Nationwide vs Embrace | Compare Pet Insurance Plans
1. Nationwide Pet Insurance Limits How You Spend Your Wellness Funds
Nationwide’s wellness plan, whether added to Major Medical policy or purchased on its own, puts limits on the amount of money they will reimburse on specific types of care, like vaccinations. For example, if you have $25 left in your wellness plan for vaccinations, but your pet doesn’t need any more vaccinations, the money doesn’t rollover for general
use. It’s gone.
Embrace’s Wellness Rewards® is an optional plan (it’s not insurance) that reimburses or routine and preventative veterinary, grooming, training, and vaccination costs, with no limits besides the yearly max you choose. Additionally, any pet 6 weeks or older, in any
state, can get our wellness plan.
2. Embrace Offers One Easy Comprehensive Policy
Nationwide has two accident and illness plans, Major Medical and WholePet®. These plans have some different coverages, different waiting periods, and more. For example, on Whole Pet, Nationwide members can customize their policy options, like 50%, 70%, or 90% reimbursement percentage, to get a monthly premium that fits their pet and their budget. Whole Pet covers cherry eye, while Major Medical only partially covers it.
Embrace has one accident and illness policy, our standard policy, and it covers just about everything. This makes it easier for pet parents to understand their coverage and feel peace-of-mind.
3. Nationwide’s Age Limits are More Restrictive
Dogs and cats as young as 6 weeks are eligible for coverage on the Embrace accident and illness policy. They can also have an Embrace Wellness Rewards plan. Embrace also allows pets to enroll in new coverage until they 15 years old. At 15 and older, pets can enroll in an accident-only plan.
Nationwide’s pet insurance plans don’t allow pets to enroll if they are older than 10 years old. Dogs and cats as young as 6 weeks are eligible for coverage on Nationwide’s policies.
4.
Nationwide’s Whole Pet covers congenital and hereditary conditions, as long as they are not pre-existing, and don’t exclude coverage based on breed.
Embrace covers congenital and hereditary conditions with every accident and illness policy, as long as they are not pre-existing. We don’t exclude coverage based on breed.
5.
Nationwide’s Whole Pet plan covers congenital conditions and developmental defects, as long as pets don’t have symptoms before coverage begins (in which case, the condition would be considered pre-existing). Embrace’s accident and illness policy covers congenital conditions and developmental defects, as long as pets don’t have symptoms before coverage begins (in which case, the condition would be considered pre-existing).
6. Embrace has Shorter Waiting Periods for Ligament Injuries
Nationwide’s Whole Pet plan has a 12-month waiting period for cruciate ligament injuries, and it can’t be shortened. In Georgia, the waiting period is 6 months.
Embrace has a standard 6-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions (for dogs only, no waiting period for cats), and we offer an Orthopedic Exam and Waiver to have the waiting period reduced to as little as 14 days.
7.
Nationwide’s Whole Pet plan does not exclude certain bone or joint conditions associated with hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation, osteochondritis dissecans, or any fracture, luxation, or sublaxation associated with aseptic necrosis of a femoral headunless these conditions are pre-existing.
Embrace doesn’t exclude orthopedic conditions unless they’re pre-existing.
8. Embrace Offers the Industry’s Best Diminishing Deductible Feature
With Embrace’s Healthy Pet Deductible, your pet’s annual deductible automatically goes down by $50 each year you don’t receive an insurance claim reimbursement. This is included with every policy at no extra charge.
Nationwide doesn’t offer a feature like this on any of its pet health insurance policies.
9.
Nationwide’s Whole Pet policy reimburses a direct percentage of their veterinary bill, either 50%, 70%. or 90% — whatever you choose.
Embrace’s accident and illness policy reimburses a direct percentage of their veterinary bill, either 70%, 80%. or 90% — whatever you choose.
10. Embrace Offers a Longer Refund Period
Nationwide pet insurance only refunds the full premium if the policy is cancelled in the first 10 days. Embrace has a 30-day money back guarantee, as long as we haven’t paid any claims.
11. Medical Waste Fees are Covered with Embrace
Nationwide pet insurance doesn’t cover medical waste fees in its policies. This charge usually isn’t a very significant portion of the vet bill, but it can add up fast if pets are seen weekly or monthly. Embrace includes medical waste fee coverage in our policy at no extra cost.
12. Embrace’s Wellness Rewards Covers Grooming
Nationwide pet insurance doesn’t reimburse for grooming under its Pet Wellness plans. With Embrace’s Wellness Rewards plan, we reimburse 100% of grooming, nail trims, and bathing costs up to the annual allowance you select.
13.
Nationwide Whole Pet plan covers treatment for fleas, heartworm, lice, ticks, or any other internal or external parasites — regardless of whether a pet is on a preventative or not. Embrace covers treatment for internal or external parasites, even if they could have been prevented.
14.
Nationwide Whole Pet covers anal gland infections . Embrace considers an infected anal gland an illness, and will cover the treatment, and even removal, as long as the condition isn’t pre-existing.
15.
Nationwide’s Whole Pet plan provides coverage for behavioral problems, As long as the issue isn’t pre-existing. Embrace covers behavioral problems, consultations, therapy, and follow-up visits, as long as the issue isn’t a pre-existing condition.
16. Nationwide Pet Insurance Doesn’t Accept Pre-certifications
Pre-certifications are when you submit the estimated cost of a procedure to your pet health insurance company to see if it will be covered, and how much, before proceeding with the treatment. While not mandatory, Embrace is happy to review an estimate before a procedure to give you peace of mind. Nationwide pet insurance requires the invoice be submitted after you pay the veterinarian.
17. Nationwide Pet Insurance Charges More at Signup
Regardless of the plan you choose, Nationwide pet insurance charges the first and second month of premium at sign up. Embrace only charges you one month of premium at a time.
18. Both Nationwide and Embrace Pet Insurance Don’t Require a Claim Form
When you submit a claim through MyEmbrace or the Embrace Pet Insurance app, you don’t need a claim form. Just follow the prompts and upload photos of your invoice or upload the invoice your vet emailed to you. It’s fast, easy and paperless. Nationwide doesn’t require a claim form when submitting claims through their Pet Account Access Page. Just follow the prompts and upload photos of your invoice or upload the invoice your vet emailed to you. It’s fast, easy and paperless.
Of course, if you’re submitting a claim via email, fax, or mail, we still need your pet’s unique claim form with a copy of the invoice. This can also be found in your MyEmbrace account.