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.
| 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 | Average |
| Plan Customizations | Many | Many |
| Overall Winner |  | |
| Get Embrace Quote | Get Pets Best Quote | |
| Compare Quotes | Compare Quotes |
Policy Coverage
Policy Coverage Tie
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 or 14 Days† | 14 Days |
| CCL Surgery Waiting Period* | 6 Months or 14 Days† | 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 Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC) (CA only) |
| A.M. Best Rating | A+ | Unrated A- |
*Waiting periods for California, Maine, and Mississippi are as follows:
- Accidents - 0 days
- Illnesses - 14 days
- Cruciate Ligament Conditions - 30 days
- Routine Care - 0 days
†Waiting periods for orthopedic conditions can be decreased to 14 days with an orthopedic report card. An orthopedic report card is a veterinary exam and waiver process designed to assess any bone or muscle deformities in your dog. To reduce the six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions, take your dog to the vet and have an orthopedic exam conducted after your policy is purchased. Your vet will record any health findings for your dog’s hips, legs, shoulders, forelimbs, spine, joints, and bones. You can learn more about Embrace’s orthopedic exam and waiver process for dogs.
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 primary 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.
Customer Service & Reputation
Customer Service & Reputation Winner
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.
Claim Processing
Claim Processing Winner
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.
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. Pets Best has no enrollment fees and a $2 per month transaction fee.
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. Then use our pet insurance quote form to see how other top companies compare for your beloved pet.
Pets Best typically came out less expensive than Embrace in the quotes we ran. 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.
Both companies have annual deductibles, which is important if your pet experiences multiple accidents or illnesses during the policy period (one year).
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
Plan Customization Winner
The other significant differences between these two companies are the level of plan customization available and age restrictions.
| Embrace | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Payout Options | $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, unlimited | $5,000, unlimited |
| Deductible Options | $100, $250, $500, $750, $1,000 | $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $1,000 |
| Reimbursement Options | 70%, 80%, 90% | 70%, 80%, 90% |
| Accident-Only Plan | Pets enrolled after their 15th birthday | |
If your pet is 15 or older at enrollment, accident-only coverage is the only option available from Embrace. Pets Best offers accident and illness plans as well as accident-only plans to pets at any age at enrollment. Because of Embrace’s restriction with its accident and illness plans, Pets Best wins here.
What’s The Verdict?
Overall Winner
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.
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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