Our Thoughts on Embrace Pet Insurance
We rated Embrace 4.7 out of 5 stars because of the company’s long-standing reputation, customer satisfaction and comprehensive coverage. It is our pick for savings because the company offers multiple stackable discounts, such as for multiple pet owners and military veterans, allowing for up to 25% off your plan’s total monthly cost.
Based on our analysis of customer reviews, Embrace offers responsive service, and getting a quote, signing up and submitting claims is quick and easy using its website or mobile app. The company employs veterinary professionals to review and adjust claims, rather than relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to make decisions like Lemonade and some other providers.
Downsides of Embrace include higher-than-average monthly pricing in many states and policy documents not designed for the average person to easily comprehend. Common customer complaints include annual rate hikes and denied claims, based on our analysis. The company did not reply to our request for comment regarding customer complaints at the time of publishing.
Embrace is available in all 50 U.S. states. Overall, we believe Embrace is a standout pet insurance provider and worth considering for pet owners seeking a quality plan backed by solid underwriting and several decades of experience.
Pros and Cons
Like all other providers, Embrace has pros and cons that pet owners should carefully weigh as they consider their options.
How Embrace Scored in Our Methodology
Embrace scored a total of 4.7 out of 5 stars based on our objective review methodology. Embrace lost points for higher-than-average pricing but performed well in other categories we consider, including customer experience, industry reputation, coverage, customization, age limits and waiting periods.
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Embrace Pet Insurance Rating
What Does Embrace Pet Insurance Cover?
Embrace provides an accident and illness policy that covers veterinary exams, diagnostics and treatments related to pet accidents, injuries, chronic diseases, genetic conditions and acute illnesses. The company also offers accident-only coverage for pet-related accidents but not illnesses. Additionally, the wellness rewards program provides set benefits for preventive and routine care services.
All Embrace plans exclude pre-existing conditions from coverage unless curable, in which case the company may extend coverage after 12 months without symptoms. The company also considers any conditions that occur during a policy’s waiting periods as pre-existing. Other exclusions include costs related to the following:
- Pregnancy
- Breeding
- Organ transplants
- Guarding duties
- Racing
- Fighting
- Neglect
- Genetic testing
- Supplements
- Several alternative and holistic therapies
Read a sample policy to see all of the fine print and learn more.
Embrace Accident and Illness Plan
The Embrace accident and illness plan covers costs relating to new accidents, injuries or illnesses. Covered conditions include:
- Acute illnesses
- Chronic diseases
- Congenital, hereditary and genetic disorders
- Dental trauma
- Behavioral conditions
Covered treatments include:
- Lab tests
- X-rays
- Advanced imaging
- Cancer
- Non-elective surgery
- Physical therapy
- Specialist visits
- Hospitalization
- Emergency room care
- Prescription medications
Wellness Rewards for Routine Care Plan
Wellness Rewards is a unique program offered by Embrace that resembles a flexible spending account (FSA) for humans. Policyholders pay a fixed monthly cost but have access to a total coverage amount at the beginning of each policy term, plus an additional $50 for opting into the program. Pet owners can choose to spend the full amount — from $250 to $650 — on any approved preventive care services annually. Covered services include the following:
- Vaccines
- Annual exams
- Routine screening tests
- Parasite preventives
- Dental cleanings
- Spay or neuter surgery
- Grooming services
However, note that unused benefit amounts do not roll over at the end of the year.
Optional Add-on Coverages
Exam fees and prescription drug coverage are the only optional coverages available with Embrace, although this varies from state to state. When available, you’ll receive an initial quote with these coverages included but you can de-select either option to save $5 to $10 per month each.
How Much Does Embrace Pet Insurance Cost?
Embrace bases policy premiums on your pet and the costs of veterinary care in your specific ZIP code. A pet’s species, breed and age commonly influence costs, and you can expect premiums to increase over time because of inflation and increased risk as your pet ages.
The average cost of an Embrace accident and illness plan is $73 per month for dogs and $39 for cats. Although not advertised on the main website, Embrace offers an accident-only plan for interested customers and automatically applies this coverage to new enrollees older than 15 years. For details on this plan, you must call Embrace customer service.
Exam fees and prescription drug coverage are optional in some states. If you choose to opt out of this coverage, you could save around $5 to $10 each month. Embrace also offers a wellness rewards program that ranges in cost from $19 to $52 per month.
