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Sadly, I'm quite experienced with pet insurance. My dog has had PetCare for years, only to discover when she was diagnosed with breast cancer that upon renewal, her policy would consider this a pre-existing condition despite the fact that there was no lapse of coverage. My first cat had VPI which is so horrendously poor at covering actual expenses (versus a ridiculously low "covered amount") that it was more expensive for us to have him insured and pay his bills, rather than simply pay his bills. And then for our second cat, we did some research and got Embrace.It has been an eye-opening experience into what insurance could be. Our claims are immediately acknowledged by email and even when claims are denied (which happened to us for dental: these need to be pre-approved), we get the nicest emails. We are now switching all of our animals to Embrace at the expiration of their current policies.

I purchased two health plans - one for my 12 year old cat and another for a 6 week old kitten. For the kitten, after submitting about $300 in claims for vaccinations and checkups, I got about $30 back from this plan (The Advantage Plan). For the 12 year old, I took him in because he was limping and for a general checkup. The vet took some x-rays of his leg and determined he had a tumor (cancerous). Other tests and procedures were done, and overall I submitted about $600 in claims for him on the Sterling plan. To date, not a dime has been paid for various excuses and bogus reasons. Processing of claims is very slow and there are many exclusions, so beware. The only bright point is that customer service is quick to respond. Overall, ASPCA is not worth it...look elsewhere. So far, I have lost more money than I have put into this, and this was for services that were supposedly "covered".

My cat was scratching her stomach raw and my friend's sister was a dermatologist vet who recommended I get pet insurance, Pets Best in particular, before I see her, since they had good coverage for specialists. I ended up participating in a vet dermatologist trial that did not require insurance but subsequently my cat got very sick with triaditis (inflamatory bowel, pancrease and liver) and within the span of six months I spent about $5,000 out of my own pocket on care for her. Pets Best covered the specified 80% (minus food and extra nights that I boarded her) and I got close to about $4,000 back. They dealt directly with the vet for any questions (requesting records) and informed me they were doing so and each claim receipt and status was clearly communicated to me. They've worked great for me and I'd recommend them to others.

My dog was diagnosed with mast cell cancer. The ASPCA was good about paying half the cost of her treatment for the first year I had them, but after that they considered the cancer a pre-existing condition and paid nothing more. They explained that their insurance is renewed annually, so anything my dog had the previous insurance year was pre-existing the second insurance year. This was really outrageous to me but there was nothing I knew to do. They were very nice when they rejected my claims. I don't know if I would recommend this company to other pet owners - I think I would as long as they understood and were willing to accept this issue. Perhaps ASPCA has a cancer rider?

I submitted my first claim to Embrace on 12/8/08 and it has not yet been processed. Looks like the typical delay tactic of insurance companies. I am switching to VPI.

OK, so this is not the first pet insurance carrier I've tried so I speak with experiance in which company I think is the best, and its by far, Embrace. Things I like most are: 1. There is an actual person that answers the phone and addresses your questions, etc. Not like an answering service type person, but a real person that actually cares about your pet. 2. The claim form isn't confusing and its easy to submit all your information. 3. You don't need all kinds of ridiculous paperwork to get your policy started. 4. The turnaround time for a reimbursment check is reasonable 5. The way that your policy is broken down is easy to understand.

After the loss of our 19 yr old and later our 14 yr old cats we thought about buying pet insurance on our newly adopted 1 yr old cat. We compared the common pet insurance carriers, their policies and payout for illness/accident coverage and came across Embrace Pet Insurance. They have a plan the pet owner customizes to match their own budget from basic to full coverage. A policy based on customer's choice, not by a "limited" fee schedules as other pet insurance carriers offer. We selected a $200 deductible, 10% co-Pay, coverage $10,000 for $21/mo per cat, a 1 and 2 yr old in San Mateo County, CA. Rates are based on zip code (which is good as vet expense in our area are very high), we get a 15% discount for microchip, 2nd pet, and paying annually. The website is user friendly at: www.embracepetinsurance.com About a month after obtaining coverage, our cat almost died from a serious Sepsis infection. Hospitalized at 2 facilities, Embrace totally delivered covering 90% of expenses after deductible. Our cat Termyte had 3 other visits that year, which were also covered, Embrace paid promptly (before the VISA bill arrived). Our vet bills totaled around $3,000 that first year. Now a customer for 2-1/2 yrs we are still impressed and added our 2nd kitty to the plan. The best pet insurance out there by far. Underwritten by Lloyd's of London is impressive. The "Embracer's" as they are called are knowledgeable, caring and compassionate. We knew this company was something special!

We signed up with this company in July of 2008. We opted for accident insurance for all 4 of our dogs for about $80/month. The sales rep was real smooth, very pushy and guaranteed that ALL accidents would be covered. In December of 2008, one of my dogs blew out it's knee (cruciate tear) on one of his hind legs. We called Pets Best to discuss prior to surgery and they guaranteed coverage for all $2500 as long as it wasn't pre-existing or an arthritic condition. The surgeon said it was neither and we proceeded with the surgery. After submitting the claim, Pets Best REJECTED it because of some very vague small print on page 5 of the policy that says the policy doesn't cover these types of accidents until AFTER a 12 MONTH TIME FRAME!!!!! When we challenged the claim refusal, the manager had the nerve to ask if we specifically inquired about cruciate tears PRIOR to signing up for the policy!!! MY GOD...WHAT A JOKE!!! How were we supposed to know what kind of accident would occur.

I think you will get every benefit you are eligible for. My dog has epilepsy. I have been with them for a year and 1/2 and they have paid for medicine every month as well as other related covered expenses. Plus I am covered in the event of an accident. I was able to lock my rate in. I reccomend them. My vet was sceptical they would pay anything based on past experience. He was wrong.

I have 2 dogs and have been very satisfied with the company's payment, response time, customer service and coverage. It has been well worth the cost. My only concern is the definition or deemed date of a pre-existing condition. When the policy renews, a condition should not be deemed pre-existing because it first began during the previous policy period.