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 repayment, customizations, and pricing.
Visit Embrace’s Website | Visit Pets Best’s Website
| Embrace | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Coverage | 4.90 | 5.00 |
| Customer Service & Reputation | 4.40 | 4.30 |
| Claim Repayment | 4.30 | 2.60 |
| Plan Customization | 4.80 | 5.00 |
| Price Of Policy | 2.60 | 4.40 |
| Overall Winner | 4.20/5.00 | 4.25/5.00 |
| Visit Website | Visit Website |
Policy Coverage
The table below shows what Embrace and Pets Best cover. Both companies cover X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRIs, rehabilitation, specialized exams, surgery, hospitalization, emergency care, specialty care, chronic conditions, cancer, euthanasia, hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, and prescription medication.
| Embrace | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking in our Pet Insurance Reviews | 4th | 3rd |
| Pre-Existing Conditions |  | |
| Illnesses Waiting Period | 14 Days | 14 Days |
| Accidents Waiting Period | 2 Days | 3 Days |
| Hip Dysplasia Waiting Period | 6 Months | 14 Days |
| ACL Waiting Period | 6 Months | 6 Months |
| Behavioral Therapy |  | |
| Alternative/Holistic Therapies | | |
| Wellness Care Available For An Extra Fee | | |
| Exam Fees | | Extra Fee |
| Enrollment Fee | $25 | |
| 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee | | |
| Annual Payout Options | $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, $30,000, or Unlimited Available Via Phone | $5,000 or Unlimited |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
| Underwriter | American Modern Property and Casualty Insurance Group | American Pet Insurance Company |
| A.M. Best Rating | A+ | Unrated |
As you can see, Pets Best has a much shorter waiting period for hip dysplasia coverage. However, Embrace offers coverage for alternative/holistic therapies and exam fees at no extra cost.
Unfortunately, Embrace 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). If it weren’t for this exclusion, Embrace and Pets Best would be tied here.
Policy Coverage Winner: 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. It saw a massive uptick in policy purchases thanks to its thorough coverage and lower prices. 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 repayment 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 is struggling to find qualified applicants. For now, Embrace wins with a better customer service reputation.
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Embrace
Claim Repayment
Embrace averages an eight to nine-day claim repayment for accidents and illnesses and five days for wellness-related claims. This is shorter than many pet insurance competitors.
As we said above, Pets Best is experiencing abnormally long claim repayment timelines, averaging 25 to 40 days. Prior to the pandemic, Pets Best averaged an eight-day claim repayment time. We hope they can get things back to normal soon, so customers can get their money back faster for expensive vet bills.
Because Embrace has a much shorter claim repayment period and is more consistent with its repayment timing, it’s the winner of this category.
Claim Repayment Winner: Embrace
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
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 September 2021. 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 | Yorkshire Terrier | December 2017 | Male | Ohio (43205) | $200 | 90% | $5,000 | $31.97 |
| Pets Best | Yorkshire Terrier | December 2017 | Male | Ohio (43205) | $200 | 90% | $5,000 | $24.97 |
| Embrace | Labrador Retriever | April 2017 | Female | California (90024) | $500 | 80% | $5,000 | $57.24 |
| Pets Best | Labrador Retriever | April 2017 | Female | California (90024) | $500 | 80% | Unlimited | $68.06 |
| Embrace | Medium Mixed Breed | January 2015 | Female | Illinois (60604) | $500 | 70% | $15,000 | $59.79 |
| Pets Best | Medium Mixed Breed | January 2015 | Female | Illinois (60604) | $500 | 70% | Unlimited | $43.02 |
| Embrace | American Pit Bull Terrier | September 2018 | Male | New York (10012) | $1,000 | 80% | $30,000 | $63.49 |
| Pets Best | American Pit Bull Terrier | September 2018 | Male | New York (10012) | $1,000 | 80% | Unlimited | $28.71 |
Embrace is almost always more expensive than Pets Best, which is why Pets Best is our winner for this category.
Price Of Policy Winner: Pets Best
Coupons
Embrace
- If you have multiple pets, each one gets 10% off (5% in NY).
- Pay annually and get 5% off in NY.
- USAA customers are eligible for a discount of up to 15% off.
Pets Best
- 5% multi-pet discount
- 5% discount for military members and their families
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 a faster claim repayment and 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 other “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.).