The table below outlines the average monthly costs of Embrace’s base policy and various wellness programs, which include fixed monthly fees added to your base premium.
| Accident and Illness | $250 Wellness Rewards | $450 Wellness Rewards | $650 Wellness Rewards | |
| Average monthly cost | $56* | $19 | $35 | $52 |
| Summary | Base accident and illness plan | Wellness add-on with $250 in annual benefits | Wellness add-on with $450 in annual benefits | Wellness add-on with $650 in annual benefits |
*We determined average monthly costs by obtaining quotes in each state for four sample pets, including a 5-year-old medium, mixed-breed dog, a 2-year-old golden retriever, a 5-year-old mixed-breed cat and a 2-year-old Siamese cat.
Embrace is not the most low-cost policy option based on our review. However, Embrace offers multiple discount options to help keep monthly costs in line with other providers.
The graph below compares Embrace’s average policy costs to top pet insurance competitors.
Customizable Coverage Levels
Although Embrace offers only one accident and illness policy, pet owners can customize coverage by choosing from a variety of deductibles, reimbursement rates and annual limits. Changing these plan parameters will affect how much you pay each month versus how much you pay out of pocket when filing a claim.
Embrace encourages pet owners to choose the highest coverage levels they can comfortably afford at sign-up. This is because you can easily reduce your coverage in the future, but you cannot increase your coverage without undergoing a new underwriting process, which would effectively start the clock over on pre-existing conditions.
Deductible Options
Embrace offers three deductible options: $100, $250 or $500. Choosing a lower deductible will limit how much you pay out-of-pocket for covered services each year, but increases monthly plan premiums.
Reimbursement Rates
Reimbursement rates available from Embrace include 70%, 80% and 90% options. Choosing the highest reimbursement rate ensures you get the most back on your claims but raises your monthly premiums.
Annual Limit Options
Embrace provides annual limits of $5,000, $10,000 or unlimited, which is in line with most other top providers. Choosing the unlimited option ensures you will not have to worry about running out of coverage, but can cost significantly more in premiums over time.
Sign-up, Claims Filing and Payout Processes
Signing up for an Embrace plan is a fast and easy process based on our experience. We completed a few brief questions on the website quote tool and were directed to a quote with easy-to-adjust plan parameters and instant price adjustments. Embrace encourages customer communication by displaying a phone number on the quote page and main website, noting that additional options may be available when you call to speak with a representative.
The quote page also included clear explanations of what is and is not covered under an Embrace plan. Customers can adjust their deductible, annual limit and reimbursement percentage and view a list of covered and excluded conditions. When customers scroll down, they should see links to real Trustpilot reviews, a quick overview of how pet insurance works and a few frequently asked questions (FAQs). At the very bottom of the page is a link to an Embrace sample policy where shoppers can find complete coverage details and fine print.
After choosing plan parameters, pet owners can apply discounts and decide if they want to pay premiums monthly or annually. A one-time $25 administrative fee is included in the final cost.
Once your pet is signed up, you’ll receive emails from Embrace detailing how to set up your online account. You also must take your pet for a veterinary exam in the year before or two weeks after purchasing a policy. Embrace will also send details about how to waive the orthopedic waiting period and how to send medical records for review, which can speed up future claims processing times.
Even if you thoroughly read a sample policy beforehand, it is important to also read your policy documents once underwriting is complete. Ensure you understand your plan’s limitations and what is expected of you to maximize your coverage, which typically includes following your veterinarian’s advice, providing wellness and preventive care, and protecting your pet from abuse or neglect.
The Claims Filing Process
When you need to file a claim, you can use the company’s app or website. To process your claim, you must upload all pages of your pet’s invoice or bills from the vet’s office and input a diagnosis or reason for your pet’s visit. Providing Embrace with your pet’s past medical records can speed up your first claims experience, and the company will email you if it needs further information. Embrace typically processes and pays claims within 10 to 15 business days.
Based on our analysis of customer reviews, many customers praise Embrace's quick claims processing times. However, some customers complained about claims denials that seemed unfounded or drawn-out document collection and review delaying their reimbursement. The company did not respond to comment when asked about its claim process. Understanding your policy can help prevent confusion, but if you feel you were unfairly treated, you can file an appeal with Embrace’s claims department.
Embrace Waiting Periods and Age Restrictions
Embrace policies have well-defined waiting periods and age restrictions, including:
- Two days for accidents
- 14 days for illnesses
- Six months for orthopedic conditions in dogs
Dog owners can reduce the orthopedic waiting period by scheduling a veterinary exam and having the provider fill out an orthopedic report card, then sending the results to Embrace for review. You can see how much time is left in your pet’s waiting period by visiting your MyEmbrace account.
