Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

Press Release: Embrace Pet Insurance Launches HR Benefits Program

Here's a press release we put out today talking about our voluntary benefit pet insurance plans. Yes, it's really true, some people can get pet insurance via payroll deduction. Wouldn't that be convenient?

We have a number of employers already signed up but the season starts right now for plans that renew at the end of the year so HR departments are feverishly reviewing their plans and trying to squeeze out as much benefit as they can from limited dollars. Pet insurance is one way to make a big difference to pet parent employees with minimal cost.

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Employers Can Help Employees Avoid Worrisome Financial Surprises by Offering Custom, Flexible Pet Health Insurance Plans That Mitigate Increasingly Large Vet Bills

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, OH--(Marketwire - June 28, 2007) - Psychologists have a name for it: the 'humanization' of pets; 63% of U.S. households have pets(1), and they are frequently considered 'one of the family.' So, when a pet gets sick or is injured, a 'pet parent' can be distraught. Couple this with the possibility of a gigantic vet bill and the stresses of a full-time job, and an employer of a pet parent probably has a worker productivity problem on its hands.

With this in mind, Embrace Pet Insurance, a company that specializes in offering affordable, practical and simple pet health insurance plans, has launched "Embrace Your Employees," a new program that enables employers to offer pet health insurance to their employees. "Embrace Your Employees" is available immediately, which means employers can build it into their upcoming employee health benefits open enrollment programs that typically begin around this time of year.

"Savvy employers looking to differentiate their benefits programs can now offer their employees an Embrace pet health insurance plan that eliminates pet-health related financial surprises," says Laura Bennett, a leading pet life and health actuary and co-founder of Embrace Pet Insurance. "This is a great way for employers to retain and attract pet-loving employees."

The pet health insurance plans featured in "Embrace Your Employees" cost employers nothing, and let employees choose a plan that meets their needs. Embrace lets pet owners build a custom pet insurance policy online that is tailored to their budget by specifying maximum cash outlay, deductible, co-pay, and optional coverage.

Embrace pet insurance plans are underwritten by certain underwriters at Lloyd's of London, and are specially designed to address the shortcomings of traditional pet health insurance:

--  Embrace plans reimburse based on actual vet bills, which means that
    pet owners are reimbursed a larger portion of their expenses.
--  Embrace includes coverage for genetic conditions, including cancer, in
    all of its plans. Many other pet insurance plans are ambiguous about their
    coverage of genetic and congenital conditions, and deny claims that pet
    owners expect to be covered.
--  Embrace lets pet owners choose whether they want coverage for chronic
    conditions. Insurance plans offered by other companies define an illness
    diagnosed once coverage has begun as a 'pre-existing condition' in
    subsequent years, and therefore exclude ongoing treatment for recurring or
    chronic conditions.
    

Embrace Pet Insurance is exhibiting at the HR Star conference in San Francisco on July 18, 2007.

Why is pet insurance necessary?

Incredible advances in veterinary medicine and higher expectations of veterinarians by doting 'pet parents' have spawned new treatments for pet diseases and injuries that might have previously been fatal. But they can cost thousands of dollars. As a result, millions of dog and cat owners often face a horrible dilemma: either struggle to pay a huge vet bill or reluctantly euthanize a loved pet.

About Embrace Pet Insurance

Embrace Pet Insurance Agency LLC is a specialist insurance agency headquartered in Mayfield Village, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Embrace was founded by Laura Bennett and Alex Krooglik, pet parents who also happen to be insurance experts, and offers self-serve, customizable pet health insurance for dogs and cats. All policies are underwritten by certain underwriters of Lloyd's of London. Embrace is based on core principles of taking an open and honest approach with its customers that is captured in its Customer Bill of Rights. On the web at Embrace Pet Insurance and the Embrace Pet Insurance blog.

(1) http://www.appma.org/press_industrytrends.asp

Pet Insurance Reviews by Customers

I love to compare products when I'm buying pretty much anything and I love websites that help me out with that. That's probably why I buy many things from Amazon - I know I can count on shopper reviews to give me a perspective on why any particular item is good or bad or just not suited for what I want it for. I might not always buy from Amazon, but I generally always start there. I'm sure you have your own favorite sites too.

