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Insurance Pet Insurance

Healthy Paws vs. Embrace: Pet Insurance Comparison

Updated Nov 29, 2023   |   4-min read

Pets can be a much-needed companion and friend, but they’re also a responsibility. Keeping your pet happy and healthy takes time, effort, and resources—and depending on your pet’s condition, it could come with high costs, too.

Pet insurance offers a way to offset these expenses and lower the costs of caring for your pet’s medical needs. Two popular options are Embrace and Healthy Paws. This guide compares the two insurers head-to-head so you can make the best choice for your pet.

In this comparison:

Embrace vs. Healthy Paws: At a glance

4.7
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3.8
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Benefit limit $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000 or $30,000 No maximum
Benefit limit Benefit limit
$5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000 or $30,000 No maximum
Reimbursement rate 65%, 70%, 80%, or 90% 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%
Reimbursement rate Reimbursement rate
65%, 70%, 80%, or 90% 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%
Deductible $200, $300, $500, $750, or $1,000 $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000
Deductible Deductible
$200, $300, $500, $750, or $1,000 $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000

Embrace

Embrace is a popular pet insurance company that offers coverage for both dogs and cats. Animals ages 6 weeks to 15 years are eligible, and all plans require a wellness check and $25 processing fee before coverage starts.

Unlike many pet insurance plans, Embrace covers up to $1,000 in dental care, and even offers coverage for genetic conditions and specialist care. There’s also an additional wellness plan you can add on to cover vaccinations, heartworm prevention, and more.

Embrace earned a LendEDU rating of 4.7 out of 5. Learn more about the company in our Embrace Pet Insurance Review.

Healthy Paws

Healthy Paws is another top pet insurance provider that offers coverage for both cats and dogs.

Unlike Embrace, Healthy Paws has no annual payout limits and will cover from 50% to 90% of your pet’s medical costs, depending on the plan you’ve chosen. 

Healthy Paws earned a LendEDU rating of 3.8 out of 5. Learn more about the company in our Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review.

Healthy Paws vs. Embrace: Which is right for you?

Not sure whether Embrace or Healthy Paws is right for your pet? There are many pet insurance companies to choose from, and most offer very similar services and coverages. This can make it difficult to know which is right for you.

We’ve outlined a few scenarios in which one option may be better than the other below. Use them to guide your decision.

If you want optional wellness coverage: Embrace

If you’re looking to add coverage for general checkups and wellness care, Embrace is your best bet.

The company offers a Wellness Rewards add-on program that covers things like exam fees, vaccinations, spay/neuter procedures, flea/tick/heartworm prevention, and microchipping—for an additional cost.

Healthy Paws does not offer any sort of wellness care.

>> Read More: Pet wellness plans vs. pet insurance

If you want the lowest deductible: Healthy Paws

Need the lowest possible annual deductible? Healthy Paws is the winner. The company offers a plan with deductibles as low as $100. Embrace’s lowest deductible is $200.

If you want the shortest waiting period: Embrace

Both companies have waiting periods, but Embrace’s are more lenient. Under an Embrace plan, you only have to wait 14 days for illness coverage and two days for any accident or injury. Healthy Paws’ waiting period is 15 days across the board.

If you want fast payment: Healthy Paws

With Healthy Paws, you can get reimbursed within just two days. Simply snap a photo of your receipt, upload it to the customer portal, and get paid in 48 hours.

Embrace averages anywhere from 10 to 15 days for processing and reimbursement, which could be a problem with the hefty vet bills that can follow emergency care.

Where to find other pet insurance alternatives

If you’re looking to consider other insurance options, check out our guide to the best pet insurance companies for help. You may also be interested in our Trupanion vs. Healthy Paws comparison.

You might also consider a pet wellness plan. These are lower-cost options designed to help reduce the price of routine care, wellness exam fees, prescription medications, alternative therapies, and other costs associated with chronic conditions.

This can be helpful if your pet has pre-existing conditions that pet insurance companies would exclude from their coverage. You can learn more in our guide to wellness plans vs. pet insurance.

How we rated Healthy Paws and Embrace Pet Insurance

We rated Healthy Paws, Embrace Pet Insurance, and all other pet insurance companies on our site based on a number of factors, including customer support, age limits, waiting periods, payout limits, discounts, and more.


Ready to get coverage for your pet? You can visit Embrace here or visit Healthy Paws here.