Which Pet Insurance Covers Pre-existing Conditions?
- Injuries, illnesses, dental illnesses
- Veterinary fees
- Surgeries and emergency care
- Cancer treatment
- Advertising/rewards for lost or stolen pets
Fetch Pet Insurance offers a single, comprehensive plan that covers accidents and illnesses with annual coverage limits of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. Reimbursement options are 70%, 80%, and 90%, and deductibles vary from $300, $500 or $700*, adjusted based on the pet's age (age-based deductible).
Fetch Pet Insurance includes extensive coverage for various medical needs, including prescription medications, emergency visits, surgeries, and breed-specific issues like hip dysplasia. Fetch also provides unique benefits such as coverage for every tooth and treatment for behavioral issues. The optional wellness add-on enhances coverage, including annual exams, vaccinations, and dental cleanings.
Fetch stands out due to its extensive dental coverage and the inclusion of sick-visit exam fees, which many competitors do not cover. A unique Healthy Pet Credit can reduce premiums by up to 30% for pets with no claims over two years. Compared to other companies like Trupanion, Fetch's maximum annual limit of $15,000 may seem limited, but it provides a balanced option between cost and coverage.
- Complete sick visits are covered
- Exam fees are included, which saves you around $50-$250 per sick visit
- Comprehensive dental and behavioural treatments (often excluded by other insurers)
- Healthy Pet Credit reduces premiums over time by up to 30% for pets with no claims over two years
- Extensive Dental Coverage for every tooth and related issue, unlike many competitors
- Breed-specific issues covered
- No Multi-Pet Discount
- Annual limit is capped at $15,000
- No Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions
- Not available in New Brunswick and Quebec
- No per-incident or lifetime caps
- Short waiting periods for faster coverage activation
- Optional wellness coverage available for routine care
- Low $100 deductible for affordable out-of-pocket costs
- Multi-pet discounts available
Spot Pet Insurance offers both Accident & Illness and Accident Only plans with annual coverage limits of $5,000, $10,000, or unlimited. Reimbursement rates range from 70% to 90%, and deductibles from $100 to $300 are adjusted based on the pet's age. The Accident & Illness plan covers vet exam fees, surgeries, diagnostics, and alternative therapies. Spot also offers two wellness plans that can be added to any plan, covering routine and preventive care.
Spot's flexibility in plan options and coverage makes it ideal for pet owners looking for customizable insurance. Compared to other insurers, Spot has shorter waiting periods for coverage activation, making it a more favourable option.
- Customizable Plans to suit different needs
- Wellness Plan Options: Includes routine and preventive care
- No Per-Incident or Lifetime Caps: Unlimited annual limit option available
- High Trustpilot Rating of 4.7, indicating high customer satisfaction
- Shorter Waiting Periods; faster coverage activation compared to other insurers
- Multi-Pet Discount
- No Coverage for Dental Illnesses
- Age-Based Deductibles
- Not Available in Quebec
- Accidents and illnesses
- Exam fees and taxes
- Hereditary conditions
- Multi-pet discount
Pets Plus Us Pet Insurance offers two comprehensive plans: Accident & Illness and Accident Only. The Accident & Illness plan provides coverage options of $7,500 or $15,000, while the Accident Only plan offers a coverage limit of $5,000. Pets Plus Us is among the few providers that provide an accident-only plan.
For the Accident & Illness plan, you can choose reimbursement rates of 70%, 80%, or 90% of the veterinary bill, including taxes. The Accident Only plan has a reimbursement rate set at 80%. Deductibles range from $100 to $700 and are age-based, adjusting as your pet grows older. The 4Life Guarantee ensures that your pet’s benefits are renewed continuously throughout their lifetime. Pets Plus Us covers all breeds and breed-associated health conditions, except pre-existing conditions.
Additional benefits include boarding fees, holiday trip cancellations, and lost pet advertising. Pets Plus Us offers a multi-pet discount, making it attractive for households with multiple pets. The coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions and a shorter waiting period for accidents and illnesses sets it apart from many competitors. Notably, Costco Pet Insurance is offered through Pets Plus Us. If you're a Costco member, you can get up to 15% off on your Costco Pet Insurance premiums.
