Embrace vs Healthy Paws
Last Updated: January 11, 2023
Around 67% of US households, or more than 90 million families, own a pet. Approximately 3.1 million of them have taken an insurance policy to provide a safety net against unexpected veterinary treatment costs.
If you’re a new pawrent looking for the best pet insurance for your furry friend, you may be overwhelmed by the vast selection of companies offering such services. Two popular choices are Embrace and Healthy Paws. But which one is better suited for your pet’s needs?
You can find valuable information in this Embrace vs Healthy Paws comparison review. We’ll be discussing the following:
- Costs
- Deductions
- Waiting period for claims
- Support
- Wellness plans
Let’s go into detail and compare these pet insurance policies.
Healthy Paws vs Embrace Pet Insurance Comparison
Although both Healthy Paws and Embrace are excellent pet insurance policies, they have key differences that set them apart. Let’s weigh up their main features!
Waiting periods
Healthy Paws policies become effective a day after enrollment but are subject to a 15-day waiting period for accidents and illnesses. For hip dysplasia, the waiting period is 12 months. This could be a problem for pets that need immediate attention. What’s more, Healthy Paws doesn’t offer a policy for hip dysplasia for dogs older than six years.
On the other hand, the Embrace pet insurance waiting period is 48 hours for accidents and 14 days for illnesses. Coverage for orthopedic ailments is restricted for six months, but this is only for dogs. Unlike Healthy Paws, pet owners can reduce this waiting period to 14 days if they go through the Orthopedic Exam and Waiver process. This is helpful for dogs that need emergency medical attention. Moreover, as long as your pet’s condition isn’t pre-existing, Embrace will cover any orthopedic treatment regardless of the animal’s age.
Reimbursement level
The Healthy Paws reimbursement rates are 50% and 60% for pets eight years or older and between 70% and 90% for younger pets. Notably, the company doesn’t include the exam fee in their reimbursement policy. Exam fees can cost as much as $100-$150, so it can leave quite a dent in your budget.
It’s also of note that Healthy Paws reimburses you based on your actual vet bill, as opposed to some plans that reimburse based on what they think the treatment for a specific condition should cost. Healthy Paws’ reimbursement formula involves subtracting your copay from the covered charges and then taking the deductible from the smaller amount. This could lead to a 7% to 10% lower reimbursement for claims of up to $1,000.
Embrace’s reimbursement percentage options are almost the same — 70%, 80%, and 90%. The company also calculates claim reimbursements based on the actual vet bill, but it first subtracts the deductible and then takes off the copay, so you get the most back.
Unlike Healthy Paws, Embrace believes that exam fees should be covered. And if you have an Embrace Rewards plan, you can even be reimbursed for routine vet visits.
Cost
Many factors affect the cost of your pet insurance, such as:
- Gender
- Breed
- Species
- Age
The Embrace pet insurance cost is different for cats and dogs. A dog’s insurance cost can be higher than a cat’s policy because the vet fees are usually higher. You can expect to pay $30 to $40 per month for dogs and $15 to $20 per month for cats.
With Healthy Paws, pet insurance costs range between $15 per month for cats and $20 per month for dogs, plus a one-time admin fee of $25. You can enter your pet’s details on Embrace’s website to get an exact quote.
Deductible
Healthy Paws deductible is annual, meaning it must be satisfied only once per policy year. The rate is customizable and depends on your pet’s age. The available options are: $100, $250, $500, $750, and $1,000.
Embrace’s annual deductibles for the accident and illness policy range from $200 to $1,000 per year. For the accident-only policy, an annual deductible of $100 applies. A distinctive feature of this company is its diminishing deductible for healthy pets. Each year you don’t file a claim, your deductible will be reduced by $50
Annual Limit
An annual limit is the most your pet insurance will reimburse you after you meet your deductible in a year.
One of the perks of Healthy Paws is that the company has no limits on payouts, no annual caps, no lifetime caps, and no incident caps.
On the other hand, Embrace offers five different annual limits, ranging from $5,000 to $30,000. This could cause an increase in monthly premiums. The company doesn’t offer any lifetime limits.
Exclusions
As mentioned above, Healthy Paws doesn’t reimburse examination fees and preventive care treatments. It also won’t cover your pet for pre-exisitng conditions, including cancer, if there is a malignant growth before applying for the policy.
Healthy Paws also doesn’t offer coverage for dental ailments like root canals or gingivitis. It will only cover your pet for accidental dental care illnesses such as fractures. There’s a bilateral exclusion for pre-existing cruciate ligament injury.