So did you know that pet insurance has it's own independent website that has customer reviews on it? No, it's not Amazon, it's Pet Insurance Review. The site lists all the current companies selling pet insurance in the US and Canada, but most importantly it includes customer reviews.

How do you know if the reviews are real? Well, you don't but if there are enough of them all saying one thing or another, you can probably tell if there's some ring of truth to it. We shoppers are pretty savvy about that kind of thing when it comes down to it.

Just so you know, at Embrace we encourage all our claimants to fill in a review when we send out our Explanation of Benefits. And I mean all our claimants. That's everyone, including those claims where we paid out less than was claimed for such as if the claim was for a pre-existing condition that we don't cover or for an illness if it was an accident-only policy. It does happen sometimes.

We stand by what our customers say about us even if they didn't get as much as they claimed for. If we can't do that, what are we in business for?

And no, we never fake a review about ourselves - we don't need to :)

Go put in an Embrace Pet Insurance Review now - whatever you want to say.

Ask Laura: Pawspot pet insurance expert in residence

I've been hanging out over at PawSpot answering questions on pet insurance as their expert in residence. People are asking some well-considered questions, which just goes to show that pet parents looking for pet insurance are smart people who want open and honest answers.

I've had some pretty interesting questions on pre-existing conditions, hip dysplasia, and what to do if you already have a pet insurance policy and want to move to another company, all of which you might be interested in so check it all out on the expert pages at PawSpot.

Press Release: Embrace Pet Insurance Founder Launches Consumer Resource Website; Is Pet Insurance Just for Senior Pets?

Embrace Pet Insurance Founder Launches Consumer Resource Website; Is Pet Insurance Just for Senior Pets?

Four questions for a pet insurance expert, who busts myths with launch of new company.

Mayfield Village, Ohio (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 25, 2007 -- Pet owners care deeply about their canine or feline friend, and spend sizeable chunks of time and cash of nutrition, exercise, furnishings and toys for their pet. But have they thought through the financial responsibility of owning a pet? Probably not, according to Laura Bennett, a leading pet life and health actuary who recently started Embrace Pet Insurance to make it possible for more pet owners to get flexible, affordable dog insurance and cat insurance that delivers on its promises.

What we offer is pet health insurance that functions more like human health insurance in terms of breadth of coverage but allows you to go to any veterinarian, and that gives pet owners what they expect from insurance - reliable coverage that pays.

"We researched what pet owners need from an insurance policy and then designed our entire company around those needs," says Bennett, who counts Barnes and Lily, her two cats among her family members. "What we offer is pet health insurance that functions more like human health insurance in terms of breadth of coverage but allows you to go to any veterinarian, and that gives pet owners what they expect from insurance - reliable coverage that pays."

Bennett has published much of her research on the Embrace Pet Health Insurance website, a destination for pet owners who want to learn about pet insurance, and on her pet insurance blog, where she muses on the pet industry. Bennett also answers pet health and insurance questions from pet owners on her "Ask Laura" website.

Here are some of the most important pet insurance questions that pet owners often ask, and Bennett's answers.

When is the best time to buy pet insurance for my dog or cat?
Laura Bennett: "The best time to buy pet insurance is when your pet is younger but it is not the only time. The younger your pet is when enrolled, the less chance there is of a pre-existing condition preventing your pet from getting full coverage. But just because your pet isn't a puppy or kitten any more doesn't mean you can't get pet insurance. Even if your pet has a pre-existing condition there's still a good chance you can get pet insurance although the company may require a statement from your veterinarian stating that a particular condition is cured."

Can I get pet insurance for a senior dog or cat?
Laura Bennett: "Pet insurance companies will usually issue a new policy to pets up to 8 or 10 years old, sometimes older if your pet undergoes a medical. You may also have to provide annual medical reports to keep your pet insured. Your premium might be higher than that of a younger pet, and some pre-existing conditions may be excluded. The best thing is to enroll your pet when she's young and healthy and avoid pre-existing conditions."

