Healthy Paws vs. Embrace Pet Insurance (2024)
Pet insurance is a helpful and fast-growing tool for pet parents seeking coverage for unexpected veterinary bills. If you’ve researched pet insurance companies, you know there are countless options on the market, all offering various plans and add-on features.
Healthy Paws Pros and Cons
Embrace Pros and Cons
Healthy Paws vs. Embrace: What Are the Main Coverage Differences?
Before diving into provider reviews, let’s compare some features of Healthy Paws and Embrace.
Embrace caps annual coverage at $30,000 but offers lower monthly premiums and a multi-pet discount. Meanwhile, Healthy Paws has higher average monthly costs but provides unlimited lifetime payout on all plans.
Keep reading to learn more about each company’s coverage features, exclusions, and add-on package availability.
| Plan Features | Healthy Paws | Embrace |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 4.6/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Average monthly cost | $40-$50 for dogs $15-$25 for cats | $30-$40 for dogs $15-$20 for cats |
| Annual limit | Always unlimited | $5,000-$30,000 |
| Deductible | $100-$1,000 | $200-$1,000 |
| Reimbursement | 50%-90% | 70%-90% |
| Preventative/wellness plan? | No | Yes |
| Pre-existing condition coverage | No | No* |
| Multi-pet discount? | No | 10% |
*Embrace will reevaluate coverage for pre-existing conditions that have been symptom- and treatment-free for 12 consecutive months.
Healthy Paws Coverage Overview
Healthy Paws offers one easy-to-understand pet insurance policy for unexpected vet bills. Every plan has an unlimited payout, which means you’ll never run out of coverage. Healthy Paws will reimburse you for as many eligible claims as you need once you’ve met your deductible.
Your pet’s age and breed limit your customizability, so you should get a sample quote before purchasing a Healthy Paws plan. The company also limits coverage by your animal’s age at enrollment, so it’s not the best choice for older pets.
You can mix and match the following rates for pets 3 years old and younger:
- Reimbursement level – 70%, 80%, 90%.
- Annual deductible – $100, $200, $500.
Keep in mind that regardless of age, your pet may have limited coverage options depending on its breed. For example, a Healthy Paws plan for a 1-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog has set rates of a 70% reimbursement and a $500 deductible. Older pets might have reimbursement percentages as low as 50%.
What Does Healthy Paws Cover?
Healthy Paws covers costs associated with diagnosing and treating your pet’s unexpected accidents and illnesses.
The provider will cover the following items your pet might need:
- Physical therapy
- Allergies
- Chiropractic care
- Acupuncture
- Specialty care
- Emergency veterinary care
- Hospitalization and surgery
- Blood work
- Diagnostic testing
- CT scans, MRIs, and X-rays
- Hereditary conditions
- Congenital conditions
- Chronic conditions
- Cancer treatments
What Does Healthy Paws Not Cover?
- Pre-existing conditions
- Preventive care services
- Birds and exotic pets
- Spay or neuter procedures
- Veterinary exam fees
- Dental illness
- Cosmetic procedures
- Breeding costs
All pet insurance companies enforce waiting periods to ensure your pet doesn’t have pre-existing conditions. A waiting period is a time frame before coverage kicks in at the beginning of your policy. If any medical events occur during the waiting period, they’ll be considered pre-existing conditions and won’t be covered going forward.
Healthy Paws waiting periods are as follows:
- 15 days for accidents and illnesses
- 12 months for orthopedic conditions like hip dysplasia
How Much Does Healthy Paws Cost?
On average, Healthy Paws costs $40-$50 per month for dogs and $15-$25 per month for cats. Healthy Paws’ rates are relatively standard compared to other top providers’ prices. This is a major plus considering that Healthy Paws includes unlimited per-item, annual, and lifetime payouts on every plan.
Like all providers, Healthy Paws’ monthly premiums depend on your pet’s age, breed, species, and location. For example, a pet insurance policy for a 1-year-old Alaskan Malamute in New York City costs $73 per month. If that same dog were 3 years old at enrollment, its plan would cost about $83 per month.
Discounts Available
Healthy Paws does not currently offer discounts. If you are interested in a policy with discounts, check out our article on affordable pet insurance.
Sample Monthly Pricing
Here are some sample quotes for a 1-year-old pet in Birmingham, Alabama. We selected a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement rate for this plan.
| Species/Breed | Sample Price for Medium Mixed Breed Dog | Sample Price for Golden Retriever (Dog) | Sample Price for Domestic Shorthair Cat | Sample Price for Domestic Mediumhair Cat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accident and Illness Plan | $37.97 | $56.11 | $17.73 | $17.73 |
Healthy Paws doesn’t have hidden fees or add-on packages, so you’ll pay for your pet’s accident/illness coverage. We think this makes it a great option for pet parents seeking comprehensive pet insurance coverage without all the extras.
