One of the leading names in the pet insurance industry, Embrace aims to help pet parents provide the best care for their cat or dog. The company offers a number of insurance plans, so you can customize your pet’s plan, annual payout, and monthly premiums to best suit your needs.
In our Embrace Pet Insurance review, we take a look into the company’s plans, benefits, prices, and more to help you figure out whether it is the right insurance for both your pet and your budget.
Table of Contents
- Embrace Pet Insurance background
- Overview of Embrace Pet Insurance
- What we like about Embrace's coverage
- What can be improved
- Is Embrace Pet Insurance worth it?
Embrace pet insurance background
Founded in 2003, Embrace sold its first pet insurance policy in 2006. Six years later, the company partnered with American Modern Insurance Group, Inc., a group of licensed insurance providers that underwrites policies for Embrace, with an aim to make insurance coverage more readily available to customers.
Over the years, Embrace has served pet parents by providing a website chat for customer service, a helpful mobile application where policyholders can manage their policies, and a 24/7 pet helpline in partnership with PawSupport.
The company has also established its commitment to the community by partnering with one of the US’s top non-profit animal welfare organizations, the Helen Woodward Animal Center. They launched an annual fundraising project called the EmbraceCLE Community Challenge and pledge to donate $2 to charity for every pet insurance policy sold.
Overview of Embrace Pet Insurance
What distinguishes Embrace from other pet insurance providers is their wide variety of customizable plans with transparent pricing and great discounts. In addition, pet insurance takes effect as soon as two days for accidental benefits coverage, which is a shorter waiting period than most competitors. Embrace also covers prescription and pet dental coverage, which are often excluded from insurance policies.
Embrace has an Accident & Illness Plan and an Accident-Only Plan for dogs and cats:
- The Accident & Illness Plan provides reimbursement for most treatments that aren’t a result of a pre-existing condition. Clients can customize their options with five different limits, three reimbursement amounts, and five deductibles. Some of the things that this comprehensive policy covers include accidents, pet chronic conditions, breed-specific, hereditary, and genetic conditions, cancer treatment, surgery, etc.
- The Accident-Only Plan is less flexible and offers a single choice of 90% reimbursement, $100 annual deductible, and $5000 limit.
- The core Accident & Illness Plan can be supplemented with the Wellness Rewards Program. This is an optional add-on that covers preventive care including microchipping, vaccinations, grooming, neutering/spaying, etc. The Wellness Rewards Program reimburses up to $650 annually in wellness treatments.
Like most providers, Embrace doesn’t offer pet insurance for pre-existing conditions. However, if your pet suffers from a curable condition and has been without symptoms for at least a year, Embrace might cover the condition in the future.
Embrace also offers a 10% discount for pet parents insuring multiple pets, 5% for military members, and 10% for buying through voluntary employee benefits.
What we like about Embrace’s coverage
Embrace lets customers create a customized Accident & Illness policy by choosing their reimbursement percentage, annual limit, and deductible. Their plans also cover veterinary exam fees, which is unusual among other pet insurance providers.
After you enroll your pet, Embrace will review its vet records free of charge and let you know if there are any pre-existing conditions that cannot be covered. If what they find doesn’t suit you, you have an option to cancel within 30 days and get a full refund.
Another great thing is that the company rewards pet parents who take good care of their four-legged companions by reducing the annual deductible by 50% if their pet stays healthy.
Finally, Embrace has amazing customer service. They have a phone line, email support, and a comprehensive knowledge base if you have any issues or concerns. Embrace also has a 24/7 pet health line where you can get answers to questions related to your pet’s health, diet, and behavior.
What could be improved
One of the most common complaints related to Embrace Pet Insurance is about the orthopedic waiting period. Unlike accidents and diseases, Embrace covers orthopedic issues after a six-month waiting period.
Even though the company offers reimbursement for wellness claims, this caps out at $650 per year. The Wellness Plan also doesn’t offer refunds if you don't use all the funds in a year.
Embrace doesn’t offer zero-deductible or unlimited benefit options (the minimum deductible is $200). The pet insurance provider also charges a one-time enrollment fee, or monthly installment fees if you can’t pay upfront.
Another downside is that not all policies are available online. For instance, the accident-only coverage can only be bought over the phone, which can be a big downside — especially for Millennial pet parents who are tech-driven and expect quicker, more efficient service than ever before.
Is Embrace Pet Insurance worth it?
With its comprehensive, full-coverage policy and a decent wellness care add-on, Embrace may be a good option for your pet. All in all, most online reviews are positive and users seem to consider Embrace one of the best pet insurance providers that help save money and ensure the best veterinarian care for their pets.
Embrace is well-suited for owners of pets with breed-specific conditions, as well as owners of younger pets. On the other hand, Embrace might not be the best option if your pet has a pre-existing condition. It’s also important to note that the discounted rates offered for puppies and kittens can increase significantly over the lifetime of your pet, so be sure to look at the Lifetime Pricing Score when comparing insurance providers.
Ultimately, vet experts agree that pet insurance is a great decision when it comes to protecting both your pet and your family’s budget.
Emergency veterinary treatment can be a significant expense for pet parents. On average, routine annual veterinary care can cost from $90 - $200 for cats and $200 - $400 for dogs, but expenses for unplanned events — like injuries, accidents, and disease — could amount to several thousands of dollars within a year alone.
Having pet insurance allows you to choose the right treatments for your injured or sick pet based on the best medical option and not on your family finances. You’ll be able to afford your pet to have the expensive surgery they need instead of worrying about where you’re going to get the money for the procedure.
When it comes to choosing the best pet insurance for you and your pet, there is no magic formula that works for everyone. Consider talking to your vet about your options and make sure to conduct thorough research using sites like Pawlicy Advisor.
Pawlicy Advisor partners with top pet insurance providers in order to help pet parents choose the best insurance plan at the best price. By comparing different pet insurance plans, Pawlicy Advisor makes sure that your pet is protected, while at the same time saving you up to 83% in vet-related expenses.
