GEICO Pet Insurance Reviews: How It Stacks Up (2024)
GEICO doesn’t write its own pet insurance policies, but it offers comprehensive pet insurance and wellness coverage through Embrace to help with many of your pet’s medical bills.
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Written byLindsay Frankel
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Lindsay FrankelInsurance Writer
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Lindsay is a widely published creator of auto insurance content. She also specializes in real estate, banking, credit cards, and other personal finance topics.
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Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
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Updated August 23, 2024
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Table of contents
GEICO offers pet insurance through Embrace, a company that specializes in comprehensive coverage for a wide range of accidents and illnesses. Plans are customizable, with a variety of deductible and reimbursement options, coverage add-ons, and an optional wellness plan.
But GEICO may not be the best option for your furry friend, especially if you need a budget-friendly insurance policy. Learn more about GEICO’s pet insurance coverage, cost, and customer service so you can decide if it’s the right choice for your dog or cat.
Quick Facts
GEICO pet insurance covers a wide range of conditions and treatments, including congenital conditions and commonly excluded veterinary services like physical therapy, but the coverage comes at a price.
GEICO’s wellness plan is extremely flexible, and you can even use it for grooming or training — but it only saves pet owners $25 per year.
Given GEICO’s negative customer reviews, pet owners may be better off purchasing a policy directly from Embrace, assuming the coverage meets their needs.
GEICO pet insurance: Our verdict
GEICO allows you to choose your deductible and payout limits and customize your policy with additional coverages based on your pet’s needs and your budget. If you have a young dog with no pre-existing conditions and want maximum coverage, GEICO may be a good option for you. The insurer offers comprehensive pet insurance plans and optional wellness add-ons through Embrace.
But it’s a good idea to compare quotes from a few other pet insurance companies, as you may find cheaper coverage from another company with a better reputation for customer service. GEICO pet insurance is particularly expensive for cats. The company’s wellness plans also provide limited savings, though they offer a lot of flexibility.
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GEICO pet insurance pros and cons
If you’re already a GEICO customer, you may be considering GEICO pet insurance. Before enrolling your pet in coverage, consider some of the pros and cons.
Pros
Offers comprehensive coverage, including dental illnesses up to a $1,000 sublimit
Your choice of deductible, annual payout limit, and other customization options
10% multi-pet discount and a 5% discount for military members
Cons
Poor customer service reviews
Relatively expensive compared to other pet insurance companies, especially for cats
Six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions in dogs
GEICO pet insurance plans and coverages
GEICO offers a couple of coverage options through Embrace: accident and illness coverage and a wellness plan that covers routine care.
It’s worth noting that Embrace also offers an accident-only plan for pets 15 and older. But if you go through GEICO to purchase coverage, the accident-only plan might not be available to you.
Accident and illness plan
GEICO’s accident and illness plans through Embrace cover any veterinary care required to treat a wide range of unexpected accidents and illnesses, including:
Broken bones
Cancer
Chronic conditions
Dental illness and trauma
Foreign body and toxic ingestion
Genetic and congenital conditions
Orthopedic conditions
Respiratory infections
When your dog or cat needs veterinary care for a covered condition, GEICO will cover hospitalization, surgeries, lab tests, diagnostic tests, biopsies, and even physical therapy and some alternative treatments, like acupuncture and chiropractic. You can also buy additional coverage for exam fees and prescription drugs for an additional premium.
Good to Know
Embrace will reimburse you for vet bills from a general veterinarian, specialist, or emergency room up to your annual reimbursement limit.
Wellness Rewards
GEICO offers wellness coverage that you can add to an accident and illness policy through Embrace. Unlike plans from most other pet insurance companies, which have annual caps on specific services, GEICO wellness plans offer an annual reimbursement limit that pet owners can use for a variety of routine care services. The plan allows pet parents to pay over time and save $25 per year.
Covered services include:
Cremation or burial
Grooming
Nutritional supplements
Preventative medications
Training
Vaccinations
Wellness exams
What GEICO pet insurance doesn’t cover
GEICO pet insurance policies cover a wide range of accidents and illnesses, but they also have some important exclusions, such as:
Boarding, including medical boarding
Injuries or illnesses due to abuse, neglect, fighting, racing, or professional work
Pre-existing conditions with symptoms that appeared before or during the waiting period, except for curable conditions, which are covered after your pet is symptom-free for 12 months
Preventative care, unless covered under a wellness plan
Some alternative treatments, such as Reiki and massage
Vaccine-preventable illnesses that your pet didn’t receive vaccines for
See your policy for a complete list of treatment exclusions.
How much does GEICO pet insurance cost?
Your monthly pet insurance costs depend on your pet’s species, breed, age, and location.[1] To give you an idea of typical costs, Insurify’s editors pulled sample quotes for the accident and illness policy and wellness plan that GEICO offers through Embrace. Quotes are based on a $15,000 annual limit, a $500 deductible, and an 80% reimbursement rate.
