Embrace Pet Insurance Review
Best for Older Pets
Embrace Pet Insurance can be an excellent option for coverage against accidents and illnesses. It’s one of our picks for the best pet insurance companies.
The company also stands out by offering international coverage. Policyholders that are traveling with their pet can visit any licensed vet in the world for up to six months and Embrace will reimburse all eligible claims.
While Embrace only covers dogs and cats, it stands out from most other insurers by offering insurance for pets over 10 and a diminishing deductible for healthy pets.
- Embrace Pet Insurance Pros and Cons
- Embrace Plans
- Embrace Cost/Pricing Tier
- Financial Stability
- Accessibility
- Customer Satisfaction
- How We Evaluated Embrace Pet Insurance
- Summary of Money’s Embrace Pet Insurance Review
Compare Pet Insurance Policies
90% Vet Bill Reimbursement
- 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee*
- Up to 90% reimbursement on eligible vet bills
- Multi-pet discount & access to 24/7 vet helpline
- Visit any U.S. licensed veterinarian or specialist
- Accident, illness, and optional preventive care coverage available
Comprehensive Illness & Accident Coverage - No Levels
- Get up to 90% back at any vet
- Comprehensive illness & accident coverage – no levels
- Optional wellness plan covers routine vet, grooming, & training costs
- Customizable annual deductible, annual limit, & reimbursement percentage
No Upper Age Limit on Enrollment
- Comprehensive coverage at affordable prices
- No upper age limit on enrollment
- Choose $5000 annual or unlimited benefits
- 24/7 veterinary support line for all customers
Coverage Starting at as Little as $10 per Month
- Coverage starting at as little as $10 per month
- Optional preventive care policy available
- Quick claims payment & easy-to-understand policies
- Live chat with veterinary experts through mobile app
Coverage for Pets of Any Age and Breed
- Coverage options for less than $1 a day
- Reimbursement for up to 100% of vet costs
- Customizable deductible and reimbursement rates
- Take your pet to any licensed vet, emergency clinic, or specialist in the US
- Coverage for pets of any age and breed
- Family plans with a single deductible for the whole furry family
Embrace Pet Insurance
- Deductible diminishes for each year you don't receive a claim payment
- Coverage for curable pre-existing conditions
- High maximum insurable age
- Option for high reimbursement limits
- No wellness insurance
- Caps dental illness coverage at $1,000 a year
Pros Explained
Diminishing deductible for each year you don’t receive a claim payment
With Embrace, your annual deductible will decrease by $50 with each year in which you don’t receive an accident or illness claim reimbursement. Over time, the diminishing deductible can reduce your out-of-pocket costs in the event you make a claim.
Coverage for curable pre-existing conditions
Like other pet insurance companies, Embrace doesn’t cover chronic conditions your pet has at the time you insure it. However, the company is among those that will reimburse for treatment of pre-existing curable conditions, such as infections, provided your pet is symptom-free for 12 months.
High maximum insurable ages
Most pet insurance companies won’t issue new policies to animals over 10 years of age. Embrace, however, will issue new policies for pets until they turn 15, one of the highest age maximums on the market. And pets above that age can qualify for accident-only coverage, where most companies don’t offer any coverage to pets that old.
High reimbursement limit
Like most other companies, Embrace has an option for an annual limit on reimbursement, which you select. But the company offers a maximum of $30,000, which is more than some other insurers allow. While high limits increase premiums, they also provide increased protection in case your pet has a serious illness or accident.
Cons Explained
Caps dental illness coverage at $1,000 a year
Embrace’s dental care coverage reimburses for broken teeth, root canals, extractions, periodontal disease, gingivitis and stomatitis. However, there is an extra $1,000 annual cap for dental illness coverage. Other insurance providers that offer comparable dental benefits apply the same annual payout limit that would apply to other covered illnesses.
Offers no wellness insurance
Unlike many other insurers, Embrace Pet Insurance doesn’t offer an extra-cost wellness policy. But those plans are not necessarily good buys anyway, and Embrace does offer an optional Wellness Rewards plan that allows you to create a fund for these expenses -- and gives you a $25 annual bonus for doing so.
Embrace Plans
Embrace offers two insurance plans and one wellness plan:
Accident & Illness Plan
Embrace’s accident and illness plan for dogs and cats covers unexpected health issues. The plan will pay for:
- Exam and consultation fees
- Diagnostic tests
- Surgery and hospitalization
- Prescription medications
- Behavioral therapy
Like most or all such plans, routine care, pre-existing conditions, cosmetic procedures, DNA testing, breeding, pregnancy care and whelping are not included.
You can choose from the following coverage options:
- Annual reimbursement limit: You can select a limit of between $5,000 and $30,000 -- the latter being a higher figure than most competitors offer.
- Annual deductible: As with most insurers, your choices in annual deductible range from $200 to $1,000.
- Reimbursement percentage: You can opt for a reimbursement percentage of 70%, 80%, or 90% -- a typical range of options.
Accident-Only Plan
Accident and illness insurance is available to pets 14 years of age or younger. If your pet is 15 or older, they can only get coverage through Embrace’s accident-only plan. Not all companies offer accident-only plans, and many won’t issue any new policy to dogs over 10.
Accident-only insurance pays for injuries resulting from accidents, such as bloat, broken limbs, or cuts and lacerations. It doesn’t cover chronic illnesses, cancer, dental disease, or congenital conditions.
The accident-only plan has an annual reimbursement limit of $5,000, a $100 annual deductible and 90% reimbursement percentage. It’s significantly less expensive than Embrace’s accident and illness plans, so it may be a good choice if you’re looking for any pet insurance for an elderly pet.
