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| - Thinking about getting pet insurance through Embrace? Don't do it. They're the biggest scammers in the business. Yes, I read articles that recommended them, too. Don't believe them.
I recently submitted a claim for diagnostic tests on my dog's potentially cancerous mouth tumor. Two very highly rated and trusted veterinarians said the mass needed to be tested (since something like 40% of dog mouth tumors are indeed cancerous). Both vets also recommended a tooth cleaning since the dog would be under anesthesia, anyway.
I submitted my claim for the procedure, fully expecting to be reimbursed according to the terms of my policy--for the anesthesia, for the excision of the potentially cancerous tumor, and for the pathology and testing (not the cleaning, which I recognized as a "wellness issue"--and my insurance is for accident and illness, not wellness).
My claim was fully denied due to Embrace's very clever sleight of hand: since the tumor was diagnosed as benign, they refused to pay the claim. Yet the policy, in their own words, states that they cover anesthesia and pathology as part of DIAGNOSTIC testing. They are saying they owe me nothing because the tumor turned out to be benign. TURNED OUT TO BE. So they only pay for the diagnostics if the tumor is cancerous, and otherwise it is a "Wellness issue."
By the way, the "Wellness Plan" is much more expensive than the "Accident and Illness Plan," for which I have been paying $65/month. Of course they want you to buy it--so they can make even more money off of your sad soul.
I have spent approximately $5000 on my dog's policy over the past six years. Lifetime reimbursements? $16. I'm the sucker here. I write this so that someone out there can be smarter than I was. Don't do it, folks.
Also: it is my guess that the positive reviews here were planted by Embrace. You may not know this (I didn't), but the pet insurance industry is a completely unregulated industry, except for in California, where it will soon be regulated. I would imagine Embrace will make some changes only when regulation happens.
Don't be a sucker! Start a monthly savings account for your dog, and use that money when your pet has illnesses or accidents. That's what I'm going to do from this point forward.
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