Cost of GEICO dog insurance
The dog insurance quotes below are for a medium-sized 2-year-old mixed-breed male dog living in Hartford, Connecticut.
Policy Type ▲▼ | Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
|---|---|
| Accident and illness policy | $52.44 |
| Exam fees add-on | $6 |
| Prescription drug coverage | $6.40 |
| Wellness Rewards up to $250 per year | $18.75 |
| Wellness Rewards up to $450 per year | $35.42 |
| Wellness Rewards up to $650 per year | $52.09 |
Cost of GEICO cat insurance
The cat insurance quotes below are for a 2-year-old female American shorthair cat living in Hartford, Connecticut.
Policy Type ▲▼ | Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
|---|---|
| Accident and illness policy | $36.37 |
| Exam fees add-on | $4.16 |
| Prescription drug coverage | $4.44 |
| Wellness Rewards up to $250 per year | $18.75 |
| Wellness Rewards up to $450 per year | $35.42 |
| Wellness Rewards up to $650 per year | $52.09 |
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How customers feel about GEICO insurance
GEICO Insurance Agency has poor customer service reviews for its insurance products, which include pet insurance, auto insurance, and home insurance, on third-party websites such as Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau.
Since GEICO doesn’t offer a multi-policy discount for customers with a previous policy who add pet insurance, pet owners may be better off purchasing coverage from Embrace directly.
Embrace pet insurance reviews
Embrace, the company that handles pet insurance claims for GEICO policyholders, has great reviews on Trustpilot, with a rating of 4 out of 5 stars based on more than 4,500 reviews. Customers appreciate the coverage and empathetic customer representatives, but some complain about high prices that increase annually and claim denials due to excluded pre-existing conditions.
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Embrace also has ratings of 3 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website and 2 out of 5 stars on Yelp. Some customers on these sites complain about the claims process as well as the pricing. Embrace has a strong track record of replying to customer comments.
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The bottom line: Is GEICO pet insurance worth it?
An emergency vet bill for wound care or emergency surgery can cost thousands of dollars, as can treatment for a chronic condition such as cancer.[2] If you wouldn’t be able to afford veterinary treatment for your pet, it’s likely worth buying a pet policy for peace of mind.
GEICO offers a comprehensive plan that pays for most treatments, including emergency care. But it’s a good idea to compare rate quotes from other pet insurance companies before choosing GEICO, especially if you don’t need every type of coverage included in GEICO’s plans, since the company charges relatively high premiums.
For example, if your pet has pre-existing dental issues, GEICO won’t cover dental services related to an illness. You may pay less for a policy that doesn’t include dental illness coverage.
If you don’t have access to a high-limit credit card or sufficient savings, you may also want to check out pet insurers that offer direct pay, since it may take up to 15 business days to receive reimbursement from Embrace. Also, consider GEICO’s reputation for customer service when deciding whether to purchase from GEICO or Embrace.
GEICO pet insurance FAQs
Now that your tail is raised and your ears are perked, check out these answers to some of the common questions pet owners have about GEICO pet insurance.
Does GEICO own Embrace pet insurance?
No. Embrace Pet Insurance Agency administers the pet insurance policies that GEICO secures. American Modern Insurance Group underwrites the pet health insurance policies that GEICO sells. If you buy a pet insurance policy through GEICO’s website, you’ll contact Embrace to make a payment or file a claim.
What are the three types of pet insurance?
You can purchase three types of coverage for your pet: accident-only pet insurance, accident and illness coverage, and wellness coverage.[3] Each has its own benefits, and the best pet insurance for you will depend on your pet’s specific needs. The lower average cost of an accident-only policy makes it a good option for older pets or budget-minded pet owners.
How do you cancel GEICO pet insurance?
To cancel your GEICO pet insurance policy, contact Embrace at 1 (800) 793-2003. You may receive a full or pro-rated refund, depending on when you bought the policy and whether you filed any claims.
How do you contact GEICO pet insurance customer service?
Embrace services GEICO’s pet insurance policies, so you’ll use Embrace’s contact information to get help with your policy. You can reach Embrace by phone at 1 (800) 793-2003. The company also offers some policy service options through its online portal, which allows you to make policy changes in just a few clicks. You can also consult its FAQ page for general information.
Sources
- North American Pet Health Insurance Association. "Pet Insurance Buying Guide."
- CareCredit. "Average Veterinary Pricing by Procedure."
- Insurance Information Institute. "Facts about pet insurance."
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Lindsay FrankelInsurance Writer
Lindsay Frankel is a content writer specializing in personal finance and auto insurance topics. Her work has been featured in publications such as LendingTree, The Balance, Coverage.com, Bankrate, NextAdvisor, and FinanceBuzz.
7+ years in content creation and management
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
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