Embrace pet insurance review

Best for

Embrace fits owners who want some flexibility in plan design — adjustable annual limits, deductibles, and reimbursement rates — and who'd benefit from a deductible that gets cheaper the longer their pet stays healthy. The Healthy Pet Deductible is the headline feature: every year your pet doesn't trigger a claim, your annual deductible drops $50, all the way to $0. For owners of generally healthy young pets, that means by year five or six, the policy is reimbursing nearly every dollar above $0. Embrace is also one of the few major carriers that covers dental illness (not just accidental tooth fractures), worth up to $1,000 a year.

Not for

If your pet is already 15 or older, Embrace will only enroll them in an accident-only plan, which significantly narrows the value. If you want a single, no-decisions plan structure, Healthy Paws is simpler — Embrace makes you pick from multiple deductibles, annual limits, and reimbursement percentages. And if vet-direct billing matters most, Trupanion is the only carrier offering it.

Pre-existing exclusions — the universal trap

Embrace, like every U.S. pet insurer, excludes pre-existing conditions — but with one notable nuance: Embrace distinguishes between curable and incurable pre-existing conditions. A curable condition (an ear infection, an upper respiratory bug, a urinary tract infection) is no longer considered pre-existing if your pet remains symptom-free for 12 consecutive months after the policy starts. Incurable conditions (diabetes, hip dysplasia, allergies, cancer) remain permanently excluded. The practical advice: enroll as early as possible, get a clean baseline vet visit on file after policy effective date, and document any acute conditions and their resolution dates carefully. Embrace's underwriting team is known for being relatively transparent on this — they'll send you a written list of excluded conditions in your enrollment packet.

Coverage and reimbursement

Embrace covers accidents, illnesses, cancer, hereditary and breed-specific conditions, behavioral therapy, prescription medications, alternative therapies, exam fees, and dental illness — a fuller list than most competitors. Reimbursement runs 70%, 80%, or 90%, with annual limits from $5,000 up to unlimited. A typical mixed-breed dog at 80% reimbursement and a $500 deductible costs $30 to $70 per month depending on age and ZIP. The optional Wellness Rewards program runs $18.75 to $52.08 per month and reimburses routine spending dollar-for-dollar up to your chosen allowance — useful for owners who'd otherwise pay these costs out of pocket.

How claims work

You pay your vet upfront, then file a claim by mobile app, web, email, or fax (yes, fax is still listed). Most claims are processed in 10-15 days, with direct deposit or check payment. We are not an insurance carrier — we summarize publicly available terms — but the customer reports we tracked from forums and Reddit run more positive than the industry average, particularly on dispute response times. Embrace will pre-authorize expensive procedures so you know what's covered before you commit.

Embrace vs. closest competitor

Healthy Paws is the simpler alternative — one plan, no riders, unlimited cap by default. Embrace is more configurable and adds dental illness and a diminishing deductible Healthy Paws doesn't match. Trupanion is the third major option, with vet-direct billing but a flat 90% reimbursement and per-condition (not annual) deductibles.