Embrace vs Trupanion
Pet Insurance

What’s the best pet insurance: Embrace or Trupanion?

Both Embrace and Trupanion pet insurance plans have a lot of great features. However, they are different in many ways and picking the right plan for you depends on your specific needs and situation – and those of your pet! On this page we’ll compare the two providers and try to explain some of the main differences so you can make the best choice. 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?

Both Embrace and Trupanion offer an accident and illness plan that covers breed-specific, congenital and genetic conditions. They also include complementary treatments (alternative therapies), although with Trupanion you need to purchase this as an add-on. Embrace offers an additional wellness plan, which covers routine and preventative treatments like flea and tick treatment, vaccinations, grooming and spaying/neutering. It also covers dental illnesses and euthanasia costs. Trupanion doesn’t have a wellness plan, but covers 50% of the cost of prescription pet foods. Their optional Pet Owner Assistance package covers end-of-life expenses. 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?

Yes – both companies exclude pre-existing conditions. However, with Trupanion, these conditions are covered if the animal has been symptom-free for 18 months. In the case of Embrace, curable pre-existing conditions may be covered if the pet goes 12 months symptom- and treatment-free. Both providers also exclude standard things like cosmetic procedures, vaccines, training and neutering/spaying, unless you have Embrace’s wellness plan. It’s always best to read the full list of exclusions before signing up for any pet insurance plan.

How expensive are Embrace and Trupanion?

According to our examples below, using the accident and illness policies, the premiums for Trupanion are considerably higher than Embrace. However, bear in mind that the annual limits, deductibles, and co-pay levels will differ – and your circumstances will be unique – so always use our super quick quote engine to get bespoke pet insurance prices for you and your pet.

Do Embrace or Trupanion offer discounts?

Embrace offers a 10% multi-pet discount and a 5% discount to active and former military personnel. Also, your annual deductible automatically goes down $50 each year you don’t receive an accident or illness claim reimbursement. Trupanion currently only offers a discount for service and/or therapy dogs, which saves you about 5% on your monthly premium.

Can plans be customized?

Embrace has the option to add a wellness plan – which covers routine and preventative treatment – to its accident and illness cover, whereas Trupanion doesn’t. Trupanion allows you to add the Recovery and Complementary Care Rider add-on for alternative treatments such as acupuncture and hydrotherapy. You can adjust the annual coverage limit with Embrace, but Trupanion offers unlimited annual coverage as standard. You can also tweak deductibles with both ($200-$1,000 with Embrace, $0-$1,000 with Trupanion) and reimbursement levels with Embrace (70% – 90%), but Trupanion offers a flat 90% reimbursement.

How do I make claims?

You can make Embrace claims through its website via the ‘MyEmbrace’ portal or app – you upload a photo of your invoice and receive your reimbursement by check or direct deposit. Embrace asks for 10-15 days to process accident and illness claims – although it says these usually take less time – and five days for wellness claims. Trupanion lets you make claims via their new app, and you can also submit a claim form on the website, via fax or by email – and if you’re unsatisfied with the outcome, you can ask your vet to appeal the decision. It claims to process 60% of claims within 24 hours. Trupanion can also pay your vet directly if they have the company’s software - around one on six does. Trupanion requires you to make a claim within 90 days. Embrace gives you the entire policy term, plus 60 days after it renews.

Are they easy to contact?

Embrace can contacted by by email at hello@embracepetinsurance.com or askclaims@embracepetinsurance.com, phone (policy quotes: 800 779 15390, support call 800 5112 9172), the online chat function, the Embrace app, or social media channels. Trupanion, meanwhile, can be contacted by phone (888 733 2685), email (info@trupanion.com), live chat, the ‘contact us’ page on their website, or via its social media channels.

Customer reviews

Embrace customers often mention the rapid speed of the claims process, a big win for people on tight budgets. The customization options are also popular for similar reasons, as they allow some control over the premium. They also praise the communication from the customer service team. Trupanion customers seem happy with the plan and the service. Many mention it’s “not the cheapest” but usually add something along the lines of “but definitely worth it”, speaking highly of easy claims and reimbursement processes, plus the lack of a cap on annual and lifetime payouts.

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!).

Trupanion doesn't offer a telehealth service. Embrace has its own version of vet telehealth included as standard with all of its plans. Called PawSupport, you can use it 24/7 to discuss any pet issue by phone, live chat or video conference. The vet can suggest whether you need to make a physical vet appointment but they’re unable to diagnose a condition or prescribe medications or treatment. You can find out more information about vet telehealth services by heading over to our telehealth service guide.

Final verdict

Choosing between the two really depends on what you want from a pet insurance policy. If you want something more tailored, then Embrace might suit you better, with its multiple options when it comes to limits, deductibles and reimbursement, plus the offer of an additional Wellness plan. It also seems to come up a little cheaper than Trupanion. Additionally, Embrace offers an ‘accident only’ plan for over 14s, so could be a better option if you have a senior pet. Trupanion coverage is simple and easy to understand, which appeals to a lot of people – and it’s a plus that it will pay some vets directly, although that is limited because it relies on the vet having the Trupanion software. Another big bonus is the fact that there’s no cap on the claim amount per year and per incident for the lifetime of your pet – which could save you a ton of money if they get a serious illness or injury. In the end, which pet insurance plan you go for is your decision. We're confident you'll make the right choice – when it comes to insuring your pet, the only wrong one is doing nothing.