My pet is well now and I look after her. Do I really need to buy pet insurance?
Laura Bennett: "This is precisely when you should buy pet insurance, right when your pet is well and has no pre-existing conditions. If you wait until after your pet becomes sick, you are too late to cover that sickness. No matter how well your pet is today, there is always a chance that your pet will get sick or injured, which is when you actually need protection."

Can I get coverage for routine care such as vaccinations and spaying/neutering?
Laura Bennett: "It's important to consider what insurance is for: to protect you against unknown conditions that come without warning and can have a serious impact on your family finances. That's when pet insurance has the most positive impact. You can plan for routine care costs and we recommend pet parents put aside money to cover these expenses, not buy insurance to cover them. We opted to focus on pet insurance for expensive, unpredictable situations that average people cannot easily afford."

About Embrace Pet Insurance
Embrace Pet Insurance Agency LLC is a specialist insurance agency headquartered in Mayfield Village, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Embrace was founded by Laura Bennett and Alex Krooglik, pet parents who also happen to be insurance experts, and offers self-serve, customizable pet health insurance for dogs and cats. All policies are underwritten by certain underwriters of Lloyd's of London. Embrace is based on core principles of taking an open and honest approach with its customers that is captured in its Customer Bill of Rights. On the web at Embrace Pet Insurance and the Embrace Pet Insurance blog.

Media contact:
Tim Cox, ZingPR
+1-650-369-7784

Ask Laura: cancellation wording in our Terms and Conditions

We've had a couple of questions about the cancellation clause in our terms and conditions so here is the wording we have with some comments interspersed.

CANCELLATION

You may cancel this certificate by writing to us and stating the future date that you wish the cancellation to be effective.

We may cancel this certificate at any time within the first sixty (60) days of the initial Period of Insurance.

To cancel this certificate, we will mail you a notice of cancellation to the named insured shown on the application at the last known address shown in our records. If we cancel this certificate within the first sixty (60) days after the Effective Date, notice of cancellation will be mailed at least thirty (30) days before the Effective Date of the cancellation.

After this certificate has been in effect for more than sixty (60) days, notice of cancellation due to any reason other than nonpayment of premium will be mailed at least sixty (60) days before the effective date of cancellation. If we cancel this certificate at any time due to nonpayment of premium, notice of cancellation will be mailed at least ten (10) days before the Effective Date of the cancellation.

After this certificate is in effect for more than sixty (60) days, or if this is a renewal or continuation certificate, we may only cancel for one or more of the following reasons:

1. You fail to pay your premium by the due date in accordance with the certificate terms. [if you don't pay, we can't cover you – but you do have a 30-day grace period if your credit card plays up or something]
2. The certificate was obtained through a material misrepresentation in your application, the content of which is specifically incorporated into and as a material term of this certificate. [ e.g. if you say your dog is mixed breed and it's actually a purebred dog (the premiums might be very different), then we can cancel]
3. The risk originally accepted has measurably increased. [see discussion below]
4. We have agreed to issue a new certificate with the same or an affiliated company. [we are reissuing your certificate for some reason, perhaps if we changed underwriters and this is a requirement of the transaction instead of waiting until your policy renews]
5. The Department of Insurance relevant to the state the certificate is governed by determines that continuation of the certificate could place us in violation of the state's insurance laws. [required by the Department of Insurance just in case they change the rules on us]
6. You fail to comply with the certificate terms and conditions in a manner that prejudices or negatively impacts our ability to properly assess or evaluate the claim or other material rights we have under the certificate. [ e.g. you refuse to give us your pet's health history so we can underwrite your claim appropriately]

With respect to cancellation, this certificate is neither severable nor divisible. Any cancellation will be effective for all Coverage for all persons and all Pets. If this certificate is canceled, Coverage will not be provided as of the effective date and time shown on the notice of cancellation.

Item 3 is the one that looks the most unfriendly so I wanted to give you an example. I had to pick one for auto insurance since for the life of me, I couldn't come up with one for pet insurance but I wanted you to see what it's all about.

If we insured dump trucks under normal use and suddenly the US Government conscripted them all to help clean up an environmental spill, we could cancel the policy mid-term. In that situation, the risk has measurably changed from what we priced the policy for [of course, we do not sell dump truck insurance so do not call me for that!]