Embrace also doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, including cancer. Here is a complete list of exclusions for Embrace pet insurance:
- Pregnancy, breeding, or whelping
- Injury or illness from racing, cruelty, neglect, or fighting
- Cosmetic procedures such as declawing, ear modifications, or tail docking
- Deliberate injury caused by you or persons in your home
- DNA cloning or testing
- Stem cell therapy
- Nuclear war
- Avian Flu
The insurance provider also won’t cover pets that are older than 14 years. Pets 15 years and older are only eligible for an accident-only policy.
Wellness Plan
Unfortunately, Healthy Paws doesn’t offer a pet wellness plan. The company only covers accidents and illnesses but no routine care.
The Embrace wellness plan is an optional preventive care coverage for reimbursements of up to $250, $450, or $650 per year. This includes a number of items, such as:
- Grooming
- Training
- Wellness vet exams
- Routine medical and dental care
- Flea and tick prevention
- Vaccinations and titers
- Spays and neuters
- Prescription diet and nutrition supplements
- Microchipping and wearable monitors
- Massage, acupuncture, and reiki therapy
- Cremation and burial
The company also offers rewards for being proactive in your pet’s care. You can get up to $25 off your allowance per policy year. This makes the wellness plan an excellent budgeting tool for extra pet care.
BBB Rating
Healthy Paws has an A rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The pet insurance company has been an accredited service provider for 12 years. Unfortunately, Healthy Paws doesn’t have an excellent reputation with customers.
On the other hand, Embrace pet insurance has a BBB rating of A+ and has been an accredited service provider for 18 years.
Mobile app
Healthy Paws has a convenient app for Android and iOS users. With it, you can complete the following tasks:
- Submit claims on the go
- Check your claim status
- Update your billing information
- Refer friends for a $25 bonus
- Review policy details
- Upload pet photos
Embrace pet insurance also offers a mobile app for iOS and Android users. Using the app, you can complete the following tasks:
- Submit claims
- Check your claim status
- Add pets to coverage
- Change your Embrace coverage
- Chat to customer care
- View and download policy documents
So as long as you have an internet connection, you can manage your policy for both Healthy Paws and Embrace pet insurance using their mobile apps.
Support
Both Healthy Paws and Embrace pet insurance offer customer support for policyholders. You can contact Healthy Paws via email or a toll-free phone number. If you’ve signed up to the Healthy Paws app or website, you can sign in and manage your policy in the Customer Center. There’s also an FAQ section that may answer your questions.
Embrace has Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram pages where you can communicate with the company. Additionally, it has a contact center you can phone between 9 am and 8 pm Mondays to Fridays. You can also email the company or send it a letter to its postal address. Embrace also has a FAQ section but doesn’t have detailed answers.
How much time does it take to process claims?
Healthy Paws will need your pet’s full medical records before it can process your claim. It will take up to 10 days to process your claim. Once your claim has been processed, your reimbursement will take up to 24 hours.
Embrace will only need the latest medical records of up to a year to process your claim. Wellness plan holders can expect reimbursement in up to five days. On the other hand, accident or illness claims can take 10 to 15 days to process with a three-day waiting period on reimbursements.
Embrace vs Healthy Paws: Final Verdict
As you can see in our Healthy Paws vs Embrace pet insurance comparison review, the two companies offer different benefits.
Out of the two, Embrace seems to be the best pet insurance for those who favor quick claims processing and preventive care coverage. The only drawback to Embrace pet insurance is the hidden installment fee if you don’t pay upfront and its maximum annual limit of $30,000.
Healthy Paws pet insurance pros are that it doesn’t have limits on payouts – no annual caps, no lifetime caps, and no incident caps. The drawbacks are that it doesn’t offer a wellness program, and it requires complete medical history records before you can claim.
Compare these and other pet insurance plans and decide which one is best for you based on all the information we’ve covered.
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FAQ
Healthy Paws pet insurance covers emergency care, diagnostic testing, such as x-rays and blood tests, and veterinary treatments, including surgeries, prescription medications, and hospitalization.
The Healthy Paws dental coverage doesn’t include illnesses such as gingivitis or cavities. It only covers accidental dental injuries such as fractures.
Yes, if your vet is willing to accept direct payment, Healthy Paws will work with them to speed up the process. This helps if you can’t pay your vet immediately for your pet’s treatment. However, direct payment can only be made during Healthy Paws operating hours.
Embrace pet insurance coverage includes emergency care, hospitalization and surgeries, diagnostic testing, specialist care, prescription drugs, complementary treatments and rehabilitation.
Yes, Embrace is one of the top pet insurances you can find. It’s an affordable and flexible insurance policy. The company offers both cat and dog insurance for an array of ailments, and it also has a wellness plan so you can claim for extra pet care such as grooming or training.