Embrace | Pet Insurance Review

I am in the health insurance business - but on the people side. When choosing a pet insurance, I did NOT want a scheduled plan such as VPI has. This type of plan pays a VERY small amount on what is typically a MUCH higher claim amount. The type of plan you want is the type of plan that Embrace offers - deductible and coinsurance based on the BILLED amount. My bluetick coonhound Georgie who is only 3 years old, was just diagnosed with a rare immune disorder (less then 2% of all dogs have it). I took her to Medvet which is a specialty hospital and the bill to diagnose her was almost $1300 with a follow-up visit of another $266. This didn't include the almost $500 I had already spent at my regular vet's office a couple of weeks before. I chose a $500 deductible plan with Embrace with reimbursement at 90% with the highest yearly maximum that they have ($10,000). I was reimbursed exactly as I should have been by Embrace. I did have to pay the deductible twice because my plan year runs 8/26 to 8/26 and my visit to Medvet occurred on guess what date - 8/26!! So be aware that you deductible is NOT a calendar year deductible (January to December) but a plan year deductible (when you actually take out the plan which in my case was 8/26 to 8/25 of the following year). The first claim did take about 4 weeks to process but the follow up claim was only a couple of weeks. Overall, I am very happy with the reimbursement. One thing to watch for though is continuing care

I have had Embrace insurance for almost 2 years now and was pleasantly surprised with the ease of submitting a claim and the quickness with the response. If I do have a question regarding my claim I receive a response in my e-mail within hours. They are VERY helpful and even have helped me to save money on the monthly premium. The reimbursements I received have always been fair and I really have no complaints. I do wish I chose the medication option when I purchased the policy because if you don't that is not covered.

After our 4 year old goldendoodle was diagnosed with lymphoma, we as human medical professionals then realized how advanced canine treatments can be. We had no pet insurance then but wanted to do everything possible for him. After few months our pet passed away despite the chemos, transfusions and excellent care. We were very sad but was determined to get pet insurance for our next dog. I did a lot of reserach on pet insurance then and Embrace was the best deal and coverage I found. Our new puppy arrived 2 months later and he's healthy so far, needing insurnace coverage for hip dislocation he suffered while running on wet grass(no preexisting condition) and the subsequent medical complication from his sling-related injuries. All the claims were processed properly and checks issued appropriately. I am very impressed. If Embrace Insurance can run human insuranc companies I am sure the world would be a better place.

The positives are that they have excellent customer service and are much better than VPI. The reimbursement by reasonable and customary is much better than a set fee. Negatives: I signed my dog up for insurance the day we picked him up from the breeder. Unfortunately the breeder was giving him his immunizations and he wasn't due to go to the vet for 3 weeks. When he was at his first appointment, he had a little diarrhea and was diagnosed with colitis. Which is now considered a pre-existing condition DESPITE the fact that it was after the waiting period. Puppies get diarrhea from time to time, I'm just afraid all GI related diseases will be excluded... The claims process took FOREVER, I think it was 16 or 17 business days (a MONTH to get a check) after filling my claim, after countless phone calls. They did end up covering the expenses of a subsequent ER visit. However, there was a great deal of anxiety over if it would be considered pre-existing. I had to fight the vet to take my dog home sooner because I was afraid I couldn't afford the visit. I bought the policy early to avoid they anxiety of pre-existing conditions and that certainly was NOT the case...

I leave a supply of claim sheets with my vet's office and just have them complete and fax when I pay for the visit. The form is quick and easy and I get an email within a day or two confirming reciept!