Which Pet Insurance Covers Pre-existing Conditions?
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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.