- Unique benefits like 24/7 PetHelpFone and a Compassionate Care Line
- Up to 15% discount for insuring multiple pets
- Short Waiting Periods compared to many competitors
- Coverage for breed-specific hereditary conditions
- Coverage for boarding fees and trip cancellations due to pet emergencies
- Accident-Only Plan option
- Costco members (Costco Pet Insurance) earn between 10% and 15% off
- BCAA Pet Insurance and CAA Pet Insurance are also offered through Pets Plus Us
- BCAA and CAA members get up to 13.5% off
- Does Not Cover Pre-Existing Conditions
- Age-based deductibles increase as pets age, which can raise costs over time
- No unlimited coverage option
- Does not cover wellness or preventive care, unless Flex Care is added
- Care and intervention
- Diseases and accidents
- Advertising/reward for a lost or stolen pet
- Direct payment by veterinarians at participating veterinary hospitals
Trupanion Pet Insurance offers a single, straightforward plan with unlimited annual coverage and a 90% reimbursement rate. Deductibles range from $0 to $1,000 and are per medical condition for the pet's lifetime, which can significantly lower out-of-pocket costs. Coverage includes new and unexpected injuries and illnesses, hereditary and congenital conditions, and advanced treatments like surgeries and hospital stays.
Trupanion's Vet Direct Pay system, which allows for direct payment to veterinarians, sets it apart from competitors like PHI Direct and Sonnet. However, it does not cover wellness care, exam fees, or preventive care.
- Unlimited Coverage as there are no annual or lifetime limits on coverage
- 90% reimbursement rates
- Direct Vet Payments
- Customizable Deductibles: from $0 to $1,000 per condition
- Coverage for Advanced Treatments including surgeries, hospital stays, and hereditary conditions
- 24/7 Support offering round-the-clock customer care
- Advanced Dentistry
- Routine care and wellness treatments are not included
- Exam fees are not covered under the policy
- More expensive than some competitors, like PHI Direct
- Illness and accidents
- Dental care included
- Behavioural therapy
- Exams fees
PHI Direct Pet Insurance provides a simple plan with annual coverage options of $5,000 or $10,000, an 80% reimbursement rate, and a low deductible of $200. This plan covers a range of treatments, including accidents, illnesses, and emergency care, making it a cost-effective choice for pet owners. It also includes coverage for behavioural therapy, dental fractures, and diagnostics.
PHI Direct is notable for its affordability, with lower premiums than many competitors. According to the 2021 North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) Industry Data Report, PHI Direct's average premiums are approximately 45.8% less for dogs and 37.7% less for cats compared to other insurers. However, it does not cover wellness care or pre-existing conditions, and it is not available in Quebec.
- Premiums are significantly lower than other insurers, making it a budget-friendly option
- Low Deductible: $200 deductible is lower than many competitors
- Coverage includes a wide range of treatments and emergency care
- Covers treatments for behavioural issues
- Does Not Cover Pre-Existing Conditions
- Maximum coverage is $10,000 per year
- Not Available in Quebec
Navigating pet insurance can be a daunting task, especially regarding pre-existing conditions—an area that can leave pet owners feeling financially vulnerable. But here's a secret: even if your furry friend has a pre-existing condition, there are ways pet insurance can work for you.
Confused? We'll show you how. So buckle up as we take you through a comprehensive guide on pre-existing conditions, how insurers determine them, and unveil the providers who cover these ailments. This guide will empower you to make informed decisions and discover the true possibilities of pet insurance no matter what your pet's medical history may be.
Pet Insurance pre-existing conditions: Key takeaways
- Most pet insurance companies do not cover pre-existing conditions.
- Insurance providers often require a vet examination before determining coverage.
- Curable pre-existing conditions may be covered if sufficient time has passed without symptoms.
- Insuring pets while young increases the chances of coverage for future health issues.
- Pet owners should compare policies on pre-existing conditions before making a decision.
What are pre-existing conditions?
Generally speaking, pre-existing conditions are any health problems that a vet diagnosed as occurring, existing temporarily or showing symptoms before the beginning of coverage, including the waiting period after signing the insurance policy.
Insurance providers commonly request and review a pet’s medical history before specifying the monthly premium that you’ll have to pay and what pre-existing conditions aren’t covered.
Usually, at this stage, pet insurance providers request a full examination of your pet by a vet, so even if your pet has never been to the vet, you’ll have to take them before purchasing pet insurance.