So in summary, this clause applies to overall risk characteristics of a homogeneous group, not to a specific policy within that group.

Hopefully that clarifies some of the mystery around the cancellation clause.

Embrace Pet Insurance: We Brought Our Dogs to Work Today

It's Take Your Dog To Work Day today and we have a few of our favorite pups in the office.

Daisy, a Yorkshire Terrier (we think) with Belinda

Jakobe, a mix (we guess Newfie-Husky) with Chris

Lyger, a mix (we guess a Labrador-Chow) with Lea

And now, we're going to have hot dogs for lunch - yum! Any pictures you would like to share with us of dogs at your work?

How Embrace got its name

I tell this story a lot when I'm talking about Embrace and thought you'd like to hear it too...

It was July 2003 and Alex and I had just founded our new pet insurance company out of the pet insurance team that won the Wharton Business Plan Competition in April 2003. We sat around some coffee in the Au Bon Pain cafe at Wharton and we brainstormed all sorts of what we thought were clever and original names:

• Savannah Pet Insurance (hmmm, images of mint juleps and muggy nights on the front porch)
• Magenta Pet Insurance (female oriented - not quite pink but nearly)
• Casanova Pet Insurance (don't ask - the coffee must have been spiked)
• Merrylegs Pet Insurance (a Dicken's character's dog)
• Marigold Pet Insurance (a lovely flower and we all love flowers)

And then we set up a survey in Surveymonkey and passed it on to all the pet parents we knew and asked them to forward to their friends.

Well, as you might imagine, the results were not too stellar. I think the highest score was no more than 2.5 out of 5 - not very encouraging at all. But the message from the write-in comments was that we reflect the emotional bond between pet parent and pet. Alex and I looked at each other and Alex said, I dunno, how about Embrace? and I helpfully added "Angel", both of which we grimaced at - how touchy feely they were!

So we resurveyed with Embrace Pet Insurance and Angel Pet Insurance and wouldn't you know it, Embrace blew away the competition. I think the average was something in the high 4's - it was unanimous, Embrace Pet Insurance was our new name.

I have to admit, I was a bit dismayed and should I say a little bit embarrassed to tell people what the new name was for the first couple of days but I got back such a powerfully positive response, it didn't take long for me to love the name and realize how well it works.

From the dictionary:

embrace em·brace [ em bráyss ]

verb (past and past participle em·braced, present participle em·brac·ing, 3rd person present singular em·brac·es)
Definition:

1. transitive and intransitive verb hug somebody: to hug somebody in your arms affectionately or passionately, or hug each other affectionately or passionately
2. transitive verb make use of something: to welcome and take advantage of something eagerly or willingly embrace an opportunity
3. transitive verb adopt something: to adopt or take up something, especially a belief or way of life embraced free-market economics
4. transitive verb comprise something: to include something as part of a whole a new electoral district embracing both suburban and urban areas
5. transitive verb surround something: to surround or enclose something ( literary ) ( often passive )

noun (plural em·brac·es)

Definition: warm hug: an affectionate or passionate hug [14th century. < Old French embracer "take into your arms" < Latin bracchium "arm"]

em·brace·able adjective
em·brace·ment noun
em·brac·er noun

It's perfect in all ways don't you think?

So the lesson we learned is to ask our customers their advice when it comes to big decisions. We've been steered right so far.

Ask Laura: what is pre-certification?

A question came up from a potential policyholder last week on our description of the pre-certification process in our Terms and Conditions. To paraphrase her question:

What is the pre-certification process all about? In your terms and conditions, it is confusing because it looks like it's optional but then it seems to imply it's mandatory. What's the real story?

Answer:

Yes, you are right. The way we have it written now is confusing and we've cleaned that up. Here is the new wording:

PRE-CERTIFICATION FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF PROCEDURES

To avoid coverage surprises, we strongly encourage you to complete a pre-certification form and submit it to us before your Veterinary Provider orders any of the following procedures:

(1) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan,
(2) computer-aided tomography (CT) scan,
(3) partial or complete hip replacement,
(4) tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO),
(5) home visits because your Pet is unable to travel to the usual location of the Veterinarian,
(6) any time the anticipated costs of a course of Treatment are expected to go over US$1,000.

