Which Pet Insurance Company Is Better?
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Nationwide is well-known as an insurance giant offering home, life, auto, and more. If you’re an existing Nationwide policyholder, you may be interested in its pet insurance coverage and how it compares to companies like Embrace. Embrace doesn’t offer insurance for other areas of your life, but it’s become eminent in the pet insurance industry.
We compare Embrace and Nationwide’s coverage, customer service and reputation, claim processing average, price, and plan customizations to help you clearly see their similarities and differences. We also choose a winner and explain why one company comes out on top over the other when it comes to pet insurance.
Visit Embrace’s Website | Visit Nationwide’s Website
Policy Coverage
The table below shows what Embrace and Nationwide cover. Both companies cover emergency care, surgery and hospitalization, specialized exams and specialty care, X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRIs, rehabilitation, cancer, chronic conditions, euthanasia, hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, non-routine dental treatment, and prescription medications. Neither covers pre-existing conditions, cremation and burial costs, pregnancy and breeding, or unnecessary cosmetic procedures.
*Waiting periods for Maine are as follows:
- Accidents – 0 days
- Illnesses – 14 days
- Cruciate Ligament Conditions – 30 days
- Routine Care – 0 days
†Waiting periods for orthopedic conditions can be decreased to 14 days with an orthopedic report card. An orthopedic report card is a veterinary exam and waiver process designed to assess any bone or muscle deformities in your dog. To reduce the six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions, take your dog to the vet and have an orthopedic exam conducted after your policy is purchased. Your vet will record any health findings for your dog’s hips, legs, shoulders, forelimbs, spine, joints, and bones. You can learn more about Embrace’s orthopedic exam and waiver process for dogs.
Embrace and Nationwide both offer some of the best coverage in the pet insurance industry. As you can see, both companies cover all items in the table above and have reasonable waiting periods. Additionally, all underwriters have A+ ratings by A.M. Best (a measurement of financial stability), which means they’re considered less risky than pet insurance companies with lower-rated or unrated underwriters.
Both companies have maximum age restrictions for newly enrolled pets. Embrace doesn’t cover illnesses for pets enrolled after their 14th birthday. Meanwhile, Nationwide won’t sign up new pets that are older than ten years old. Because both companies have similar coverage, but Nationwide has a younger maximum age restriction, Embrace wins this category.
Policy Coverage Winner: Embrace
Customer Service & Reputation
Most of Embrace’s complaints from customers involve claims going unpaid. However, many pet parents fail to read their policy in full, so they’re unaware of waiting periods or other exclusions. This is why you should always read your pet insurance policy entirely, so you understand what is and isn’t covered, ideally, before you buy it.
As for Nationwide, there are various complaints regarding reimbursement concerns, unexpected renewal changes, drastic premium increases, and more.
Embrace has been a dependable, stable pet insurance provider. Most of its complaints are more generalized regarding a misunderstanding of how pet insurance works and not Embrace specifically. Because of this, Embrace wins this category.
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Embrace
Claim Processing
Embrace averages five days for claim processing, while Nationwide averages four days for accidents and illnesses. Four to five days is shorter than many pet insurance competitors.
However, Embrace has fewer customer complaints regarding the claims process. Embrace users seem pleased with the speediness and amount of the reimbursed claim when it is warranted. Embrace’s consistency helps it win this category.
Claim Processing Winner: Embrace
Price Of Policy
Embrace has a one-time enrollment fee of $25 and a $1 transaction fee if you pay monthly. Nationwide has no enrollment fees and a $2 per month transaction fee.
Your premium price quote is based on your pet’s details (age, breed, location, etc.). We recommend obtaining quotes from each company for your specific pet. You can also visit our pet insurance comparison quotes to see a few sample prices we’ve gathered. Then use our pet insurance quote form to see how other top companies compare for your beloved pet.
On average, Nationwide has some of the lowest premiums, while Embrace’s prices tend to be among the highest. However, remember that it’s always best to get quotes for your specific dog to compare what pet insurance could cost you. It’s also worth considering what you get for the price, assessing the full value of the policy vs just the price alone.
Both companies have annual deductibles, which is important if your pet experiences multiple accidents or illnesses during the policy period (one year). We declare Nationwide the winner of this category because of its lower average prices.
Price Of Policy Winner: Nationwide
Coupons
Embrace
Embrace offers the following discounts:
- 10% off (5% off in NY) for multiple pets
- 5% off for military and veterans (NY and TN excluded)
- 10% off if your company or clinic offers Embrace as an employee benefit (FL, ND, NY, and TN excluded)
- 5% off in NY if you pay annually
- Up to 25% off for eligible USAA customers
- Your deductible automatically goes down $50 each year you don’t receive a claim payment
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price. No promo code is needed. You can also visit our dedicated Embrace promotions page to learn more.
Nationwide
Nationwide Pet Insurance offers the following discounts:
- 5% off for 2-3 pets covered
- 10% off for 4 or more pets covered
No promo code is needed. Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price.
Plan Customization
The other significant differences between these two companies are the level of plan customization available and age restrictions.
| Embrace | Nationwide | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Payout Options | $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, $30,000, unlimited | Limited Per Condition, Unlimited |
| Deductible Options | $200, $300, $500, $750, $1,000 | $250 |
| Reimbursement Options | 70%, 80%, 90% | 50%, 70%, 90% |
| Accident-Only Plan | Pets enrolled after their 15th birthday |  |
If your pet is 15 or older at enrollment, accident-only coverage is the only option available from Embrace. But at least accident-only coverage is available from Embrace because Nationwide restricts new enrollment in any policy to pets under age ten.
Embrace has many customization options to help fit your coverage to your needs and budget. On the other hand, Nationwide uses a benefit schedule for some plans, which limits your customization options. And for its other plans, Nationwide still has minimal customizations. This is why Embrace wins this category.
Plan Customization Winner: Embrace
What’s The Verdict?
Overall, Embrace wins this comparison against Nationwide due to its extensive coverage, stable reputation, and wider customization options. However, if you want a company with lower premium pricing, Nationwide is currently a solid consideration.
If you didn’t find what you were looking for, our experts dig even deeper into each company in our individual reviews of Embrace and Nationwide.
Overall Winner: Embrace
Our experts have spent thousands of hours researching to bring you our comprehensive and frequently updated pet insurance reviews, including our top picks, along with details on each of the most popular pet insurance companies. So, if you want to know how other providers compare against one another, you may find this review helpful in your pet insurance search.
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