Embrace Pet Insurance Review 2025

Embrace Pet Insurance Review 2025

Embrace pet insurance earns high marks for its customizable and comprehensive plans, making it a popular choice among pet owners. This review provides an in-depth look that may help you determine if Embrace is right for you.

NerdWallet rating: 5.0

Embrace offers numerous ways to customize your plan, including coverage for curable pre-existing conditions.

Overview

• Annual maximum coverage: Unlimited
• Reimbursement rates: 70%, 80%, 90%
• Deductibles: $100 – $1,000
• Policy highlight: Numerous ways to save on your policy

Pros:

• Covers curable pre-existing conditions.
• Offers many customization options.
• Orthopedic waiting period may be reduced with a vet exam.

Cons:

• Doesn’t cover prescription food or supplements unless a wellness plan is purchased.

Choose Embrace pet insurance if…

You desire a pet insurance plan with broad coverage and multiple customization choices.

About Embrace Pet Insurance

Embrace has earned a 5-star rating from NerdWallet. Embrace pet insurance is a popular and comprehensive provider for both cats and dogs. Notably, major insurers such as Allstate, Geico, and USAA utilize Embrace as a third-party provider. For example, an Allstate customer seeking a policy for their dog would receive a quote from Embrace. The plans are easily customizable and cover a wide variety of conditions and treatments, including alternative therapies and dental illnesses. Embrace consistently appears on NerdWallet’s list of the Best Pet Insurance Companies.

Embrace Pet Insurance Plans and Coverage

Embrace provides several types of coverage to choose from.

Coverage for Accidents and Illnesses

For most pets, Embrace offers a single policy that covers both accidents and illnesses. If you enroll your pet by the age of 14, the pet can have accident and illness coverage for life. The accident and illness plan covers:

• Treatment, hospitalization, and surgery for injuries and illnesses, including cancer.
• Diagnostic tests.
• Hereditary and congenital conditions.
• Dental illnesses, including gingivitis, up to $1,000 a year.
• Complementary treatments such as acupuncture and laser therapy.
• Treatments prescribed by veterinary specialists, such as behavioralists and oncologists.

You can optionally add coverage for accident/injury exam fees and prescription medicine.

Accident-Only Coverage

Pets that initiate their policies at age 15 or older are eligible for Embrace’s accident-only coverage. This plan doesn’t cover illnesses, but will provide coverage for scenarios like your cat swallowing a toy or your dog being struck by a car. This policy also covers bloat, a condition where the stomach twists upon itself.

Wellness Rewards

In most states, you can add Wellness Rewards, which helps with standard expenses like:

• Vaccinations
• Spaying or neutering
• Flea, tick, and heartworm preventives
• Microchipping
• Wellness exams
• Grooming and nail clipping
• Cremation or burial
• Nutritional supplements and prescription diet food
• Training
• Preventive teeth cleaning

There is no copayment for Wellness Rewards, and your spending under this plan does not count toward the deductible on your accident and illness policy.

Nerdy Tip: The Wellness Rewards plan is designed to save you around $25 per year, provided that you utilize your entire reimbursement allowance. For example, the plan with a $300 annual allowance costs about $22.92 per month in premiums, or about $275 for the year. But if you don’t spend your full $300 allowance at the vet that year, you might end up paying more for the coverage than you get back.

Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on your location and your pet’s breed and age.

What’s Not Covered

Embrace accident and illness insurance doesn’t cover:

• Pre-existing conditions, except for curable conditions that haven’t recurred in at least a year.
• Expenses associated with breeding or pregnancy.
• Illness or injury due to fighting, racing, or mistreatment.
• Cosmetic procedures.
• DNA testing or cloning.
• Wellness care.
• Prescription food or supplements (unless you’ve added Wellness Rewards).

The accident-only plan doesn’t cover the above or treatment for any illness.

Embrace Plan Options

Deductibles: A pet insurance deductible represents the amount you must pay for your vet bills before your insurer begins reimbursing you. Embrace’s annual deductibles for the accident and illness policy range from $100 to $1,000 per year. For the accident-only policy, a $100 annual deductible applies.

