How Does Pet Insurance Work
Pet insurance companies may also have general information about preexisting conditions, and you can also ask about any specific conditions your pet is experiencing. Disclosing your pet has preexisting conditions will not prevent them from qualifying for pet insurance.
The best way to reduce issues with preexisting conditions is to purchase a policy for your pets before they have one. Buy a policy while theyre young and healthy so you have the coverage in place as they age. That way, you dont have to worry about most preexisting conditions.
If youre concerned about your pet having a hereditary or congenital condition , review and compare potential pet insurance policies carefully. Some policies will cover hereditary and congenital conditions as long as there are no symptoms or treatments for those conditions before you start the policy. Other policies exclude those conditions.
Anything Else I Should Know About Pre
Covered conditions with incident limits may not be eligible for additional reimbursement. That means if you had an incident that was denied because it exceeded the incident limit you chose for your policy, it would not be eligible for more reimbursement.
Heres an example: You chose a $5,000 incident limit for your policy, and your pet develops cancer. During your first policy year, you submit claims for your pets cancer treatment. Lets say their bills add up to $8,000, so you were only reimbursed the max $5,000 and received an explanation of benefits that said additional items related to the cancer treatment were denied because they exceeded the limit.
Suppose, unfortunately, their cancer continues into the next policy year when your pre-existing coverage kicks in. Claims for your pets cancer treatment will still be ineligible because the denial was due to the incident limit in your policy rather than an issue with the date when symptoms began.
We cant guarantee coverage for every unique situation, but with our new policies, your pet may be more likely to get reimbursement for a condition. Find out more about our policies by exploring our quote tool or calling a member of our customer care team at 1-866-725-2747.
About the AuthorJodie Otter, MSW
What Does Pet Insurance Consider A Pre
A pre-existing condition for cat or dog insurance is typically an illness or injury your pet shows signs of any time before the end of your pet insurance waiting period. This may include conditions not yet diagnosed by a veterinarian. Depending on your pet’s age and health, common pre-existing conditions include any existing health issue, from allergies to heart disease to epilepsy. With Progressive Pet Insurance by Pets Best, curable issues like broken bones and kennel cough typically can be covered outside of waiting periods.
Whether you’re welcoming a new puppy into the family or thinking about pet insurance for an older dog or cat with pre-existing conditions, schedule a wellness appointment with your vet. Be sure to ask about common diseases for the breed. Some breeds, for example, are prone to breathing problems or other serious conditions. Cats can also develop serious health challenges, including cancer, kidney disease, and even diabetes. It may be wise to purchase pet insurance early if your pet will be prone to certain issues later on.
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Can Pet Health Insurance Company Turn You Down For Pre Existing Condition
If a pet has a pre-existing condition, you can still purchase the insurance plan and reduce treatment costs for the medical condition your pet may already have. On the other hand, curable pre-existing conditions may be covered by your pet insurance provider. Good news, right?
But lets be straightforward with this, pre-existing conditions that are curable may be covered only after the waiting period. The condition is present before your pet gets insured, but your pup could recover in time. You will find some of the utmost ordinary pre-existing conditions that are still curable for pets here:
- Diarrhea and gastrointestinal issues.
- Urinary tract infection.
Pets with these conditions will get covered once they have recovered within the policy effective date. On the other hand, there are chronic conditions that are not usually covered by pet insurance plans as expensive to treat. These are the following:
Treatment costs for these chronic pre-existing conditions are no joke. Therefore, its essential to talk to the insurer and understand which states are covered by the policy.
Uk Pet Insurance For Pre
There are four pet insurance companies in the UK that sell pet insurance specifically for pre-existing conditions: ManyPets , Lifetime Pet Cover, VetsMediCover and Petsure. While the good news is that pet owners can now buy cover for pets with pre-existing conditions from these companies, the bad news is that there are stark differences between the different optionsand choosing the wrong plan could mean your pet isn’t covered and you’re on the hook for some hefty vet bills.
Our team at NimbleFins has dug into the details of the different policies and summarised the results, to help you understand how the different plans work. Below we explain the differences in pre-existing condition coverage to help you decide which one is best for you and your petand avoid sub-par coverage.
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Why Is Interest In Pet Insurance Growing
Veterinarians costs are going up as veterinary medicine offers new treatment options and becomes more technologically advanced. Cranial cruciate ligament repair, total hip replacement, chemotherapy, cataract surgery . . . the possibilities for treating our canine pets today are sometimes miraculous and often expensive.
More than 90 percent of APPA survey respondents took their dog for at least one visit to the veterinarian in the last 12 months, with some pet owners saying they made three visits during the year. Consumer spending on veterinary care and medical products has risen every year for the last 20 years.
