Which Pet Insurance Provider Can Help You In Difficult Times?
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Embrace has a longstanding reputation and is known for its extensive coverage and speedy claim payouts. Pumpkin is newer to the industry but is already making a name for itself with excellent coverage. Which one is better suited for your family’s budget and your pet’s health?
We compare coverage, customer service and reputation, claim processing, pricing, and customizations and explain which company we think is better in most cases. But remember that each pet and household budget varies, so obtaining quotes from multiple companies for your unique situation can help ensure you get the best policy and price to meet your needs.
Policy Coverage
The table below shows what Embrace and Pumpkin 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.
Both Embrace and Pumpkin have some of the best coverage in the pet insurance industry. As you can see, both companies cover all of the items in the table above and have reasonable waiting periods. Pumpkin’s 14-day waiting period for accidents is considered longer compared to most other providers, but, on the flip side, it has much shorter waiting periods for hip dysplasia and CCL surgery.
Both companies have underwriters that are highly rated by A.M. Best (a measurement of financial stability), which means they’re considered by most in the insurance industry to be lower risk than an unrated or lower-rated company.
For Embrace, the biggest concern is that it doesn’t cover illnesses for pets enrolled after their 15th birthday (however, if the pet is enrolled before turning 15, full coverage will continue as long as you continue to pay your premium). Pumpkin has no upper age restrictions for new enrollment.
As you can see, there are many factors to consider, and the coverage you deem most important may differ from others, which is why we’ve classified this category as a tie.
Policy Coverage Winner: Pumpkin (Get A Quote)
Customer Service & Reputation
Most of Embrace’s complaints from customers involve unpaid claims. However, most concerns we have found involve pet parents who didn’t read their policy in full and, as a result, were unaware of waiting periods or other exclusions. This is why you should read your pet insurance policy entirely, so you understand what is and isn’t covered, ideally, before you buy it.
Pumpkin was founded in 2020, so it’s relatively new to pet insurance. Regarding Pumpkin’s customer reviews, there are many complaints regarding pricing, cancellation difficulties, lengthy claim processing periods, and more. It can take years for a company to stabilize its performance and pricing, and Pumpkin is still working through these challenges.
Customer Service & Reputation Winner: Embrace (Get A Quote)
Claim Processing
Embrace averages five days for claim processing for accidents and illnesses. This is shorter than many pet insurance competitors, including Pumpkin, which averages 14-28 days for claim processing.
Because Embrace has a much shorter claim processing period and is more consistent with its processing times, it’s the winner of this category.
Claim Processing Winner: Embrace (Get A Quote)
Price Of Policy
Embrace has a one-time fee of $25 and a $1 per month transaction fee if you pay monthly. Pumpkin has a monthly transaction fee of $2 if you don’t pay your full annual premium upfront each year but no one-time sign-up fee. It is common for providers to allow customers the option to pay their full annual premium at once each year, saving you monthly transaction fees.
Pricing 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.
Embrace and Pumpkin are commonly among the most expensive options. However, remember that it’s always best to get quotes for your specific dog to compare what pet insurance could cost you and to ensure you have the coverage you are seeking. You can use our quick pet insurance quote form to get multiple company quotes.
Price Of Policy Winner: Embrace & Pumpkin (Get Quotes)
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.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin offers the following discount:
- 10% off for multiple pets
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price. No promo code is needed.
Plan Customization
Finding a company that has the coverage you need and fits within your budget is a necessity. See what plan options you have below from each provider.
| Embrace | Pumpkin | |
|---|---|---|
| Deductible Options | $200, $300, $500, $750, $1,000 | $100, $250, $500, and $1,000 |
| Payout Options | $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, $30,000, unlimited | $10,000, $20,000, and unlimited |
| Reimbursement Options | 70%, 80%, 90% | 90% |
| Optional Wellness Plan |  | |
| Accident-Only Plan | Pets enrolled after their 15th birthday |  |
Both companies offer multiple plan customizations to help you find the best option for your budget. And although Pumpkin provides numerous deductible and payout choices, they only offer a 90% reimbursement option for customers.
Embrace offers more customization options, which is why Pumpkin isn’t the winner of this category.
Plan Customization Winner: Embrace (Get A Quote)
What’s The Verdict?
Overall, Embrace wins this comparison against Pumpkin due to its excellent customer service and reputation, speedy claim processing, and plan customization options. However, if you want a company with similarly extensive coverage with shorter waiting periods for orthopedic issues, you may want to consider Pumpkin.
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 Pumpkin.
Overall Winner: Embrace (Get A Quote)
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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