We will let you know how much of the Treatment is covered under the terms and conditions of your certificate within 5 working days of receiving your Pet’s full medical history and the itemized estimated charges and procedures in question, and a completed pre-certification form signed and dated by your Veterinarian.

In case of a medical emergency, please contact us as soon as possible after Treatment has begun if you would like to request a pre-certification.

So, the answer to the question - is it required or not - no, it is not but we recommend you do it just so you know upfront where you stand for larger claims.

Guest Blogger: Yvonne Divita, Lipsticking, Scratchings and Sniffings blogs, among others

A continuation of the guest blogger series, Me, My Pet, and I, where I ask bloggers to reveal their pet-loving side... This entry is from Yvonne Divita.

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I've been a pet lover since I was a child. I think most pet lovers start at an early age. But, I adopted pets (at least in my imagination, my Mom wasn't really into a whole house full of pets, just one cat and dog at a time, thank you) because I was lonely. We moved a lot when I was very young, and I always felt a bit out of place whenever we ended up someplace new. It seemed that the cat and dog were the only ones who cared.

As time went on, I received a dog of my very own, as opposed to being the 'family' pet, when I was 12. For 10 years she went everywhere with me. I do mean everywhere (except school). People knew that if they invited me over, I'd have the dog with me.

Today, I have a delightful Tabby cat named Wabby Wibby (that's short for baby kitty), and a warm, hugable German Shepard mix, named Carmel. They are my constant companions - around the house, anyway. I have to admit that the cat is an indoor cat. She does not go outside at all (though she pokes her nose out the back when we leave the screen open to call Carmel in). And Carmel only goes out with us on a leash. Which is daily, or twice a day. I cannot allow her to go with me 'everywhere' as I did the dog of my youth. Since starting my own business, I am out quite a bit - and Carmel would not like the office buildings, coffee shops, and such that I do business in.

Or, maybe she would! I guess I won't know, as I seldom take her in the car. She gets car sick!!!

Both Wabby and Carmel are 'elderly' now. They have their aches and pains (like I do!) and I give them vitamins and attention and special food. I expect them to be around for many more years, as long as I care for them just as I would care for my kids. Except, my kids are all gone and on their own, now. The dog and cat (and my sweet hubby-to-be, Tom) are all I have left. My son has asked me, "What will you do when... they're gone?" As if he thinks it could happen any day now.

Well, I don't like to go there. I don't have a clue... cause I don't imagine them gone, ever. They've been with me for over 12 years, both of them. They're fixtures in our household. They're more than companions - they're little parts of me. I cannot imagine losing them. So, I don't. They also provide a lot of fodder for my newest venture, a petblog I write for Purina, over at www.scratchingsandsniffings.com. But, of course!

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Small business and marketing expert Yvonne DiVita is the author of Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online (AuthorHouse, 2004), as well as president and founder of WMEBooks.com, an author services company that helps authors write, produce, print and market books using print-on-demand technology. She maintains a company blog, a blog focusing on marketing to women, and pet lovers blog . She is the president of the Rochester Professional Consultants Network, vice president of sponsorship at RAMA (the Rochester chapter of the American Marketing Association), and is a member of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), NAFE (National Association of Female Executives) and RWN (Rochester Women's Network). A frequent public speaker, Yvonne has been interviewed on WS.radio.com (a division of Entrepreneur.com), ABC, and on business blogs and Web sites. She is a strong advocate for women, entrepreneurs, and network-building via the Web.

Itchmo article on pet insurance

Way cool! Emily at the super cool blog Itchmo has done a small write up on pet insurance including Embrace Pet Insurance.

Itchmo gained A-list status amongst pet-related blogs with their coverage of the pet food recall and they continue to do further investigative reporting, having several bags of pet food tested and finding some interesting results. Check out more details in this article (side note: what is a responsible pet parent to do? The issues around the pet food food chain are incredibly concerning).

Back to cat and dog insurance thought. Thanks Emily, we really appreciate the mention!