Pet Health Insurance and Pre-Existing Conditions

The best way to assert independence is through knowledge. Pets get sick, just like people, and just like health insurance for people, pet insurance doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions…or do they? It’s more complicated than a simple yes or no answer. That’s why epetsure is devoting this blog post, in honor of Pet Owner’s Independence Day, to pre-existing conditions, and how the various pet insurance companies view them. It’s also important to note that pets with pre-existing conditions can be covered, and it’s only their pre-existing condition that may be excluded from coverage.

Obviously, no insurance company covers pre-existing conditions. But wait, don’t stop reading yet, because we’ve yet to define what a pre-existing condition is, and the types there are.

To be certain, a pre-existing condition is any kind of injury or illness that occurred, showed signs or symptoms of, or was diagnosed prior to enrollment and/or the waiting period. Unfortunately, a pre-existing condition does not have to be diagnosed in order to be classified as pre-existing. If you and/or your veterinarian knew about it or witnessed its signs or symptoms, then it is automatically considered a pre-existing condition.

Now first, let’s talk about the curable kind. This includes a broken bone, kennel cough, and other ailments that require medical attention but can be treated and cured, without recurrence. Most pet insurance companies will consider covering these types of pre-existing conditions if they have been cured, and are not showing any signs or symptoms for an expressed period of time. How much time?

That depends.

For 24PetWatch, it’s 24 months prior to the policy coverage effective date. For Trupanion, it’s 18 months prior to the enrollment and waiting periods. Embrace requires only 12 months, Nationwide is 6 months, and Pet First will consider a pre-existing condition if they are given written notice and full documentation on it within the first 30 days of enrollment.

It’s also important to note that hereditary and congenital conditions are not the same as pre-existing conditions, and are therefore considered separately. 24PetWatch, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Embrace, Figo and Healthy Paws all cover hereditary and congenital conditions, although some limitations may apply so it is best to check with the provider for any exclusions or provisions.

So, what about the other kind of pre-existing condition?

If your pet has already been diagnosed with a pre-existing condition that is not easily cured, then it will not be covered by any pet insurance plan. There are still a few options to consider:

1. Pet Assure offers a 25% discount on all veterinary bills. However, you must work with a vet in their network.
2. CareCredit offers a credit card that provides no short-term finance charges for up to 24 months on out of pocket veterinary expenses.

Of course the best advice we can offer all pet parents is to get pet health insurance as soon as possible, while your pet is healthy. That way, when something does happen, or your pet gets sick, all expenses covered in your chosen plan will be included.

epetsure offers a comprehensive list of all pet health insurance companies, as well as competitive pricing for their currently available plans. Please feel free to browse through our site and contact us with any questions.