’s age or even your pet’s breed. While comparing pet insurance companies, I’ve been using my youngest dog’s information. She is a 2-year-old medium-sized mixed-breed dog. These are some of the quotes Embrace gave me:
- $30.28/mo for a plan with a $5,000 annual maximum, $500 deductible, and 70% reimbursement rate
- $39.51/mo for a plan with a $10,000 annual maximum, $500 deductible, and 80% reimbursement rate
- $67.37/mo for a plan with an unlimited annual maximum, $500 deductible, and 90% reimbursement rate
I was also given quotes for the optional coverages, which included:
- $3.47/mo for exam fees
- $3.70/mo for prescription drug coverage
- $18.75/mo for $250 worth of wellness rewards per year
Before you choose a plan, review the terms and conditions of the plan, so you know exactly what your coverage entails. Here are a few cost-relations terms to pay close attention to:
Annual maximum: One of the key parts of any pet insurance plan is the annual maximum. This is the maximum amount the insurance company will pay for your pet’s covered medical expenses within one year. Most pet insurance companies — including Embrace — allow you to select from a few different annual maximums when you purchase the policy.
Deductible: Your deductible is the amount you must pay out-of-pocket for your pet’s covered medical expenses before Embrace will reimburse you for your pet’s vet bills. After you’ve met the plan’s deductible, Embrace will start to reimburse you based on your selected reimbursement level when the policy was purchased.
Reimbursement rate: The reimbursement rate is the percentage of what Embrace will pay out for your pet’s covered medical expenses after you’ve met the plan’s deductible. For example, if your pet had a vet bill of $100 and you have a reimbursement rate of 80%, you’ll only be reimbursed $80.
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
Embrace Pet Insurance features
Broad coverage
Embrace offers broad coverage that will cover any treatments for unexpected accidents or illnesses, as long as they are deemed necessary by your pet’s veterinarian. This includes care from a primary veterinarian, an emergency veterinarian, or a specialist. Any of these veterinarians can run lab tests, biopsies, diagnostic testing, and more. Embrace’s policy also covers alternative therapies, including physical therapy.
Coverage for exam fees
For an additional cost, you can add coverage for veterinarian exam fees. It might not seem like a worthwhile cost, but it can help you save money on your pet’s veterinary care if they need to seek treatment for an accident or illness. Exam fees are a base fee that all veterinarians charge for their time and resources — just as you would expect when you visit a physician for your own health. These fees can be as low as $50, but some emergency veterinary hospitals or specialist offices may charge an exam fee of $100 or more.
This additional coverage can help offset the cost of exam fees for visits due to accidents or illnesses, but it does not cover the exam fees for routine visits.
Prescription drug coverage
Another optional coverage is for prescription medications for your pet to treat a covered accident or illness. This can cover several types of medications for a wide range of conditions. It can cover the cost of insulin and supplies for chronic conditions such as diabetes. Pets suffering from injuries may receive coverage for pain medication and steroids to help manage their pain during recovery. It can also cover prescriptions for acute issues, such as antibiotics for urinary tract infections.
Wellness rewards
Embrace’s base coverage does not include routine care visits, but the company does offer the option to purchase wellness rewards to get reimbursed for these expenses. The wellness rewards can be used for wellness exams, preventatives, nutritional supplements, vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, cremation expenses, and more. Embrace offers $250, $450, or $650 in annual wellness rewards.
Accident-only plan
Due to Embrace’s pet age limits, pets aged 15 years or older are not eligible for full accident and illness coverage. However, they can be covered by Embrace’s accident-only plan. This coverage can reimburse pet parents for situations such as foreign body ingestion, lacerations, bloat, poisoning, and more.
Diminishing deductible
If you don’t receive reimbursement on any eligible claims within one policy year, you may be eligible for Embrace’s diminishing deductible. Referred to as Embrace’s “Healthy Pet Deductible,” this is when the company reduces your deductible by $50 for each year during which you qualify.
Note: Embrace is in the process of changing this program to a Healthy Pet Premium Discount Program. This change will give you a discount on your monthly premium for each year you qualify. The discount is 5% for the first year and 10% in the second year.
Discounts
Embrace offers a few discounts on its pet insurance policies. One is the 10% multi-pet discount, which is automatically applied if you enroll two or more pets. Another is a 5% military discount for active or former members of the U.S. military. However, discounts can vary by state, and the military discount is unavailable in New York or Tennessee.
PawSupport
PawSupport is Embrace’s exclusive pet telemedicine partner. Customers can use PawSupport to discuss several topics with Pet Pros. This includes emergencies, wellness care, medication concerns, behavioral changes, and more. While PawSupport cannot provide everything your local veterinarian can, it is a great resource. The Pet Pros can advise you on how and when to seek veterinary care in appropriate situations.
Embrace mobile app
For easy account access, Embrace offers a mobile app where customers can access their MyEmbrace account on the go.. The mobile app is where you can submit and track your claims, update your coverage, and contact customer support.
Who is Embrace best for?