Embrace does not deny or cancel coverage based on age alone. Generally, pets must be at least 6 weeks old to enroll in coverage. Pets enrolling after 15 years old are not eligible for accident and illness coverage — however, they are eligible for an accident-only policy. Because pets at this age are more likely to have pre-existing conditions, accident-only coverage offers a better value.
| Provider | Embrace | Lemonade | Spot | Trupanion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claim Turnaround | 4-7 days | 2-4 days | 5-7 days | 5-7 days |
| Accident Waiting Period | 2 days | 2 days | 14 days | 5 days |
| Illness Waiting Period | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | 30 days |
| Cruciate Ligament Waiting Period | 6 months | 6 months | 14 days | 30 days |
| Age Limit | 14-15 years old | 14 years old | None | 14 years old |
Embrace Pet Insurance Reviews
We read through dozens of customer reviews to understand how Embrace performs for real people in real situations. Embrace has 4.2 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, with 75% of customers leaving 5-star reviews and 14% leaving 1-star reviews. Here is an overview of common themes across satisfied and dissatisfied customers.
What Customers Like
- Customer care: Based on the reviews we read, customer service representatives seem well-trained, helpful and caring.
- Claims submission: Claims are easy to submit with a few clicks.
- Coverage: The company covers what is agreed upon in the policy documents.
- Wellness rewards: Claims for wellness rewards are straightforward.
- Website and app: The website and app interfaces are easy to navigate and use.
What Customers Don’t Like
- Price increases: Some customers experienced significant premium cost increases at policy renewal.
- Coverage changes: Customers felt they weren’t informed about how they could not increase coverage amounts in the future without undergoing underwriting again.
- Pre-existing conditions: Some customers felt claims were unfairly denied based on unrelated prior conditions or symptoms.
- Medical records: Some claims were denied because customers did not have full medical records for young or recently adopted pets.
- Claims review: According to some customers, claims reviews, appeals and on-hold claims can take a long time to process.
We reached out to Embrace for comment on the negative customer reviews included in this article but did not receive a response.
Compare Embrace Pet Insurance to Other Pet Insurance Companies
See how Embrace stacks up against other top providers using our comparison tool below:
*Lemonade may offer shorter waiting periods depending on where you live.
Embrace vs. Trupanion
Embrace and Trupanion offer similarly comprehensive coverage, however, plan parameters differ significantly. Trupanion offers 90% reimbursement and unlimited coverage on all policies, resulting in higher costs and fewer customization options compared to Embrace. In contrast to Embrace, Trupanion excludes exam fees and does not offer wellness coverage. However, Trupanion offers convenient direct vet pay, while Embrace operates strictly on a reimbursement model.
The table below shows plan costs and coverage details for each provider:
| Embrace | Trupanion | |
| Reimbursements | 70%, 80% or 90% | 90% |
| Deductibles | $100, $250 or $500 annually | $0–$1000 per condition |
| Annual limits | $5,000, $10,000 or unlimited | Unlimited |
| Average cost for dogs | $73 | $123 |
| Average cost for cats | $39 | $53 |
Read our Trupanion Pet Insurance Review to learn more.
Embrace vs. Spot
Spot and Embrace provide similar average pricing and comparable coverage. Spot’s plans offer more customization options, which results in greater pricing flexibility and range, and have fewer exclusions. However, Embrace has more industry experience and a more flexible wellness program.
The table below shows plan costs and coverage details for each provider:
| Embrace | Spot | |
| Reimbursements | 70%, 80% or 90% | 70%, 80% or 90% |
| Deductibles | $100, $250 or $500 | $100–$1000 |
| Annual limits | $5,000, $10,000 or unlimited | $2,500–unlimited |
| Average cost for dogs | $73 | $75 |
| Average cost for cats | $39 | $34 |
Read our Spot Pet Insurance Review to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions about Embrace Pet Insurance
Based on our review, Embrace is a reputable company. We rated Embrace pet insurance 4.7 out of 5 stars, ranking it as one of the top pet insurance providers nationwide because of its comprehensive coverage, discount options and long-standing industry reputation.
Embrace says on its website your first claim can take up to 30 days to process because of a medical records review. However, after this first claim, the company can process claims within 10 to 15 business days or sooner. Reimbursements can reach your bank account via direct deposit one to two days after your claim closes.
Like other pet insurance providers, Embrace increases your pet’s premiums over time. Cost increases may not occur linearly and are adjusted according to inflation and risk associated with an aging pet.
Embrace charges a total of $12 annually if you choose to pay your premium in monthly installments versus the full amount upfront. There is also a one-time administrative fee of $25 when you sign up for a new plan.
Embrace plans cost an average of $56 per month, which is higher than the overall average of $46 per month from other popular providers. Embrace plans are underwritten by American Modern Insurance Group, which determines costs based on your pet’s details, local veterinary care costs and the risk of future medical bills.
