Is There Pet Insurance That Covers Pre-Existing Conditions?

Will Your Pet’s Illness be Covered by a New Pet Insurance Policy?

A common question that pet owners ask when shopping for a pet insurance policy is whether pre-existing conditions are covered. The question most frequently comes up after a dog or cat becomes ill or is diagnosed with a condition that results in a large vet bill and then a pet owner wants to consider pet insurance to avoid future vet bills.

When you buy pet insurance, you want to make sure that it protects all of your pet’s needs. Learn more about how pet insurance works in this article and how pet insurance companies treat pre-existing conditions.

What Are Pre-existing Conditions in Dogs and Cats

When you are shopping for a pet insurance policy, it is important to know what is covered but it can be critical to know what is NOT covered. First, let’s look at what a pre-existing condition is.

According to most pet insurance companies, a pre-existing condition is defined as a medical condition that first occurred or showed symptoms prior to the start of a pet insurance policy or during the pet insurance waiting period. Pre-existing conditions may include things like a stubborn limp that has been present since birth or a cough that shows up a few days before you purchase a policy.

We researched some pet insurance plans to determine how each handled the issue of pre-existing conditions. The information below comes directly from the individual pet insurance sites at the time of this writing. To ensure you have the most current information possible, please consult with the pet insurance company you are researching before you sign a policy.

How Pet Insurance Companies Handle Pre-existing Conditions

Below is information about how some common pet insurance companies handle pre-existing conditions:

Petplan Pet Insurance: According to Petplan, “Like all pet insurance providers, Petplan cannot cover a medical condition which first occurred or showed clinical sign(s) or symptoms before the effective date of your policy or during the policy waiting period.”

ASPCA Pet Insurance: According to ASPCA, “No pet insurance provider covers pre-existing conditions, though each may define a pre-existing condition differently. We define a pre-existing condition as a health problem that occurs before coverage is effective or during a waiting period. However, we will no longer consider a condition to be pre-existing if your pet has been cured of it and without treatment for it or symptoms of it for 180 days.”

Embrace Pet Insurance: According to the Embrace website, “No pet insurance company covers pre-existing conditions, but a pre-existing condition will never prevent you from obtaining pet insurance coverage. Whether your pet’s pre-existing condition is curable or not will determine your coverage options for that condition. Embrace is one of the few companies that distinguishes between curable and incurable pre-existing conditions, allowing for the greatest long-term coverage. Before signing up, it is important to understand what pre-existing conditions your pet insurance company deems curable or incurable. Curable pre-existing conditions may be covered if the pet goes 12 months symptom-free while incurable pre-existing conditions will never be covered.”

Nationwide: According to the Nationwide Pet Insurance, previously Veterinary Pet insurance or VPI, website, “A pre-existing condition is basically any illness or injury that your pet had before coverage started. The good news is, not all pre-existing conditions are excluded permanently. If you have medical records from your vet showing that your pet’s condition has been cured for at least six months, you may be able to get it covered.”

Healthy Paws: According to the Healthy Paws website, “Pre-existing conditions are excluded. A pre-existing condition means that the condition first occurred or showed clinical signs or symptoms (there doesn’t need to be a diagnosis) before your pet’s coverage started, including waiting periods. Healthy Paws excludes pre-existing conditions from coverage as do all pet insurance companies.”

What to Ask Your Insurance Provider

If you suspect your pet has any pre-existing conditions that may affect their ability to get coverage, talk to your preferred pet insurance provider before purchasing a policy to ensure that they are covered. For most companies researched, it would be expected that if a condition was curable, it could be covered. For example, if your dog had a laceration that healed, it should be covered if your dog were to get a different laceration. However, if your pet has diabetes, it will not be covered by any pet insurance company. In additions, conditions relating to diabetes may not be covered.

Is Your Pet Insurable if there is a Pre-existing Condition?

Many pet owners want to know if their pet is insurable. The answer is probably yes. There are some limitations on ages with some companies and some companies won’t cover senior pets. Other pet insurance companies will cover senior pets.

Just because your pet has a pre-existing condition does NOT mean that your pet is not insurable. It means that if you get a pet insurance policy after your pet has diabetes, diabetes, and things relating to diabetes will not be covered. However, if your diabetic dog gets hit by a car or cuts his paw, those problems will be insured to the limits of your policy.

For this exact reason, it is important to try to get your pet insurance policy while you pet is young and healthy and therefore everything is covered. Learn more about this exact topic in this article – When is the Best Time to Get Pet Insurance for Your Dog. or When is the Best Time to Get Pet Insurance for Your Cat?

Additional Articles of Interest Relating to Pet Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions:

• How Much Should You Expect For Dog Vet Costs?
• Does Medicaid Pays for Your Pet’s Costs?
• Are Pet Wellness Plans More Affordable than Insurance?
• What is Pet Insurance?
• Employee Benefits: Pet Insurance
• How Does Pet Insurance Work?
• When is the Best Time to Get Pet Insurance for Your Cat?
• Questions To Ask When Choosing A New Vet
• One Dog, Three Vet Visits – Pet Insurance Helps!
• How to Have a Trauma-Free Veterinary Visit for Your Cat
• What It Costs to Own a Cat
• Pet Insurance: What It Covers & What It Doesn’t
• Factors to Consider Before You Compare Pet Insurance Policies
• A Major Investment: The Costs Associated with Dog Ownership
• Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics vs. Your Local Vet

Is Pet Insurance Right For You?

Can you afford a $1,000 vet bill? Medical care for pets, including emergency care, diagnostic tests and treatment options, is becoming increasingly more sophisticated and more expensive.

Did You Know? 4 out of 5 pets will have a medical emergency in their lifetime, and every six seconds a pet owner will face a veterinary bill of $1,000 or more.

Visit PetPartners and get a quote today to see if pet insurance is right for you.