Customers with more than one pet
Embrace offers a generous 10% discount if you enroll multiple pets in a pet insurance plan. This is more than most of its competitors offer and can provide a great savings opportunity for multi-pet households.
People who want wellness rewards
Embrace’s optional wellness rewards can help pet owners cover necessary routine expenses not covered by the base plan. This includes wellness exams, vaccinations, heartworm preventatives, and more.
Pet parents who want customizable policies
One of the best features of Embrace is its add-on coverage options. The optional coverages for exam fees and prescription drugs can be useful for pet parents who want as much to be covered by their policy. It can also benefit pet parents who want to pay less upfront for their policy because they can opt out of these coverages and avoid the additional costs.
Who shouldn’t use Embrace?
People who want coverage for breeding expenses
One of Embrace’s few exclusions is breeding expenses. While breeding may not be considered a routine expense, the accident and illness policy does not cover it either.
Pet parents whose pets are already sick
Unfortunately, pre-existing conditions are not covered by Embrace. If your pet is already facing an injury or illness before you purchase the policy, expenses related to that condition will not be covered.
Military members in New York or Tennessee
While Embrace does offer a 5% discount for military members, it is not available in every state. Embrace’s website mentions that the military discount is unavailable in New York or Tennessee.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Embrace offers a 10% discount for households that enroll two or more pets.
- The base policy offered by Embrace covers alternative therapies, including physical therapy.
- Embrace’s optional coverages can help round out a policy or be left out to reduce the monthly cost of the policy.
Cons
- Embrace’s website says claims are typically processed within 10-15 days. This indicates that the claims process could take longer than the claims process of some of Embrace’s competitors.
- Embrace’s optional wellness rewards are relatively expensive and may not be worth the additional cost for some pet parents.
- Unlike some of its competitors, Embrace charges some additional fees. This includes a $25 enrollment fee and a fee for monthly payments instead of annual payments.
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
Embrace pet insurance vs. competitors
Reimbursement levels | Annual coverage caps | Optional coverages offered | |
Embrace Pet Insurance | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, or Unlimited | Exam fees, prescription drugs, wellness rewards |
Figo Pet Insurance | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $5,000, $10,000, or Unlimited | Vet exam fees; wellness/routine care coverage |
Lemonade | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, or $100,000 | Vet exam fees, dental illness care, treatment for behavioral conditions, physical therapy, end of life and remembrance |
Healthy Paws | 70%, 80%, or 90% | None | N/A — comprehensive base plan |
American Modern Insurance Group | 70%, 80%, or 90% | $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 | Prescription drugs, wellness care |
Trupanion | 90% | Unlimited | Recovery and complementary care, Pet owner assistance |
Figo Pet Insurance
Figo Pet Insurance offers high-quality insurance policies for dogs and cats. Pet parents can choose from a few deductible and reimbursement level options to receive the coverage that works best for their situation. Figo also offers additional coverages that can be used to supplement the base pet insurance policy.
The pet insurance policies from Figo cover all of a healthy pet’s needs in the case of an emergency. This includes coverage for illnesses such as ear infections and accidents such as a fractured leg. Pets can also receive coverage for chronic conditions (as long as they aren’t pre-existing), congenital disorders, and cancer treatment.
Figo’s base policy includes some other important coverages as well. Pets insured with a Figo policy can receive care from veterinary specialists for various ailments. They can also receive coverage for holistic and alternative treatments and dental disease.
Optional coverages from Figo are called Powerups. Customers can add a wellness coverage Powerup and a veterinary exam fee Powerup. All customers also have access to the Figo Pet Cloud, which includes access to a virtual claims assistant and 24/7 telehealth access to a veterinarian.
Lemonade
Lemonade’s pet insurance policies offer a lot of room for customization. Its base policy offers core accident and illness coverage. This includes coverage for diagnostics, lab tests, emergency surgery, and prescription medications.
In addition to the base policy, Lemonade offers several add-on coverages to enhance the policy. Customers can elect to add coverage for vet visit fees, dental illnesses, and behavioral conditions. They can also add coverage for treatments often referred to as alternative therapies, such as physical therapy, acupuncture, and hydrotherapy. Another option is the end-of-life and remembrance package, which can help cover the costs of euthanasia, cremation, and commemorative items.
The Preventative+ package from Lemonade can also help pet parents manage the cost of preventative care. It includes coverage for routine matters such as teeth cleaning, flea and tick preventatives, heartworm of FeLV/FIV tests, and vaccinations. This package is only available for pets who are over two years old.
Lemonade also has a puppies and kittens preventative care package for the younger pets. This comprehensive package can make the initial costs of vetting a new puppy or kitten less daunting for new pet parents. It includes coverage for microchipping, spaying or neutering, bloodwork, and intestinal parasite tests. The package also helps pet parents manage the cost of the initial vaccination series that all new puppies and kittens need, covering six vaccines in total.
Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws is a popular pet insurance provider because of a few key features. Its policies come with no annual or lifetime limits to its coverage, making it a top choice for pet parents concerned about expensive health issues. This combined with its easy-to-understand policy can be appealing to most people.
