This content was reviewed by our licensed insurance agent, Michelle Schenker.
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Perhaps you’ve heard of pet insurance through Allstate, Geico, or USAA because they sell pet insurance policies administered by Embrace. However, is Embrace the company you should choose?
A Google search may have shown you other pet insurance options, like Pets Best.
Which company is a better fit for your dog? Find out in our Embrace vs Pets Best comparison where we discuss coverage, customer service and reputation, claim processing, customizations, and pricing.
Visit Embrace’s Website | Visit Pets Best’s Website
| Embrace | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Coverage | Extensive | Extensive |
| Customer Service & Reputation | Excellent, Stable | Good |
| Claim Processing Average | 5 Days | 7-14 Days |
| Price Of Policy | Higher On Average | Lower On Average |
| Plan Customizations | Many Options | Many Options |
| Overall Winner |  |  |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Policy Coverage
The table below shows what Embrace and Pets Best 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 | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Illness Waiting Period | 14 Days | 14 Days |
| Accident Waiting Period | 2 Days | 3 Days |
| Hip Dysplasia Waiting Period | 6 Months | 14 Days |
| CCL Surgery Waiting Period | 6 Months | 6 Months |
| Behavioral Therapies | | |
| Alternative/Holistic Therapy | | |
| Wellness Care For An Extra Fee | | |
| Exam Fees | | Extra Fee |
| Underwriter | American Modern Property and Casualty Insurance Company | American Pet Insurance Company |
| A.M. Best Rating | A+ | Unrated |
Embrace and Pets Best arguably have some of the best coverage in the pet insurance industry. As you can see, Embrace covers all of the items in the table above and has reasonable waiting periods. While Pets Best doesn’t offer alternative/holistic therapy coverage, it provides more affordable coverage (more on this in the price section below).
The biggest concern with Pets Best is that its underwriter is unrated by A.M. Best (a measurement of financial stability), which means it’s considered higher risk than a company like Embrace, whose underwriter has an A+ rating from A.M. Best.
For Embrace, the biggest concern is that it doesn’t cover illnesses for pets enrolled after their 14th birthday (however, if the pet is enrolled before turning 14, full coverage will continue as long as you pay your premium). Pets Best has no upper age restrictions for its policies.
As you can see, there are many factors to consider, and what you deem most important may differ from others, which is why we’ve classified this category as a tie.
Policy Coverage Winner: Embrace & Pets Best
Customer Service & Reputation
Most of Embrace’s complaints from customers involve claims going unpaid. However, pet parents fail to read their policy in full, so they’re unaware of waiting periods or other exclusions. This is why you should read your pet insurance policy entirely, so you understand what is and isn’t covered, ideally before you buy it.
As for Pets Best, the company has gone through a lot since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Thanks to its thorough coverage and lower prices, it saw a massive uptick in policy purchases. However, this meant more claims were filed, and there wasn’t enough staff to help resolve claims. As a result, complaints flooded the company for poor customer service and long claim processing times. Unfortunately, Pets Best is still trying to recover.
We’ve been in close contact with Pets Best and have been told repeatedly that they’re continuing to hire and train more help. Unfortunately, like many businesses, Pets Best struggles to find qualified applicants. For now, Embrace wins with a better customer service reputation.
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Embrace
Claim Processing
Embrace averages five days for claim processing for accidents and illnesses. This is shorter than many pet insurance competitors.
Pets Best averages 7-14 days for claim processing. This is considered longer than most competitors. However, you may be able to have Pets Best pay your vet directly, so you don’t have to pay a hefty vet bill in advance and wait for reimbursement, but this isn’t available everywhere, so check with your vet to see if this is an option for you. Embrace doesn’t offer a direct payment option to vets.
Because Embrace has a much shorter claim processing period and is more consistent with its processing, it’s the winner of this category. However, you may be able to avoid claim processing altogether if your vet can receive direct payments from Pets Best.
Claim Processing Winner: Embrace
Price Of Policy
Embrace has a one-time fee of $25 and a $1 per month transaction fee if you pay monthly. Pets Best has no enrollment fees and a $2 per month transaction fee.
Below are some pet insurance quotes we pulled in January 2022. All information is for pets with no pre-existing conditions or multi-pet discounts.
| Breed | Birthday | Gender | Location | Deductible | Reimbursement % | Annual Payout | Price Per Month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embrace | Labrador Retriever | April 2017 | Female | California (90024) | $200 | 80% | $5,000 | $77.27 |
| Pets Best | Labrador Retriever | April 2017 | Female | California (90024) | $200 | 80% | $5,000 | $89.24 |
| Embrace | 40 lb Mixed Breed | January 2015 | Female | Illinois (60604) | $500 | 70% | $15,000 | $66.90 |
| Pets Best | 40 lb Mixed Breed | January 2015 | Female | Illinois (60604) | $500 | 70% | Unlimited | $43.20 |
| Embrace | American Pit Bull Terrier | July 2021 | Male | New York (10012) | $300 | 80% | $30,000 | $143.40 |
| Pets Best | American Pit Bull Terrier | July 2021 | Male | New York (10012) | $250 | 80% | Unlimited | $80.19 |
Embrace is almost always more expensive than Pets Best. However, remember that it’s always best to get quotes for your specific dog to compare what pet insurance could cost you. You can use our pet insurance quote form to get multiple company quotes when you complete this one quick form. To see more quote comparisons, take a look at our pet insurance comparison page.
Price Of Policy Winner: Pets Best
Coupons
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.
Pets Best
Pets Best offers the following discounts:
- 5% off for multiple pets
- 5% off for military members and their families
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price. No promo code is needed. You can also visit our dedicated Pets Best promotions page to learn more.
Plan Customization
Finding a company that has the coverage you need and fits within your budget is a necessity. See what plan options you have below from each provider.
Embrace offers five deductible options ($200, $300, $500, $750, and $1,000) and six annual payout limits ($5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, $30,000, and unlimited). However, new customers must call Embrace to access the unlimited payout option. This is uncommon — other pet insurance companies (including Pets Best) allow you to choose an unlimited payout option online.
On the flip side, Pets Best offers six deductible options ($50, $100, $200, $250, $500, and $1,000) and two annual payout options ($5,000 and unlimited). Both Embrace and Pets Best offer three reimbursement options (70%, 80%, and 90%).
Although Embrace technically has more deductible and annual payout options, we’re disappointed that it requires pet parents to call in for unlimited payout limits. A phone call to Embrace complicates the sign-up process more than competitors, so we give Pets Best the win here.
Plan Customization Winner: Pets Best
What’s The Verdict?
Overall, Pets Best wins this comparison against Embrace due to its thorough coverage, unlimited payout options, and lower pricing. However, if you want a company with faster claim processing and a better customer service reputation, you may want to consider Embrace at the current time.
If you didn’t find what you were looking for, our experts dig even deeper into each company in our individual reviews of Embrace and Pets Best.
Overall Winner: Pets Best
Our experts have spent hundreds of hours researching to share our comprehensive and frequently updated pet insurance reviews, including our top company recommendations along with details on each of the most popular providers.
If you prefer to see recommendations by category, check out our best pet insurance winners. We give awards for the best price, multi-pet discounts, 100% reimbursement, unlimited payouts, and “best for” categories, including puppies, older dogs, dental, wellness coverage, bilateral conditions, behavioral therapy, vet direct pay, and more. You’ll even see awards for cats and exotic pets (e.g., rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, etc.).
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