Why Choose Healthy Paws?
Healthy Paws is an excellent choice for people passionate about helping animals in need. The Healthy Paws Foundation donates to animal welfare charities every time someone retrieves an online quote. Since 2009, the foundation has donated $2 million to help deserving organizations and animal shelters afford healthcare for homeless pets.
When it comes to pet health insurance, the provider also has a lightning-fast claims process. Once you submit a pet insurance claim for reimbursement, Healthy Paws typically processes the claim within two business days.
Don’t just take it from us. We think the best way to vet a company before making a purchase is to see what real customers say. Below we’ve included some Healthy Paws reviews to highlight the good and bad aspects of the company.
“Healthy Paws is great pet insurance. They are quick, answer all your questions, and are true to their word. We just had emergency surgery with our dog, and it was so reassuring to have Healthy Paws. They processed our claim within a week, and we had our reimbursement within another week! Great insurance. I highly recommend it!” –Robin S., TrustPilot.
“Very happy I found Healthy Paws! My claim was easily approved once they went over all my records. I also received the refund pretty fast too! I’m very happy to continue using them as they were truly a lifesaver in my dog’s emergency.” –Shauna, TrustPilot.
“Every year, they’re going to raise your rates by 20-40%. I started off insuring both of my dogs for under $100. Now it’s $160 for one dog; I had to drop the other due to cost. They say they won’t raise your rates, and when you inquire about each annual rise, they will say that veterinary costs have risen in your area.” –Jay, TrustPilot
“My Healthy Paws pet insurance has more than doubled in the past two years. I now pay $123 a month and have never used it. Healthy Paws said to expect it to keep rising randomly as your pet gets older.” –Perry G., TrustPilot.
In response to the last two reviews, we want to note that increasing costs aren’t unique to Healthy Paws. Policyholders across the pet insurance industry are seeing steep premium increases. Unfortunately, pet insurance companies must increase rates over time to keep up with the inflation of veterinary costs.
Read our Healthy Paws pet insurance review for more information.
Embrace Coverage Overview
Embrace offers accident/illness coverage for your buddy’s unexpected veterinary needs.
You can mix and match the following rates for a personalized policy:
- Annual payout limit – $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, $30,000.
- Reimbursement level – 70%, 80%, 90%.
- Annual deductible – $200, $300, $500, $750, $1,000.
We like that Embrace automatically includes its exclusive Healthy Pet Deductible program on every plan. With this diminishing deductible system, your annual deductible will decrease by $50 for every year you go without submitting a claim. This program, along with Embrace’s optional Wellness Rewards packages, encourages pet owners to keep their animals healthy and happy.
Embrace’s wellness care packages reimburse you for routine services like checkups, vaccinations, heartworm prevention, microchipping, grooming, dental cleanings, alternative therapies, and much more.
These packages cost about $19-$52 extra per month and reimburse $250-$650 for routine services. Keep in mind that you won’t save much money annually with one of these plans. Instead, Embrace designed Wellness Rewards as a budgeting tool to encourage regular preventive pet care.
What Does Embrace Cover?
Embrace reimburses you for costs associated with your pet’s unexpected accidents, illnesses, and health conditions.
Embrace covers the following items in its accident/illness plan:
- Dental illness (up to $1,000 per year)
- Breed-specific and congenital conditions
- Hereditary conditions
- Chronic conditions
- Cancer
- Orthopedic conditions
- Alternative therapies
- Diagnostic testing
- Prescription medications
- Hospitalization and surgery
- Behavioral therapy
- Emergency care
- Specialist care
What Does Embrace Not Cover?
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding costs
- DNA testing or cloning
- Cosmetic and elective procedures
- Birds and exotic pets
Embrace has the following waiting periods:
- Two days for injuries
- 14 days for illnesses
- Six months for orthopedic conditions
How Much Does Embrace Cost?
Embrace typically costs $30-$40 per month for dog insurance and $15-$20 per month for cat insurance. Your monthly premium will depend on your pet’s breed, species, age, location, and selected coverage rates.
For example, a plan for a 1-year-old purebred Golden Retriever in New York City costs $110. If that same dog were 7 years old at enrollment, its plan would cost $136 per month. You’ll see other examples of breed and species costs below.