With dog owners making more visits to the vet, buying more medications, and choosing advanced diagnostics and corrective surgeries, pet insurance sounds like a no-brainer. However, pet insurance is a financial investment, and insurance costs have increased to match the increases in the cost of veterinary care.
The average annual cost for accident and illness coverage was $594 for a dog in 2020, according to NAPHIA. The average annual cost for accident-only coverage was $218. The age and health of your dog, as well as your location and the coverage option you choose will determine the actual cost.
What Pet Insurance May Cover
- Wellness and preventive care: Some policies include this care, while others have it available as an add-on or dont cover it at all. This includes check-ups for your pet and their routine vaccinations.
- Routine medication: Plans vary when it comes to whether routine medications are covered. These medications treat chronic conditions like allergies.
- Alternative therapies: This includes acupuncture, chiropractic care and laser therapy. Some policies include this in the base policy, while others have it as an add-on or dont cover it at all.
- Behavioral issues: This includes diagnosing and treating issues like anxiety.
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Which Pet Insurance Companies Cover Pre
Generally, pet insurance companies do not cover incurable pre-existing conditions such as cancer, diabetes and hip dysplasia. But some pet insurance companies will cover what are considered curable pre-existing conditions, such as bladder infections, diarrhea and ear infections.
Here are examples of pet insurance companies that cover curable pre-existing conditions.
Pet Insurance Does Not Cover Pre
Any pet insurance company does not cover pre-existing conditions, but having a pre-existing ailment will never prohibit you from being eligible for pet insurance coverage.
The extent to which your petâs pre-existing condition is curable will affect the time to which your coverage options for that condition apply.
According to your pet insurance companyâs standards, it is critical to understand whether a pre-existing condition is treatable or not according to your pet insurance companyâs standards.
Curable pre-existing conditions may be covered if the pet is a symptom and treatment-free for 12 months however, pre-existing incurable diseases will never be covered under any circumstances.
It is significant to mention that even if a pet has not been diagnosed with an injury or illness, an insurer may still deny coverage if the pet exhibits any signs or symptoms of an injury or disease before the start of the range,â says Alex Stone.
Suppose your dog was limping before your waiting period and coverage began treatment for the limb would not be covered by your insurance policy.
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When Should I Purchase A Pet Insurance Policy
The best time to purchase a pet insurance policy is when you bring your new furry friend home. The earlier you enroll and the younger your companion, the higher the chance that any condition it develops over time will be covered. Additionally, puppies and kittens are less risky to insure, so your monthly premiums will be lower than if you wait until your pet is older to insure it.
When any of my clients contact me about a new pet coming into the family, the first thing I tell them to do is to get pet insurance, even if they have not brought the pet home yet, said pet expert Dr. Shannon Barrett, veterinarian and owner of Downward Paws. Dr. Barrett explained that pets will inevitably get hurt or sick at some point, and pet insurance can alleviate your worries about treatment-related finances.
How Do Pet Insurance Companies Know About Preexisting Conditions
Some pet insurance companies require a vet exam prior to enrollment in coverage. If not, pet owners are usually asked to submit their pets medical records when they file a claim. One way or another, your pet insurance provider will need to know about your pets medical history, and from that it can determine whether a condition is preexisting.
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Does Lifetime Insurance Cover Pre
Some insurers offer a lifetime cover guarantee. This means that they’ll pay benefits towards treatment for your pet’s chronic and/or recurring conditions as long as you keep your policy.
So as long as you get insurance before your pet has developed any conditions and continue paying premiums, your pet should be covered.
What You Can Do If Your Pet Has A Pre
If your pet has a pre-existing medical condition, here’s what you can do.
Take out a pet insurance policy
While they won’t be covered for the recurrence of a specific illness, for example arthritis, they will still most likely be insured for an unrelated problem, for example an ear infection that develops after your insurance is in full swing.
If your pet has several pre-existing conditions and you’re finding it hard to get cover, one way of minimising your likelihood of being hit with even larger vet bills is to purchase accident-only insurance. This covers a wide variety of health emergencies, ranging from snakebites to fractured bones.
Apply for a review of exclusions
If you’ve been hit with a pre-existing exclusion but your pet has gotten better and shown no signs of the condition for at least 18 months, you may be able to apply for a pre-existing condition review. These are considered temporary conditions and they normally resolve with treatment. However, you will generally find that chronic conditions and some other specified conditions will not be categorised as a temporary condition and will always be excluded from cover.
