This content was reviewed by our licensed insurance agent, Michelle Schenker.
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Healthy Paws is a better pet insurance company for parents wanting unlimited payouts and fast claim processing. On the other hand, Embrace is more fitting for those wanting fewer exclusions and plan customization restrictions. Read our Embrace vs Healthy Paws comparison to determine which insurer is best for your dog.
| Embrace | Healthy Paws | |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Coverage | Extensive | Limited |
| Customer Service & Reputation | Excellent, Stable | Excellent, Stable |
| Claim Processing Average | 5 Days | 2 Days |
| Price Of Policy | Higher | Variable |
| Plan Customizations | Many | Restricted |
| Overall Winner |  | |
| Get Embrace Quote | Get Healthy Paws Quote | |
| Compare Quotes | Compare Quotes |
Policy Coverage
Policy Coverage Winner
The table below shows precisely what Embrace and Healthy Paws cover. Both companies cover emergency care, surgery and hospitalization, specialized exams and specialty care, X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRIs, rehabilitation, cancer, chronic conditions, euthanasia, hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, non-routine dental treatment, and prescription medications. Neither covers pre-existing conditions, cremation and burial costs, pregnancy and breeding, or unnecessary cosmetic procedures.
| Embrace | Healthy Paws | |
|---|---|---|
| Illness Waiting Period* | 14 Days | 15 Days |
| Accident Waiting Period* | 2 Days | 15 Days |
| Hip Dysplasia Waiting Period* | 6 Months | 12 Months†|
| CCL Surgery Waiting Period* | 6 Months | 15 Days |
| Behavioral Therapies | | |
| Alternative/Holistic Therapy | | |
| Wellness Care For An Extra Fee | | |
| Exam Fees | | |
| Underwriter | American Modern Property and Casualty Insurance Company | Westchester Fire Insurance Company/Chubb |
| A.M. Best Rating | A+ | A++ |
*Waiting periods for California, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Washington are as follows:
- Accidents - 0 days
- Illnesses - 14 days
- Cruciate Ligament Conditions - 30 days
- Routine Care - 0 days
†Healthy Paws only offers hip dysplasia coverage to dogs enrolled before the age of six.
Embrace’s coverage is more thorough than Healthy Paws’. Both companies’ underwriters have excellent A.M. Best ratings (a measurement of financial stability).
One critical deciding factor for you may be the age restrictions attached to each of these companies. Healthy Paws doesn’t enroll pets that are 14 years old and older. Meanwhile, Embrace restricts new enrollments for dogs older than 15 years old to accident-only coverage.
Additionally, Healthy Paws will not enroll pets older than four years old in New York state. And if you choose to enroll your pet with Healthy Paws after their sixth birthday, you’ll notice plan customization restrictions and exclusions for hip dysplasia coverage.
We give Embrace the edge in this category because its coverage is more extensive than Healthy Paws, and Embrace has fewer age restrictions. Embrace also has a short two-day waiting period for accidents compared to Healthy Paws’ at 15 days.
Customer Service & Reputation
Customer Service & Reputation Winner
Customer service and reputation can be overlooked when you’re met with an attractive quote for your policy, but we think it’s one of the most important elements you should consider. We hope you never have to file a claim, but should the need arise, we want it to be as painless and easy on you and your furry friend as possible.
Healthy Paws has outstanding customer service, and its reputation is top-notch. In contrast to the rave reviews we read across the internet for Healthy Paws, Embrace has limited phone hours, and we’ve received more negative feedback than positive about Embrace. Compare this to the numerous positive reviews we’ve received for Healthy Paws, and it’s hard not to give Healthy Paws the winning spot here.
Claim Processing
Claim Processing Winner
Embrace averages a five-day claim process for accidents and illnesses. Meanwhile, Healthy Paws pays most of its claims within two days. Both of these are rather fast. However, Healthy Paws is the fastest in the industry.
Healthy Paws may be able to pay your vet directly for the covered portion of your bill, so you wouldn’t have to wait for reimbursement. However, this may not be available at your vet’s office, so call and discuss it with them beforehand. Embrace doesn’t have a vet direct payment option.
Price Of Policy
Price Of Policy Winner
Embrace has a one-time fee of $25 and a $1 per month transaction fee if you pay monthly. Healthy Paws has no enrollment fees or transaction fees.
Your premium price quote is based on your pet’s details (age, breed, location, etc.). We recommend obtaining quotes from each company for your specific pet. You can also visit our pet insurance comparison quotes to see a few sample prices we’ve gathered.
Healthy Paws almost always came out less expensive than Embrace in the quotes we’ve run. However, remember that it’s always best to get quotes for your specific dog to compare what pet insurance could cost for you. You can use our pet insurance quote form to get multiple company quotes when you complete this one-quick form.
Additionally, both companies have annual deductibles, which is important if your pet experiences multiple accidents or illnesses during the policy period (one year).
Coupons
Healthy Paws
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price and get a quote for your pet from Healthy Paws. You can also visit our dedicated Healthy Paws promotions page to learn more.
Embrace
Embrace offers the following discounts:
- 10% off (5% off in NY) for multiple pets
- 5% off for military and veterans (NY and TN excluded)
- 10% off if your company or clinic offers Embrace as an employee benefit (FL, ND, NY, and TN excluded)
- 5% off in NY if you pay annually
- Up to 25% off for eligible USAA customers
- Your deductible automatically goes down $50 each year you don’t receive a claim payment
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price. No promo code is needed. You can also visit our dedicated Embrace promotions page to learn more.
Plan Customization
Plan Customization Winner
The major difference between these two companies in your ability to customize your plan comes down to age restrictions. While Healthy Paws has unlimited payouts for all plans, they have some restrictions on reimbursement and annual deductible amounts, depending on your pet’s age at enrollment.
- Dogs and cats 5 years and under:
- 90%, 80%, and 70% reimbursement
- $100, $250, and $500 deductible
- Dogs and cats 6 and 7 years old:
- 80%, 70%, or 60% reimbursement
- $250, $500, or $750 deductible
- Dogs 8 years and older:
- 50% or 60% reimbursement
- $750 or $1,000 deductible
Healthy Paws only enrolls pets from 8 weeks to 14 years old. Embrace offers a lot of customizable options with no age restrictions. You can choose your annual payout option from $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, or unlimited. They also offer reimbursements of 70%, 80%, or 90% and annual deductibles of $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000.
Embrace ultimately comes out on top because of greater flexibility to build your plan no matter your pet’s age.
Why You Need The Best Pet Insurance
It’s important to find the perfect pet insurance coverage for your dog — not just any insurance. Watch our brief video to better understand how to select your pet insurance coverage.
What’s The Verdict?
Overall Winner
In the end, Healthy Paws is the top dog in this comparison. If you didn’t find what you were looking for, our experts have gone in-depth with individual reviews of Embrace and Healthy Paws so you can expand your comparison.
Our experts have spent thousands of hours researching to bring you our comprehensive and frequently updated pet insurance reviews, including our top picks, along with details on each of the most popular pet insurance companies. So, if you want to know how other providers compare against one another, you may find this review helpful in your pet insurance search.
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