Reimbursement Amounts: For the accident and illness policy, you can opt for reimbursement of 70%, 80%, or 90% of your vet expenses. The accident-only policy provides 90% reimbursement.

Embrace uses a more advantageous method of calculating claim payouts than many other insurers. They subtract your deductible from your vet bill before applying your reimbursement rate. For example, if you have a $2,000 vet bill, a $500 deductible, and an 80% reimbursement rate, the calculation would be:

$2,000 vet bill – $500 deductible = $1,500

$1,500 x 0.8 (80% reimbursement rate) = $1,200 reimbursement.

You would be responsible for paying the remaining $800 of the vet bill.

Watch your wallet! Many pet insurers initially apply the reimbursement rate to your vet bill and then subtract the deductible. This results in a lower payout for you. Here’s how that math would work for the example above:

$2,000 vet bill x 0.8 (80% reimbursement rate) = $1,600

$1,600 – $500 deductible = $1,100 reimbursement

Coverage Limits: For the accident and illness policy, annual coverage limits range from $2,000 to unlimited. The accident-only policy has a $5,000 annual limit.

Restrictions and Waiting Periods

Age Restrictions: Pets must be at least 6 weeks old to be eligible for a policy. In most states, pets aged 15 and older at the time of enrollment can’t obtain accident and illness insurance, only accident coverage. In California, enrollment is only permitted up to age 4.

Waiting Periods: These are the timeframes between when you purchase your policy and when your coverage begins. Embrace has waiting periods of two days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and six months for orthopedic conditions for dogs. You might be able to reduce the orthopedic waiting period to 14 days by having your dog undergo an orthopedic exam. There’s no waiting period for routine care with Wellness Rewards. Waiting periods can vary by state.

Embrace Pet Insurance Sample Rates

(Note: Rate information is provided for illustrative purposes only. Actual rates will vary.)

The cost of Embrace pet insurance varies based on location, chosen coverage limits, and your pet’s breed and age. The following provides a rough idea of potential costs:

Sample monthly premiums for dogs living in Katy, Texas, for accident and illness coverage with a $250 deductible, $5,000 annual coverage, and an 80% reimbursement rate will vary greatly based on age.

Breed Age 2 Age 8 French bulldog $91 $168 German shepherd $59 $109 Golden retriever $59 $109 Labrador retriever $59 $109 Medium mixed-breed $36 $67 Poodle $74 $136

Sample monthly premiums for cats living in Katy, Texas, with the same coverage limits:

Breed Age 2 Age 8 Devon rex $25 $43 Domestic shorthair $20 $35 Exotic $25 $43 Maine coon $25 $43 Persian $25 $43 Ragdoll $25 $43

Embrace Pet Insurance Discounts

Embrace may offer the following ways to save on pet insurance, depending on your location:

• 10% multiple pet discount.
• 5% military discount.
• 5% to 10% healthy pet discount.

You can avoid a monthly billing fee by paying your annual premium in full, upfront.

Nerdy Tip: We recommend getting pet insurance quotes from at least three companies to find the best deal.

State Availability

Embrace pet insurance is available in Washington, D.C., and all states except Maine. Availability may change at any time.

Digital Experience

The Embrace website is user-friendly, offers quick online quotes, and provides extensive coverage information. The MyEmbrace portal allows you to file and track claims, update billing or policy information, add new pets, or contact customer support.

The highly-rated Embrace mobile app permits you to file claims, check remaining coverage limits, update your policy, or add a new pet.

How to File a Claim with Embrace

You can submit a claim online, through the app, or by email, fax, or physical mail. Embrace typically processes claims within 10 to 15 business days. Setting up for direct deposit will expedite payment, compared to receiving a check.

How to Contact Embrace Customer Service

You can reach Embrace’s customer service representatives at 855-540-2104, Monday through Saturday. An online chatbot is also available. PawSupport is designed to provide 24/7 access if questions arise regarding your pet’s care. You can access PawSupport by logging into your online portal.