Optional Features
Unlike many other insurers, Embrace Pet Insurance doesn’t offer an extra-cost wellness policy. You can, however, sign on for an optional Wellness Rewards plan, which earns you a $25 annual enrollment reward. The deposited funds can then be used to pay for routine expenses like vaccinations, wellness exams, microchipping and dental care.
Your contribution can range from $250 to $650 per year. However, since all allowances have the same $25 bonus, there’s no financial benefit to choosing a higher amount -- other than perhaps the convenience of creating a larger wellness-care fund for the year. And Wellness Rewards don’t roll over, so you must use all of the funds by the end of the year or you’ll lose them.
Your Wellness Rewards are separate from your accident and illness coverage, so any rewards you use don’t count toward your deductible.
Embrace Cost/Pricing Tier
In a past price survey, we found Embrace consistently had among the lowest premiums for companies we surveyed. To present a current snapshot of typical costs for Embrace, we gathered quotes for several breeds of cats and dogs at different ages.
Rate quotes are for Orlando, FL and are based on a (fairly high) $10,000 annual reimbursement limit with a $500 deductible and a (fairly low) 70% reimbursement percentage. Keep in mind that quotes for your animal will depend on your pet’s species, breed, and age, along with where you live and the deductible and reimbursement level you choose.
Sample monthly pricing for dogs
| 1 year old | 5 years old | 10 years old | 15 years old | |
| Cocker Spaniel | $34.98 | $53.79 | $103.43 | $120.91 |
| Labrador Retriever | $37.11 | $57.07 | $109.74 | $128.28 |
| Pomeranian | $18.34 | $28.21 | $54.24 | $94.28 |
Sample monthly pricing for cats
| 1 year old | 5 years old | 10 years old | 15 years old | |
| Domestic Shorthair | $13.86 | $20.13 | $33.99 | $53.07 |
| Maine Coon | $22.40 | $32.51 | $54.91 | $85.73 |
| Russian Blue | $22.40 | $32.51 | $54.91 | $85.73 |
Discounts
While many companies offer multiple pet discounts, they may not allow you to combine these offers, as Embrace allows. The company provides price breaks for:
- Multiple pets: If you insure two or more pets, you receive a 10% discount on your premiums.
- Military: Active and former members of the U.S. armed forces can receive a 5% discount.
- Employee Benefits: If your employer offers pet insurance as a benefit, you may get a 10% break on the cost of an Embrace policy. Check with your employer’s human resources department to see if you can take advantage of employee discounts through your benefits program.
- Other discounts: USAA members can get 15% off their Embrace policy.. If you purchase Embrace coverage through GEICO, you can also qualify for discounts if you spay or neuter your pet or pay for your coverage annually.
Embrace Financial Stability
When choosing a pet insurer, its financial stability is less important than for, say, the companies that provide your life or home insurance, where your losses would be greater if the company failed. Still, it’s reassuring to know that the company is stable and so should be financially capable of paying out any future claims.
AM Best is a credit rating agency that evaluates and rates insurance companies. In its annual ratings, AM Best rated Embrace and the company that reinsures it -- that insures the insurer, essentially -- as A + (Superior) rating. While not the very highest score AM Best awards, this accolade indicates that the company has an excellent likelihood of paying out its future policy and contractual obligations.
Embrace Accessibility
Like most pet insurers, Embrace has a blog with educational resources, an online quote tool, and an in-depth help center with frequently asked questions.
However, unlike some other competitors, Embrace doesn’t have 24/7 customer support or online chat.
Availability
Embrace Pet Insurance is available to residents of 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Contact Information
Customer support is available via phone or email. To get help, you can call 800-511-9172 or email hello@embracepetinsurance.com. Embrace’s customer service department is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. EST and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. EST.
User Experience
Current policyholders can log into a customer portal through the website. Customers can use the portal to submit claims, make payments, change their coverage, or add pets to their policy.
Limitations
Embrace Pet Insurance only covers dogs and cats. All other types of pets, including farm animals and exotic animals, are ineligible for coverage.
Embrace Customer Satisfaction
Embrace’s track record in satisfying customers is mixed. The company has a 4.5 out of 5 TrustScore on TrustPilot — a score that TrustPilot designates as “great” and better than the average company. However, Embrace has a 1.17 out of 5 rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which indicates that more consumers have lodged complaints with the agency about Embrace than for most other companies.
Embrace FAQ
How does Embrace Pet Insurance work?
What does Embrace pet insurance cover?
How do I cancel Embrace pet insurance?
What are the exclusions for Embrace pet health insurance?
How do I add a pet for Embrace pet insurance?
Buying pet insurance for additional animals with Embrace is a simple process. If you're an existing policyholder, you can add a pet by logging into the customer portal. Under the "My Pets" section, click on "Add New Pet" and enter your pet's information.
You can opt to add it to your other pet's policy period or update your existing coverage. Then, you can adjust your new pet's coverage maximum, deductible and reimbursement percentage.
How We Evaluated Embrace Pet Insurance
To evaluate Embrace Pet Insurance, we looked at the following factors:
- Plan options
- Cost and available discounts
- Annual reimbursement limits
- Policy exclusions and restrictions
- Wellness benefits
- Customer service options
- Customer reviews
- Third-party ratings
We also compared Embrace to other major pet insurance companies and examined its ratings from third parties.
Summary of Money’s Embrace Pet Insurance Review
Pet ownership can be expensive, especially if you have to deal with an injury or illness. But Embrace’s premiums are easier on the wallet than most pet insurers, having been consistently low in our survey for cats and dogs.
Embrace is also a great choice for pet owners who travel and want to take their dog or cat along. However, Embrace is limited in the animals it will insure. In the event you want to insure an exotic pet, including the likes of lizards and birds, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
However, Embrace is limited in the animals it will insure. In the event you want to insure an exotic pet, including the likes of lizards and birds, you’ll need to look elsewhere.