If you are looking for pet insurance to cover pre-existing conditions such as an injury or an illness, you must first understand the three broad categories insurers use to classify medical conditions: curable conditions, incurable (chronic) conditions and bilateral injuries.
Curable Pre-existing Conditions
If your pet had a medical issue that was resolved, many insurers will still insure that condition, as long as enough time has passed without any resurfacing symptoms. The waiting period for curable conditions, often called temporary exclusion, varies from insurer to insurer.
For example, Fetch pet insurance protects your pet against a curable condition as long as they have no symptoms for 12 months after signing the policy. The cured, pre-existing condition is then covered moving forward.
Here are some examples of common, curable pre-existing conditions:
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and bladder infections
- Ear infections
- Kennel cough and other respiratory infections
- Vomiting, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal issues
Incurable Pre-existing Conditions
If a pre-existing condition is deemed chronic (incurable), insurers will not cover it because of the likelihood of recurrence. Such conditions often need several visits to the vet, continued medication and even surgery, which is why they are excluded from coverage.
Expert advice
Insuring your pets while they are still young and healthy increases your chances of them being covered for any health issue that may arise later!
The pre-existing conditions that pet insurances consider incurable include:
- Allergies
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Heart Disease
- Hip dysplasia
- Organ diseases
- Orthopedic conditions
- Epilepsy
- Kidney disease
Bilateral Conditions
Bilateral conditions are any illness or injury that can affect both sides of the body, for example, knee joint issues can happen to each knee separately. Many insurance companies consider bilateral conditions as pre-existing and likely to reoccur, so they do not cover them.
If your pet has a health problem that occurs on one side of their body, it will not be covered if it emerges on the other side of their body. Problems with joints, such as hip dysplasia or cruciate ligament tears are examples of bilateral conditions that lead to exclusions in insurance policies.
However, if your pet experiences a bilateral condition for the first time after coverage starts then that issue (and any related issue after that) will be covered.
You could use our comparator below to get a quick quote on the best pet insurance and also see if they cover pre-existing conditions:
Compare the best pet insurance plans on the market!
Does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
The overwhelming majority of companies, be it the best pet insurances in Ontario or the top providers in BC, do not cover pre-existing conditions. Some insurers even fail to cover hereditary or congenital conditions.
Even if your pet wasn’t formally diagnosed by a vet, the insurance company may still refuse to cover them if they had symptoms or signs of a condition before the start of coverage.
For example
Jess is a French Bulldog whose owner recently purchased pet insurance. Before coverage began, Jess started to shake her head every once in a while as though something was bothering her. It got worse over time, and her owner finally decided to take her to the vet. She was diagnosed with an ear infection, but the insurance company considered the condition pre-existing due to the early symptom, so Jess’s owner had to pay for treatment out of pocket.
Considering that the cost of owning a dog or cat is quite significant, your pet should be insured as early as possible to ensure maximum protection.
However, a pre-existing health issue does not mean your pet cannot have pet insurance. Finding pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions might be difficult, but it’s not impossible.
Watch out!
Most pet insurance policies have a waiting period between signing the contract and the actual start of coverage. If your pet suffers an injury or gets sick during the waiting period, it is considered pre-existing and is therefore not covered.
What pet insurance covers pre-existing conditions?
The difficult reality is that most pet insurers do not cover any injuries or illnesses that occurred before the beginning of a policy. Pet insurance does not cover chronic (incurable) conditions that the pet already has before the coverage starts. Conditions such as allergies, cancer, diabetes and hip dysplasia are examples of chronic conditions that most insurance companies will not cover.
However, some pet insurance companies cover curable pre-existing conditions as long as enough time has passed without symptoms or need for treatment. These could be infections, vomiting and diarrhea.
For example, CAA and OVMA pet insurance both allow you to review a curable condition exclusion as long as your pet is symptom-free for 6 months to a year, depending on the condition. For similar conditions, Fetch requires your pet to be symptom-free for 12 months after you purchase the policy.
Expert advice
Always remember to read a policy carefully before you purchase it, so you know exactly what is and isn’t covered in the case of an accident or illness.
You can now compare the best pet insurances and find out if they cover pre-existing conditions using our easy-to-use comparator :
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How do pet insurance companies know about pre-existing conditions?
