Embrace Pet Insurance Review 2026 — Best for Older Dogs?

Embrace Pet Insurance stands out from competitors in two important ways — it covers wellness and routine care as an add-on, and it offers dental illness coverage that most competitors exclude. But is it the right choice for your dog?

We took a close look at coverage, pricing, the unique diminishing deductible feature, and the wellness rewards program to give you an honest answer.

Quick Verdict

Embrace is the best pet insurance for dogs over 5 years old and for owners who want wellness coverage included alongside accident and illness protection. The dental illness coverage is a genuine differentiator. For younger healthy dogs without chronic condition risk, Healthy Paws offers comparable accident and illness coverage at a lower price.

Overall rating: 4/5

Best for: Dogs over 5 years old, owners who want wellness coverage, dogs needing dental illness coverage.

Not ideal for: Owners seeking the lowest possible monthly premium, dogs requiring chronic condition management.

What Is Embrace Pet Insurance?

Embrace was founded in 2003 and is one of the most established pet insurance companies in the US. They are underwritten by American Modern Insurance Group — a financially stable underwriter with decades of experience.

Embrace offers a fully customizable accident and illness plan plus an optional wellness rewards add-on that reimburses routine preventive care. Their approach emphasizes personalization — you can tailor deductible, reimbursement, and annual limit to match your budget.

Coverage — What Does Embrace Actually Cover?

Accidents and Illnesses

Embrace covers a comprehensive range of conditions:

• Toxic food ingestion and poisoning emergencies
• Accidents and injuries
• Cancer diagnosis and treatment
• Heart disease and diabetes
• Allergies and skin conditions
• Digestive disorders
• Eye and ear conditions
• Neurological conditions
• Orthopedic conditions including hip dysplasia (6 month waiting period)
• Alternative therapies including acupuncture and hydrotherapy
• Behavioral therapy and training for anxiety

Dental Illness — The Key Differentiator

Most pet insurance companies cover dental accidents — a broken tooth from chewing something hard — but not dental illness. Embrace covers dental illness including periodontal disease, tooth resorption, and gingivitis.

This matters because dental disease affects over 80% of dogs over age 3 and treatment can cost $500 to $3,000. This coverage alone can justify the Embrace premium for many dog owners.

Wellness Rewards — Optional Add-On

The Embrace Wellness Rewards program is not insurance — it is a straightforward reimbursement account for routine preventive care. You choose an annual amount ($250, $450, $650, or $900) and Embrace reimburses eligible expenses up to that amount.

Eligible wellness expenses:

• Routine vet exams
• Vaccinations
• Flea, tick, and heartworm prevention
• Dental cleanings
• Spay and neuter
• Microchipping
• Grooming

Cost: Wellness Rewards adds approximately $15-$30 per month to your premium depending on the amount chosen.

Is it worth it? If you spend more on routine care than the add-on costs it provides value. Run the numbers for your specific dog's routine care expenses.

The Diminishing Deductible

Embrace offers a unique feature — your annual deductible decreases by $50 for every policy year you do not make a claim. This rewards healthy dogs and careful owners with lower out-of-pocket costs over time.

Example: Start with a $500 deductible. After 3 claim-free years your deductible is $350. After 10 claim-free years it could reach $0.

This feature is particularly valuable for younger dogs that may go years without claims before eventually needing expensive treatment.

What Embrace Does NOT Cover

• Pre-existing conditions
• Cosmetic procedures
• Breeding costs
• Exam fees — the consultation fee is not covered unless you add the exam fee rider

Pricing — How Much Does Embrace Cost?

Embrace offers more pricing flexibility than most competitors with customizable annual limits from $5,000 to $30,000.

Typical monthly premiums for a healthy adult medium-sized dog:

Wellness Rewards add-on: Additional $15-$30 per month.

Note: Unlike Healthy Paws and Trupanion, Embrace has annual benefit caps. The $15,000 or $30,000 annual limit is sufficient for most emergencies but severe cases — extended cancer treatment, major surgery plus complications — could approach or exceed these limits.

Embrace vs Competitors

Who Should Choose Embrace?

Embrace is the right choice if:

• Your dog is over 5 years old — Embrace accepts older dogs with competitive pricing
• You want wellness and routine care reimbursed alongside accident and illness coverage
• Your dog has dental disease or you want dental illness covered
• You want a diminishing deductible that rewards claim-free years
• You want flexibility in choosing your annual limit
• You prefer a US-based customer service team

Who Should NOT Choose Embrace?

Consider an alternative if:

• Your dog is young and healthy — Healthy Paws offers unlimited benefits at competitive prices
• You need unlimited lifetime benefits — Embrace has annual caps
• Your dog has a chronic condition requiring regular expensive treatment — Trupanion's per-condition deductible may save more over time
• You want the fastest possible claims reimbursement — Embrace takes 10-15 days vs Healthy Paws 2 days
• Budget is your primary concern — Figo or Lemonade offer lower premiums

The Claims Process

Embrace processes claims within 10-15 business days — slower than Healthy Paws but standard for the industry. You pay the vet, submit the itemized invoice through the Embrace website or app, and receive reimbursement to your bank account.

Embrace has a highly rated US-based customer service team available by phone, email, and chat. Customer satisfaction reviews consistently praise the claims handling and customer service quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Embrace pet insurance legitimate? Yes. Embrace has been operating since 2003 and is underwritten by American Modern Insurance Group. They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and consistently earn strong customer satisfaction ratings.

Does Embrace cover emergency vet visits? Yes. Emergency visits for accidents, illness, and toxic food ingestion are all covered. The 10-15 day reimbursement timeline means you pay the full emergency bill upfront and wait for reimbursement — unlike Trupanion which can pay vets directly.

Does Embrace cover pre-existing conditions? No. No pet insurance plan covers pre-existing conditions. Conditions that develop after enrollment are covered subject to waiting periods.

How does the wellness rewards program work? You choose an annual wellness allowance and add it to your policy. Embrace reimburses eligible routine care expenses up to your chosen amount throughout the year. Unused wellness funds do not roll over to the next year.

Does Embrace cover hip dysplasia? Yes — with a 6-month waiting period. If your dog develops hip dysplasia after the 6-month waiting period it is covered. Dogs showing symptoms before or during the waiting period may have it excluded as pre-existing.

Can I cancel Embrace pet insurance? Yes. Embrace allows cancellation at any time. You receive a refund for unused premium. There is no cancellation fee.

Final Verdict

Embrace earns its reputation as the best pet insurance for older dogs and owners who want comprehensive coverage including wellness.

The dental illness coverage is genuinely valuable — dental disease is the most common health problem in adult dogs and most competitors simply exclude it. The wellness rewards add-on provides real value for owners who use it consistently. The diminishing deductible rewards loyal customers.

The main limitations are the annual benefit caps and slower claims processing. If unlimited lifetime benefits are important to you Healthy Paws is the better choice. If chronic condition management is the priority Trupanion's per-condition deductible provides better long-term value.

Rating: 4/5

For dogs over 5, dental coverage needs, or wellness reimbursement — Embrace is the clear choice.

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Last updated: April 2026

Image by aneta1973 from Pixabay