We recommend enrolling your pet in a health insurance plan as early as possible, regardless of the pet insurance company you choose. Not only will your rates be lower, but you’ll also have a lower risk of running into pre-existing condition exclusions.
If your pet is older and you still want to enroll it in a plan, we recommend customizing your plan with a middle-tier reimbursement rate and a low deductible. This way, your cost won’t be on the highest end of the price range, but you’ll get coverage quicker should you need it.
Discounts Available
Embrace offers the following discounts to make your pet insurance plan more affordable:
- 10% multi-pet discount
- 10% employee benefits discount
- 5% military discount
Sample Monthly Pricing
Here are some sample quotes for a 1-year-old pet in Birmingham, Alabama. We selected a 30,000 annual payout limit, $500 deductible, and 80% reimbursement rate. We also chose the $450 Wellness Rewards Package* for this pet’s preventive care.
| Species/Breed | Sample Price for Medium Mixed Breed Dog | Sample Price for Golden Retriever Dog | Sample Price for Domestic Shorthair Cat | Sample Price for Domestic Mediumhair Cat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accident and Illness Plan With Vet Fees and Physical Therapy Coverage | $30.54 | $45.81 | $15.27 | $15.27 |
| Accident and Illness Plan With Preventative Care | $65.96 | $81.23 | $50.69 | $50.69 |
*The $450 Wellness Rewards package costs an additional $35.42 per month.
Why Choose Embrace?
Embrace is another pet insurance provider that gives back to the communities it serves. For every policy sold, Embrace donates to animals in need. The provider also works with Neighborhood Pets to provide low-cost veterinary care to vulnerable communities.
Along with its dedication to animal welfare, Embrace’s plan customizability and low deductible options make it stand out. But, as always, we think you should look into reviews from real policyholders before making a decision.
We believe you should have the whole picture before making any buying decision, so we’ve included both positive and negative Embrace reviews below.
“Embrace Pet Insurance and everyone who has helped me are excellent! They’ve always been very informative, professional, and friendly. They have responded quickly to any questions I’ve had regarding claims and are fast and fair with reimbursements. I highly recommend Embrace!” –Erin, TrustPilot.
“Embrace quickly took the worry off when our kitty needed to be seen 14 times in a couple of months. The peace of mind Embrace has offered made this experience so much better! We are very blessed; Chai and our family are grateful for Embrace and all it paid.” –Roxanne M., TrustPilot.
“The Embrace claim process is simple, straightforward, and timely. I’m very pleased with the ease and the fact there’s no tough process to jump through to get claims submitted and processed.” –Jenise J., TrustPilot.
“They changed policy coverage. I used to rave about Embrace coverage. Now with modifications to hip dysplasia and being a lifelong ailment, it really no longer provides the benefit for life-long illness and alternative care that is so beneficial.” –Deanne B., TrustPilot.
Read our Embrace Pet Insurance review to find out more.
Final Thoughts
We hope this Healthy Paws vs. Embrace comparison aids your search for the best pet insurance company for your beloved buddy.
With Healthy Paws, you’ll get unlimited reimbursements for your pet’s unexpected vet visits. If you’re seeking a straightforward accident/illness policy without additional fees and add-on packages, Healthy Paws is an excellent choice.
For pet parents seeking low deductibles and add-on plans for preventative care coverage, Embrace might be a better selection. This provider offers three optional wellness plans to help you budget out your pet’s expected yearly costs.
If neither of these companies measures up to your furry friend’s needs, we understand. We think it’s crucial to find a pet insurance plan that makes your monthly costs worth it. If you want to learn more about other top-notch providers, check out our comprehensive pet insurance reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Embrace cover vet visits?
Embrace covers your pet’s physical inquiries and services provided by a licensed veterinary professional. It does not cover administrative fees.
Does Healthy Paws cover vet visits?
Healthy Paws doesn’t cover exam fees or administrative fees. The provider only covers costs associated with unexpected medical diagnoses and treatments.
Does Embrace pet insurance have a limit?
Embrace has an annual benefit limit of $30,000. This is the maximum amount Embrace will reimburse you per year once you’ve met your deductible.
Embrace enforces upper age limits for accident/illness coverage. After your pet’s 15th birthday, you can enroll it in an accident-only plan.
Does Healthy Paws pet insurance have a limit?
Healthy Paws does not have a per-item, annual, or lifetime coverage limit. This means you’ll never max out your benefit no matter how many claims you submit.
Healthy Paws does have upper age limits. The company caps your plan’s customizability and coverage depending on your pet’s age at enrollment. You cannot enroll your pet after it turns 14 years old.
Our Methodology
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