A pet insurance plan from Healthy Paws covers all of the essentials that you’d expect. This includes coverage for accidents and illnesses, including orthopedic issues. The policy also covers hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, and alternative therapies.
Before purchasing a policy from Healthy Paws, consider a few things. Unlike some competitors, Healthy Paws does not offer optional coverage for wellness or dental care. It also does not offer coverage for behavioral conditions or vet examination fees.
Pet parents should be aware of the waiting periods that come with Healthy Paws pet insurance plans. There is a 15-day waiting period for all accidents and illnesses. There is also a 12-month waiting period for hip dysplasia coverage. If pets are six years old or older at enrollment, they are not eligible for hip dysplasia coverage from Healthy Paws.
American Modern Insurance Group
American Modern Insurance Group may be a lesser-known name on this list but it can be a good option to consider if it’s available to you. This insurer’s pet insurance policies are only available through the Ivantage Platform. If your employer uses Ivantage, you can speak with them directly to see if these pet insurance plans are available.
You can expect the standard pet insurance coverages from these plans. This includes coverage for accidents, illnesses, chronic conditions, and emergency vet visits. It also covers diagnostic tests such as x-rays, breed-specific conditions, and specialist vet visits when necessary.
In addition to the standard coverages, the American Modern Insurance Group offers optional coverages. This includes wellness care, which provides an “allowance” for routine care, much like Embrace’s wellness rewards. It also offers prescription drug coverage for an additional fee.
There are a few annual deductible options, ranging from $100 to $1,000. The insurer offers a 5% discount if you pay for the policy annually instead of monthly. You may also qualify for a 5% discount if you insure more than one pet and if your pet is spayed or neutered.
Trupanion
Trupanion offers customizable coverage covering most of a pet parent’s needs. Customers can choose their deductible amount, which can be as low as $0. This may raise the policy's monthly premium, but it allows customers to receive reimbursements as soon as their first eligible claim is processed. Deductibles can go up as high as $1,000 for customers who want to lower their monthly premium payments.
One of the great things about Trupanion is the standard terms that come with its policies. Every policy comes with unlimited coverage. This is convenient because it allows pet parents to have peace of mind, knowing that they don’t have to worry about going over their maximum annual limit in an emergency. All policies also come with a 90% reimbursement rate, which kicks in after the policy's deductible has been met.
The base policy that you can purchase from Trupanion covers most accidents and illnesses. This includes genetic conditions, congenital conditions, surgeries, and hospitalizations. Diagnostic testing, medications, and advanced dentistry care are also included.
Trupanion’s optional coverages can be beneficial as well. You can receive coverage for alternative therapies such as acupuncture and behavioral modification through these additions. There is also an option to add a package that covers expenses related to advertising a lost pet, cremating the pet, and more.
FAQs
Does Embrace Pet Insurance have waiting periods?
Yes, Embrace has waiting periods for all of its plans. There is a 14-day waiting period for illness coverage and a 2-day waiting period for accident coverage. Additionally, there is a six-month orthopedic waiting period for dogs. Coverage for orthopedic conditions such as arthritis, CCL, luxating patellas, bone cancer, and fractures does not begin until after this waiting period. That being said, there is a way to significantly reduce the waiting period for orthopedic conditions. Pet parents can go through the Orthopedic Exam and Waiver Process to shorten the orthopedic waiting period to as few as 14 days. This process requires a veterinarian examination after the policy has been purchased. The veterinarian who examines the dog has to fill out Embrace’s Orthopedic Report Card, which is then submitted through the MyEmbrace customer account.
What’s considered a pre-existing condition?
When a pet is enrolled in an Embrace pet insurance policy, the insurer will review the pet’s medical records. Embrace will review these records to look for history of injuries or illnesses, including symptoms of chronic conditions such as allergies. Anything your pet was diagnosed with or showed symptoms before the pet insurance policy becomes active can be considered a pre-existing condition.
How do I choose the right pet insurance policy?
Every pet insurer has pros and cons, and Embrace is no different. Before you enroll your pet in a policy, you should request quotes from a few insurance providers. You’ll also want to consider the types of coverage that each insurer offers. Once you have this information, you can compare your options and decide which will best meet your needs and budget.
- Sign up in seconds
- Get paid in minutes
- Get 5% Off for 2 or more pets
- Get 10% off when you bundle
- Get 5% off by paying annually
- Award-winning service
The bottom line
Embrace is a pet insurance provider that any pet parent should consider. The wide range of annual reimbursement limits and deductibles makes it easy for pet parents to find a monthly premium amount that fits into their budget. Embrace’s 10% multi-pet discount also makes it easy for pet parents to save money if they want to enroll more than one pet.
When considering any pet insurance provider, it’s important to understand the coverages and exclusions. Policies from Embrace cover most types of procedures, including physical therapy and other alternative therapies. However, Embrace does not offer illness coverage to pets who are 15 years old or older. Pet insurance is a highly personal decision, and only you can decide what is best for you and your pets.
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Ashley Hart is a lead copywriter and digital marketing expert covering finance, law, real estate, music, entertainment, health and wellness.
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