Canine Orthopedic Exam & Waiver Process

When you purchase an Embrace policy for your dog the standard waiting period for orthopedic issues is 6 months (for other accidents and illnesses it is 14 days). You may be able to reduce it to 14 days if you take him to your veterinarian for an Orthopedic Exam.

The orthopedic exam must occur after you purchase your policy.

What Exactly Is an Orthopedic Exam?

It is an examination your veterinarian performs on your dog's skeleton, joints, and ligaments to see if he has any orthopedic issues.

Your vet will record the results of the exam on the Embrace Ortho Exam Report Card and will include the following areas:

• The hips and legs for signs of hip dysplasia, luxating patellas (slipping knee caps) and cruciate ligament tears
• The shoulders and forelimbs for signs of elbow dysplasia and osteochondritis dissecans
• The spine for signs of intevertebral disc disease
• All joints for signs of arthritis
• All bones for signs of fractures and bone cancers

No other diagnostic tests or procedures such as X-rays are required, just a physical exam.

When Can I Get an Orthopedic Exam?

Any time from the day your policy starts (the day after you bought your policy). If the examination is performed within the first 14 days, your orthopedic waiting period will be reduced to 14 days. If it's past the 14 days, your waiting period is reduced down to the day of your Orthopedic Exam.

Unfortunately we cannot accept examinations carried out before your policy's official start date.

What Exactly Do I Need To Do?

• Print out a copy of the Canine Orthopedic Exam Report Card that you got when you signed up
• Arrange for your veterinarian to examine your dog. Have your veterinarian complete and sign the form.
• Fax the completed and signed form to us toll-free at (800) 511-9172.

We will acknowledge receipt of the form and let you know where your orthopedic waiting period stands.

What If I Don't Like the Outcome?

There are several possible outcomes of an orthopedic examination.

• Your veterinarian finds there are no orthopedic issues to report. Great! Your waiting period is reduced to 14 days or the date of the examination.
• Your veterinarian reports that your dog has one or more orthopedic issues. For the unaffected areas, your waiting period is reduced to 14 days or the date of the examination if later. For the affected areas, there are two possibilities:
  
  
  • The conditions are permanent (e.g. a prior broken bone) or chronic (e.g. a luxating patella). These conditions are not curable and will be permanently excluded from your dog's coverage.
  • The conditions could be temporary and might be covered at a later date. For example, if your veterinarian finds laxity in a 3 month old dog's hips, that is not unusual for a young dog and not necessarily a sign of hip dysplasia. Once the hips show normal development with age and the laxity disappears, we will consider covering this dog's hips again.

  If your pet's medical history review reveals there are pre-existing conditions that impact his coverage in such a way that you don't wish to continue the policy, take advantage of our 30-day money-back guarantee. Embrace offers this unconditional back guarantee to all new customers.

  If your medical history review is conducted after the first 30 days of your policy term and you choose to discontinue your policy then we will issue you a refund of unused premium.

  Is The Cost Of The Exam Covered By My Policy?

  No, it is not covered by your insurance policy but if you choose an Embrace Wellness Rewards plan then this will reimburse you for the exam.

  What Does the Canine Orthopedic Exam Report Look Like?