Embrace vs Fetch
Pet Insurance

What’s the best pet insurance – Embrace or Fetch?

Both Fetch and Embrace would both be fantastic options as your pet insurer. Deciding which has the upper hand is tricky and will depend on the specific circumstances of the pet and the pet parent in question. There is a wide range of pros and cons to consider when sizing up these two, and we hope that by the time you’ve read the guide below you’ll feel better equipped in coming to a conclusion about which might be the best choice for you. We strongly suggest that you also use our super-speedy pet insurance quote page and review pages, which will help you decide which pet insurance plan is best for you.

What do the plans cover?

Fetch and Embrace both offer accident and illness plans covering things like hereditary, congenital and chronic conditions. Embrace will cover alternative therapies, as will Fetch, and both companies offer this coverage at no extra cost. Embrace offers a Wellness Rewards add-on, which takes care of grooming, neutering, vaccinations, and preventative treatments. If you take this out, you get $25 from Embrace every year, which is nice. There are three levels: $250, $450 or $650 per policy year. Fetch doesn’t offer a wellness plan. Both companies cover things like X-rays, euthanasia, prescription medications, and CAT scans, and both companies cover vet exam fees. Both offer coverage for dental accidents and dental illness. Fetch and Embrace both cover euthanasia costs but Fetch has nice niche features like a lost pet advertisement scheme too. Both plans cover many common illnesses and conditions that a pet can suffer from, such as:

• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Cataracts
• Cruciate injury
• Dental disease
• Dermatitis
• Diabetes
• Diarrhea
• Ear infections
• Hip dysplasia
• Gastroenteritis
• Kidney disease
• Limping
• Liver disease
• Lymphoma
• Pancreatitis
• Seizures
• Vomiting

Are there any exclusions?

Both Fetch and Embrace, like all insurers, generally exclude pre-existing conditions. With Embrace, the policy can cover these pre-existing conditions if they are curable and the pet goes 12 months without treatment or symptoms. Embrace covers hip dysplasia in its plan but only if the animal is less than six years old when it is registered. Its waiting period for dysplasia is 12 months, which is double Fetch’s six months. It’s always best to read the full list of exclusions before signing up for any pet insurance plan.

How expensive are Embrace and Fetch?

Embrace may be less costly than Fetch but much will depend on the way that you balance out the cost of your deductibles, and whether you want to adjust your reimbursement limit. Neither Fetch nor Embrace has an unlimited coverage cap and, while Fetch has three options in that department ($5,000, $10,000 and $15,000), Embrace has more: $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000 and $30,000. At both companies you’ll be charged for paying monthly. While Fetch doesn’t charge you an enrolment fee, Embrace charges you $25. To be sure of an exact comparison for your pet, however, use our quote calculator.

Do Embrace or Fetch offer discounts?

Embrace offers a 10% multi-pet discount and a 5% discount for active members of the military. Fetch offers no multi-pet discount but does have plenty of others: 10% off if you’re a veteran or you’re in the military, if you adopt a rescue pet, if you’re a member of AARP, if you’re a vet or work in the profession, and if your pet is a therapy animal. Perhaps most importantly, it also offers 15% off for each consecutive year without a claim. A very similar benefit of choosing Embrace is that your deductibles decrease the longer you go without making a claim. For every claimless year you’ll see the figure go down by $50, meaning it could easily reach $0.

Are the plans customizable?

Absolutely, though there is a little more flexibility at Embrace, largely thanks to its provision of a wellness plan. As mentioned above, Embrace offers annual reimbursement maximums between $5,000 and $30,000. You can also choose five options between a $200 and $1,000 deductible range. You can adjust your plans – including your reimbursements and deductibles – at both providers. And, while it is a little less flexible, there is also some customization at Fetch, with its various deductible ($300, $500 or $700), reimbursement and annual limits. Unfortunately, you can’t add a wellness plan at Fetch, whereas this is an option at Embrace.

How do I make claims?

Paying via an app is an option with Embrace. You could also go via the dedicated section of their website or email them with your documents. It advises you that money will be with you sooner if you opt for the direct deposit model of reimbursement. Fetch, which needs you to make a claim within 90 days, has an app and the option of going via its website.

Are they easy to contact?

They certainly are. Embrace is available on the phone (800 511 9172), by email, and on social media. Fetch can also be contacted by mail, phone (866 467 3875), email, social media, and online chatbot.

Customer reviews

People who use Embrace are generally extremely happy with the service they receive, praising it for efficiency and compassion. While there are some grumblings about the amount of time claims can take to be dealt with, these comments are the minority. Fetch’s customer service is very popular and, while it changed its underwriter in 2016 and upset some customers as a result, the feedback now is terrific.

Frequently asked questions

People ask us a lot of different questions about the pet insurance providers we work with. It’s the smart thing to do because no two insurers are the same. Here are some common questions (and the answers!).

You can read more about vet telehealth services by heading over to our telehealth service guide.

Final verdict: Embrace vs Fetch

Choosing between Fetch and Embrace isn’t an enviable task. Barely anything separates the two. While one pet parent might argue passionately for Embrace, another might do so for Fetch. Embrace is a little more flexible than Fetch and may be less costly, so if these two factors are very important to you, the decision might be a relatively simple one. But Fetch’s cover of exam fees, its range of discounts and the fact that it has no upper age limit for either accident or illness will all be important elements to consider as well. So it’s not straightforward. But look in detail at the options and a winner will emerge. Think of the things that matter most to you and your furry friend, and prioritise taking care of those. Good luck!