When it comes to buying insurance for your pet, there are several different companies to choose from.
Embrace Pet Insurance is just one option to check out, although they are often considered one of the best pet insurance companies out there due to their affordable policies and dependable claims process.
Embrace Pet Insurance offers policies that cover dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens, each of which are underwritten by American Modern Insurance Group.
The company claims its core values center around honesty, customer satisfaction, personal responsibility, and giving back.
Embrace comes in at #4 on my list of top Pet Insurance Providers:
How Embrace Pet Insurance Works
Like other types of insurance, pet policies from Embrace Pet Insurance are intended to protect you financially if your pet becomes sick or injured.
Embrace Pet Insurance offers a simple and comprehensive plan with benefits that will help your pet get the care they need if they face an unexpected health issue.
Embrace Pet Insurance allows you to choose your own annual maximum, annual deductible, and reimbursement percentage for a truly personalized policy.
Pet insurance from Embrace covers the following issues with both dogs and cats:
- Alternative therapies & rehabilitation
- Behavioral therapy
- Breed-specific or genetic conditions
- Cancer
- Chronic conditions
- Congenital conditions
- Dental illness to $1,000/year (Accessible in most states)
- Diagnostic tests
- Exam costs
- ER & specialist coverage
- Hospitalization & surgery
- Prosthetic limbs or other devices like mobility aids
Embrace Pet Insurance also offers prescription drug coverage.
This coverage is available with every policy, and it reimburses for FDA-approved and homeopathic drugs prescribed for coverage conditions, including medicines such as antibiotics, allergy medicine, insulin, and eye drops.
When it comes to what is not covered by Embrace Pet Insurance, you probably won’t be surprised to hear the company does not cover pre-existing conditions.
However, there is an important variable here since Embrace does cover what they consider to be “curable pre-existing conditions.”
If your pet has shown symptoms for a condition that is curable (respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) prior to enrolling with Embrace Pet Insurance, you will need to go through a 12-month waiting period before related conditions are covered.
If your pet doesn’t show any additional symptoms and the condition is over, Embrace Pet Insurance will reinstate coverage for these conditions going forward at their discretion.
But Embrace does not cover traditional pre-existing conditions that are chronic and incurable. This includes bilateral conditions (an illness on one side of the body that will likely take place on the other) as well since they are at high risk of a recurrence.
Embrace Pet Insurance Wellness Rewards
Embrace Pet Insurance also offers a special program called Wellness Rewards that is intended to help you cover your pet’s ongoing routine and wellness care.
Working as a flexible preventative care plan, Wellness Rewards reimburses you for everyday veterinary care, training, grooming, and more.
In a lot of ways, this plan works like a Health Savings Account (HSA) for humans.
When you purchase Wellness Rewards in addition to the basic Embrace Pet Insurance Plan, you can get reimbursement for:
- Cremation or burial
- Fecal & routine blood tests
- Flea, tick & heartworm meds
- Gastropexy
- Grooming
- HIP exams/X-rays
- Medicated shampoos
- Microchipping
- Nutritional supplements
- OFA & Penn
- Pet activity monitors
- Prescription diet food purchased at the vet
- Reiki, massage therapy, acupuncture
- Routine anal gland expression
- Routine chiropractic care
- Spay/neuter surgery
- Teeth cleaning
- Toenail trimming
- Training
- Umbilical hernia repair
- Vaccinations & titers
- Wellness exams
Wellness Rewards allows you to choose a level of reimbursement for these charges, with $250, $450, and $650 per year allowed.
Keep in mind, however, that Wellness Rewards costs an additional fee over and above your pet insurance policy.
For that reason, it is a forced pet savings account more than a real benefit.
Pros and Cons of Embrace Pet Insurance
Before you sign up for a pet health insurance policy from Embrace Pet Insurance, it helps to educate yourself on the advantages and disadvantages of these plans.
Some of the main pros and cons to consider are below:
Advantages of Embrace Pet Insurance:
- There are no “per incident” limits on claims since Embrace Pet Insurance only offers annual limits on their coverage.
- You may qualify for a multi-pet discount.
- Claims are usually paid quickly, in as little as 5 days.
- You can opt for Wellness Rewards if you want a comprehensive way to pay for your pet’s healthcare.
- There is no lifetime limit on how much your pet’s healthcare can cost.
- Plans are customizable and easily tailored to your family’s unique needs.
- Basic catastrophic plans can be very affordable.
- Visit any licensed veterinarian you want.
Disadvantages of Embrace Pet Insurance:
- You can only purchase comprehensive plans for pets ages 14 and younger.
- Pre-existing conditions are not covered, and that includes bilateral conditions.
- Currently offers unlimited coverage in most states via phone enrollment, but, not yet an option via online quote engine.
- There are waiting periods for illness and accident coverage.
- 2 days for accidents
- 14 days for illnesses
- 6 month for orthopedic conditions (could be lowered to 14 days by submitting an orthopedic report card from vet)
- You can only purchase plans that allow for up to 90% reimbursement.
How Much Does Embrace Pet Insurance Cost?
One of the biggest factors that can drive a pet owner’s decision to purchase pet insurance is cost.
Plans that are affordable are typically easy to justify while more expensive plans are difficult to purchase when your pet is in good health.
Like other pet insurance providers, policy costs vary quite a bit with Embrace Pet Insurance based on factors such as the type of pet you have, your pet’s age, your pet’s breed, and where you live.
It also makes a difference if you purchase any pet insurance add-ons such as Wellness Rewards.
Here are the three Embrace has currently:
- Affordable – $5,000 annual limit, $750 deductible, and 90% reimbursement
- Recommended – $10,000 annual limit, $500 deductible, and 80% reimbursement
- High-Reimbursement – $10,000 annual limit, $300 deductible and a 90% reimbursement
Now, here are some basic quotes for a variety of pets we received through the Embrace Pet Insurance website, based on those:
| Affordable | Recommended | High-Reimbursement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eight-year-old male dog, medium size (31-50 pounds) | $31.95 per month | $43.51 per month | $58.82 per month |
| Three-year-old female cat, long-haired | $12.47 per month | $16.99 per month | $22.96 per month |
| Four-year-old large dog, female (90+ pounds) | $41.26 per month | $56.18 per month | $75.95 per month |
*These are not set parameters, Pet parents can mix and match any of these parameters to find a premium that fits their budget, sample quotes are relevant to September 10, 2018 in the zip code 29621.
How to Get Started
If you decide to move forward with Embrace Pet Insurance, the company does offer a straightforward process.
You can get a quote and apply for pet insurance online. Once your pet is approved and you have paid your first month’s premium, you’re covered provided your pet doesn’t have to wait through one of the provider’s waiting periods.
Keep in mind that all Embrace Pet Insurance policies have a 14-day waiting period for illnesses, 2 days for accidents and 6 months for orthopedic, though the orthopedic waiting period can be lowered to 14 days by submitting an orthopedic report card.
Once your pet is fully covered, you can take them to see any licensed veterinarian for treatment.
Just make sure you print a claim form and take it with you.
A staff member at your veterinary office should fill out the claim form for you while also providing an itemized invoice.
You can then submit the claim for an invoice by fax, email, or via the Embrace Pet Insurance website.
From there, you’ll be reimbursed for charges based on your plan details within a few weeks.
It’s as simple as that.
The Bottom Line
If you need pet insurance, Embrace Pet Insurance is worth checking into.
The company has mostly excellent reviews, and it offers truly customizable policies that can fit anyone’s pet care needs.
Make sure to get a quote and compare prices with several pet insurance companies before you decide.
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