What Reddit Users Say About Embrace

Reddit is an online platform wherein users share their ideas through “threads” on diverse topics, including financial matters. Digital tools were used to browse Reddit forums to gather data about insurers, and results were then manually sorted to summarize customer sentiment about each company.

Reddit comments regarding Embrace are mixed. Many posters report positive experiences with Embrace. Others comment about the company’s solid coverage concerning dental issues. However, claim denials and rate hikes were the most common complaints. Some had to file appeals or faced a long wait for claim payments, while others disagreed with denials based on pre-existing conditions. Rate increase reports are widespread, with some choosing to switch insurers. However, several Redditors noted that rate hikes are common throughout the pet insurance industry.

Questions from Reddit: Our Experts Answer

Embrace denied my claim. How can I appeal it?

If you dispute Embrace’s decision, you have 14 days to file an appeal via email, fax, or mail. Your vet must explain why they disagree with the decision and may submit supporting information like medical records or lab results. It may take up to 20 business days for your appeal to be reviewed.

Why did Embrace raise my pet insurance rate?

Like many pet insurance companies, Embrace will likely increase your premium at each yearly renewal. This is because the likelihood of health issues increases as pets age, plus the cost of veterinary care rises due to inflation. Lowering your premium may be achievable through selecting a higher deductible or adjusting your coverage limits.

Embrace Pet Insurance vs. Competitors

Here’s how Embrace stacks up against three other popular pet insurance companies.

Embrace vs. Healthy Paws

Healthy Paws offers no annual or lifetime limits but provides reimbursement options similar to Embrace. It’s important to note that Healthy Paws does not offer wellness coverage.

Embrace covers certain treatments that Healthy Paws does not, including behavioral therapies and dental illnesses. But neither plan pays for prescription diets.

Healthy Paws is committed to quicker claim processing than Embrace and resolves most claims within two business days.

Embrace vs. Trupanion

A significant difference between Embrace and Trupanion is how they handle deductibles. Embrace, like a number of pet insurers, employs annual deductibles that apply to all injuries and illnesses and reset each year.

In most states, Trupanion uses lifetime per-condition deductibles instead. For example, if your pet develops chronic allergies, you only pay the deductible for that condition once.

Some treatments covered by Embrace’s plan come with add-on costs with Trupanion, such as acupuncture and behavioral therapies. And, unlike Trupanion, Embrace offers optional wellness coverage.

Embrace vs. ASPCA

ASPCA’s accident and illness plan covers most of the same things that Embrace’s covers, including hereditary and congenital conditions, alternative treatments, and behavioral therapies. However, ASPCA also covers prescription food and supplements, while Embrace does so only if you add a wellness plan.

ASPCA’s waiting period is 14 days for all conditions, including cruciate ligament issues. That’s shorter than Embrace’s six-month orthopedic waiting period for dogs, whereas Embrace’s period for illnesses is 2 days.

While Embrace has an accident-only plan for pets who enroll at age 15 or above, ASPCA’s accident-only plan is available for any pet owner who doesn’t want illness coverage, regardless of the animal’s age.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Embrace pet insurance cover euthanasia?

Yes, the Embrace accident and illness plan can cover euthanasia, provided your vet recommends it for a covered condition. Wellness Rewards can reimburse burial or cremation expenses.

Does Embrace pet insurance cover hip dysplasia?

The Embrace accident and illness plan covers hip dysplasia, an orthopedic condition, but there’s a six-month waiting period for dogs. You may be able to waive this waiting period by having your vet conduct an orthopedic exam on your pet.

Does Embrace pet insurance cover spaying or neutering?

Embrace’s accident and illness plan won’t cover spaying or neutering, but you can get Wellness Rewards toward this and other routine procedures.

Final Thoughts

Embrace offers a flexible and comprehensive pet insurance option with strong customer ratings. While claim denials and increased rates are potential concerns, Embrace continues to be a competitive choice for pet owners seeking quality coverage.