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How Do I Know If My Pet Has A Pre
You can contact your vet and ask to see your pets medical history. All conditions, treatments and observations will have been recorded.
If you ever need to make a claim, Animal Friends will review your pet’s medical records to assess if the recent injury or illness is related to any pre-existing condition.
Will I Be Covered Immediately
No, unless youve switched to us from another provider. Like most pet insurance policies theres a waiting period at the start. That means theres a short period of time before you can make a claim.
For all our policies the waiting period is two weeks for illnesses and 48 hours for accidents. But if you previously had cover with another pet insurance provider and you switch to us with no break in cover, theres no waiting period and youll have immediate cover.
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What Are Some Pre
A pre-existing condition could be just about anything, but some of the most common are allergies, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and epilepsy. Many congenital conditions, which occur at or before birth, are considered pre-existing conditions if they are diagnosed before you get dog insurance.
Can Symptoms Be Considered Pre
Yes! Even in the absence of a diagnosis, symptoms can also be considered pre-existing conditions if they are documented before a pet is covered. But it also matters if its a symptom of something curable or incurable.
For example, if your pet excessively licks their feet but has not been formally diagnosed with allergies, any claims related to this will likely not be covered. This is because excessive paw licking is considered a common sign of skin allergies, which fall under the category of incurable pre-existing conditions.
On the other hand, if your pet has symptoms of head shaking and ear scratching, which are known signs of ear infections, your policy is likely to cover treatment, as ear infections are deemed curable.
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What Is A Pre
A pre-existing condition is defined as any medical condition that your pet has shown signs of or been diagnosed with before the insurance policys effective date. Here are a few examples:
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Your Pitbull was diagnosed with allergies during the waiting period . As a result, any treatments, such as medications or prescription foods, will not be covered by your pets policy.
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Before you signed up for pet insurance, you took your Siamese cat to the vet, who said that they were showing signs of inflammatory bowel disease . Even though your cat has not yet had testing to confirm a diagnosis, because your kitty had symptoms consistent with IBD, any future diagnostic testing or treatment for this condition will not be covered by their policy.
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Your German Shepherd is more prone to hip dysplasia due to their breed. If your pup does not show any signs of hip dysplasia before the policys effective date, any treatment or diagnostic testing for hip dysplasia is likely to be covered by the policy. However, some policies have specific rules for hereditary conditions like hip dysplasia, such as your pet must be under a certain age when they enroll in the policy, or that it wont be covered if symptoms of hip dysplasia emerge within the first year of coverage. Check the FAQs or the policy for these exclusions.
Congenital Anomalies Or Developmental Disorders
Congenital disorders are medical conditions that are present from birth, whether inherited or caused by the environment. Developmental disorders are problems that come up because of faulty development. Coverage is available on select plans providing the condition is not visible or has not developed to the point where signs or symptoms are apparent.
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What Is The Best Coverage For A Pet With A Preexisting Condition
Despite exclusions for incurable preexisting conditions, there are still pet health insurance providers that will cover your pets medical care going forward.
Here, we will dig into the pet insurance providers that offer coverage for curable preexisting conditions, the requirements needed to qualify and additional factors such as coverage options, waiting periods and deductibles.
Should I Cover A Pet With A Pre
Pets with a pre-existing condition are still eligible for pet insurance and that condition should not stop you from considering coverage. While you may not be able to get reimbursed for treatments related to that particular condition, you can receive payouts for future injuries or illnesses. Complete CoverageSM also covers congenital and hereditary conditions, alternative therapies, and behavioral conditions. In addition, the pre-existing condition may be covered in the future depending on your plan.
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Are Hereditary Conditions Considered Pre
If your dogs hereditary condition presents itself before the policys effective date or during the waiting period, it will be considered pre-existing. However, if symptoms, treatment, or diagnosis dont present until after the policys effective date, its most likely eligible for coverage. Most pet insurance companies cover hereditary conditions in their accident and illness policies as long as theyre not pre-existing.
If Your Pet Has A Pre
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What you need to know
- Pet insurance does not usually automatically cover pre-existing conditions.
- In some cases, if your vet advises that your pet is now fully cured and the condition is no longer relevant to their ongoing health, your pet can get covered for that ailment.
- If you already have pet insurance, and they have an ailment, be careful about switching because it could lead to exclusions.
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Does My Pet Need To Be Examined Before Enrolling
To help identify pre-existing conditions and assess the overall health of your pet, some providers may require proof that your pet has had a full medical exam prior to enrolling in their pet insurance. They may also ask for past veterinary records. The ASPCA Pet Health Insurance program does not require a veterinary exam or any medical records for enrollment.