Embrace Pet Insurance Waiting Period: 2 Days to 6 Months
Embrace’s waiting period is three numbers, and the third is the one people search for. Accidents are covered after 2 days and illnesses after 14, which is in line with most of the market. Canine orthopedic conditions wait 6 months, which is not, unless you have a vet do an orthopedic exam after purchase, in which case the wait drops to 14 days. For a young Shepherd or Lab the difference between those two figures is the difference between a paid and an unpaid cruciate surgery, so the exam is the thing to plan around.
Embrace’s 2, 14, and 180 days in a table
| What | Embrace’s waiting period | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Accidents | 2 days | Source: Embrace’s pages, checked 2026-10-23 |
| Illnesses | 14 days | Source: Embrace’s pages, checked 2026-10-23 |
| Orthopedic | Dogs 6 months (180 days), cut to 14 days by an orthopedic exam; cats 14 days | Source: Embrace’s pages, checked 2026-10-23; orthopedic waits vary by state |
The figures come from Embrace’s V5 state terms and its orthopedic waiting period article, both read live. Embrace’s own note that orthopedic waits vary by state is the caveat to carry with every number here.
The Orthopedic Report Card: shrinking Embrace’s six-month wait
After you buy, take the dog to a vet for an orthopedic exam, which the vet records on Embrace’s Orthopedic Report Card. If the exam is done within the first 14 days, the orthopedic wait shrinks to 14 days. Done later, the wait ends on the exam date instead. Either way, anything the vet notes as abnormal becomes a pre-existing condition, so the exam is both the shortcut and an early underwriting look at the joints. A dog with a stiff hip at the exam trades a shorter wait for a documented exclusion.
Cats don’t need the exam; their orthopedic wait is 14 days as standard. The accident and illness waits have no published waiver, so 2 and 14 stand. One more mechanic from Embrace’s coverage FAQ: upgrading coverage later triggers re-underwriting with new waiting periods, so a plan upgraded in month 8 gets a fresh orthopedic wait. The general waiver list compares the Report Card with Trupanion’s exam-day activation and Pets Best’s exam window.
What an exam finding during Embrace’s wait does to coverage
Embrace’s pages don’t state a separate waiting-period pre-existing rule beyond the Report Card note, so the general rule applies and the policy document controls: a condition with signs, advice, or treatment during the wait is treated as pre-existing. Embrace then splits pre-existing conditions into two groups. Curable ones, such as an ear infection or undiagnosed vomiting, can be covered again after 12 consecutive months with no symptoms and no treatment. Incurable ones, such as diabetes or allergies, never return. So a bout of diarrhea on day 10 of the illness wait can come back into cover a year later; a limp noted on the Report Card can’t, if it’s a chronic joint condition. The pre-existing conditions guide explains the records review, and the cruciate ligament guide covers why knees get the longest waits.
Under 10 days for over 90% of claims: Embrace’s own number
For “Embrace claim time”, the insurer states that over 90% of claims are paid in less than 10 days. It’s Embrace’s figure, and we have no independent measure of it. What slows a claim at any insurer is the same list: the first claim on a policy, which triggers the medical records request; an invoice without itemization; and a condition that sits near a waiting period or an old vet note. Embrace’s exam-fee and prescription add-ons also affect what the claim pays, not how fast. How long reimbursement takes covers the factors, and how to file a claim covers the paperwork that keeps a claim out of the slow lane.
Embrace’s orthopedic wait by state, and where to go next
Embrace says orthopedic waits vary by state, and in four states the variation is set by law. California, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania cap non-accident orthopedic and illness waits at 30 days and bar any accident wait, so neither the 180 days nor the 2 days can apply there. Embrace doesn’t publish a state-by-state orthopedic table, so outside the standard-terms states you’ll need the figure from your quote. The full Embrace review covers the deductible, the $1,000 dental illness cap, and the age limits; the waiting period guide covers the general case; and Healthy Paws vs Embrace sets the two orthopedic approaches side by side.
Terms vary by state and change over time. This page reflects Embrace’s published terms as of 2026-10-23; the policy document is what binds.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Embrace's waiting period?
Two days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for canine orthopedic conditions on Embrace's standard V5 policy, checked 2026-10-23. Cats wait 14 days for orthopedic conditions. Orthopedic waits vary by state.
Does Embrace have a waiting period for accidents?
Yes, 2 days. In California, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, state law bars any accident waiting period, so a policy sold there can't apply it.
Can Embrace's waiting period be waived?
The orthopedic one can be shortened. A vet orthopedic exam after purchase, recorded on an Orthopedic Report Card, cuts the dog orthopedic wait from 6 months to 14 days, or to the exam date if that's later; any abnormality noted becomes pre-existing. The 2-day and 14-day waits have no published waiver.
How long does Embrace take to pay a claim?
Embrace says over 90% of claims are paid in less than 10 days. That's Embrace's own figure; the first claim on a policy usually takes longer because of the medical records review.
This article is general information, not insurance or veterinary advice. Coverage, prices, and terms vary by insurer, pet, and location. Always read the policy and confirm details with the provider before buying.