To determine exactly what pre-existing conditions your pet might have and clarify what is covered by the insurance policy, insurance companies run medical history reviews where they check not just the pet’s medical history but also require a visit to the vet before purchasing the policy.
Providers like OVMA and Trupanion Pet Insurance run such reviews themselves to decide what the pet insurance policy will highlight as potential pre-existing conditions.
Can you lie about pre-existing conditions for pet insurance? If you’re wondering this, well, the screening process makes it difficult. The vet will note and highlight any condition or symptom which will later be excluded from coverage if a related issue occurs.
For example
Bo is a mixed-breed puppy that recently got rescued by his owner during a trip to Portugal. As soon as Bo arrived in Canada, his owner wanted pet insurance, so Bo went to the vet to determine any pre-existing conditions. The report noted that Bo was healthy overall, but the vet noted that Bo licked his paws repeatedly during the visit. A few months later, Bo begins to get a rash around his right paw, so his owner takes him to see the vet. He is diagnosed with allergies. However, even though Bo is within coverage, the clinical signs emerged before the policy kicked in, so any treatment for Bo’s allergies is not covered.
Pet insurance medical history reviews are designed to inform you exactly what is and isn’t covered in your policy, so you’ll know exactly what type of medical issues you’d be responsible for financially. After the review, insurers will often give you the option to cancel the policy if the financial support it provides is insufficient for your needs as a pet owner.
Watch out!
If you are thinking of changing pet insurance for your pet, think about their pre-existing conditions. A new provider means a new medical history review which might mean new pre-existing conditions that your pet’s current pet insurance might cover.
How to find the best pet insurance for a pet with pre-existing issues?
Almost all pets can be insured. Even if your pet has a health issue, you can still get pet insurance that will cover any condition that isn’t related to their already-existent health condition.
Unfortunately, it is rare to find pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions in Canada. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for the best pet insurance for pets with pre-existing conditions.
Get insurance as early as possible
Insurance is there to protect you from burning a hole in your wallet while treating your pet’s unexpected health concerns. The best time to get pet insurance is when your animal is still young before the insurer can pinpoint any future issues. That way, you’ll be sure any health problems that may arise are covered.
Favour preventive medicine
Being preventive is always better than relying on reactive medicine when it comes to your pet’s health (and your wallet’s too). However, only the best pet insurance will cover preventive treatments. It’s worth looking at pet insurance that offers routine checkups and annual examinations.
Keep vaccination up to date
Many insurers will claim negligence and not cover any illnesses that result from a pet not having their vaccines updated. Even the best pet insurance for cats and dogs with pre-existing conditions will not cover unvaccinated animals.
Ask for a review
If your pet insurance policy has a temporary exclusion for a curable pre-existing condition, remember to ask for a review as soon as you can after your pet no longer presents any symptoms.
Compare policies before signing
Although chronic pre-existing conditions are virtually never covered, it is still worth comparing different providers to find the best to cover any other health problems. Keep in mind the deductible and premiums but also the waiting periods and definitions of pre-existing conditions.
Does my pet need to be examined before getting pet insurance?
The simple answer is yes. Your pet will have to be examined at some point. Most pet insurance providers will request access to your pet’s medical records or a full veterinary exam report (and sometimes both). Insurers need such documentation to establish pre-existing conditions and any symptoms before enrolling your pet.
Some insurance companies do not require an examination or records preemptively but demand an annual checkup, where pre-existing conditions will also be established.
Either way, when you file a claim regarding your pet’s health, virtually all insurers will request your pet’s medical records to uncover whether or not symptoms existed before the policy began.
Watch out!
A pet insurance company may refuse your claim if your pet has not had a general check-up exam at the vet in the last year, especially if the period in question includes the time before the start of your coverage.
What if a condition hasn’t been diagnosed yet?
Diagnosis is not required for a condition to be deemed pre-existing. For example, if your kitten was limping on their right leg and the vet was unable to determine a cause and the limping eventually stopped so you stopped worrying.
A year later you get insurance for your cat and a few months after that, they start limping again. This time, the vet takes an x-ray and discovers a fracture. Because the limping began before your cat was covered, the fracture would be considered pre-existing.
Expert advice
Remember to take your pet to the vet for routine examinations. If you do not take your companion to the vet for periodic checkups, insurance providers will often refuse to cover conditions due to negligence.
