Dog and cat parents don’t even want to think about their dearest cuddly companions falling ill. However, the sad truth is that at any time, our pets can catch a disease or suffer an accident and injure themselves. That’s why many pet owners purchase pet insurance policies that cover a sizeable part of the expenses linked to their pet’s injury or illness.
One of the best-ranked pet insurances nowadays is Lemonade Pet Insurance.
Embrace Pet insurance offers a health care policy for your pet.
Pet owners that have chronically ill pets are advised to search for pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions. When looking for pet insurance, it’s critical to understand the coverage policy.
Since some providers don’t offer pet insurance for pre-existing conditions, it’s best to settle on one that does.
So, if you would like to find out if your pet’s pre-existing illness is covered by insurance, we present you with the best pet insurance with pre-existing condition policies for 2022.
What Are Pet Pre-Existing Conditions?
As its name implies, pre-existing conditions can be both accidents and illnesses that occurred prior to the activity date of the insurance. Every pet insurance company sticks to its own idea and definition of pre-existing conditions.
Just like some pet insurance providers don’t offer coverage for pre-existing conditions at all, others will only cover specific ailments.
Pet insurance often excludes pre-existing diseases from their policies given the high expense of treating them and the short lifespan of dogs and cats.
Additionally, covering such an ailment poses a substantial risk that some providers don’t want to undertake.
Almost every pet insurance for pre-existing conditions classifies pre-existing diseases or injuries into three categories: curable, incurable, and breed-specific conditions.
Curable Pre-Existing Conditions
Curable pre-existing conditions are an easier option to treat, and pet insurance companies believe it’s more feasible to compensate for the medical expenses.
Only a few of the best pet insurance for pre-existing conditions alternatives cover curable conditions, such as:
- respiratory issues;
- digestive and urinary tract infections;
- bladder infections;
- vomiting and diarrhea, and similar illnesses.
However, every pet insurance company requires a time period of at least 12 months of no visible symptoms. If the disease reappears after the given time from the provider, it will be treated as a new problem, and they may end your coverage.
Incurable Pre-Existing Conditions
Some more serious conditions that take more time, medical treatments, and higher costs to cure are considered incurable pre-existing conditions.
If you’re wondering what pet insurance covers pre-existing conditions that are incurable, the answer is – none. Many of these illnesses need repeated veterinary visits, continued treatment, and, in some cases, surgery.
Some of the examples of incurable pre-existing conditions include the following health concerns:
- Cancer;
- Heart issues
- Kidney conditions;
- Diabetes;
- Arthritis, and others.
Breed-Specific and Genetic Conditions
Breed-specific conditions are somewhat unique diseases, that are harder to cure, but luckily for pet parents, most pet insurance companies provide coverage for them.
Such as curable pre-existing diseases, these genetic conditions will not be covered if they are detected before you sign up for the pet insurance pre-existing conditions coverage.
Some of tne typical hereditary conditions that insurance companies will consider covering include:
- Hip dysplasia;
- Elbow dysplasia;
- Patellar luxation;
- Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD);
- Hernia;
- Portosystemic shunt;
- and Hypothyroidism.
5 Best Pet Insurance For Pre-Existing Conditions
The number of pet insurance companies has significantly expanded over the years since many pet parents have become aware of the significance of pet insurance.
Although the selection of pet insurance companies is massive, there aren’t many that will provide pet insurance pre-existing conditions coverage.
Now, let’s get familiar with the pet insurance companies that could be able to assist you in covering your pet’s treatable pre-existing conditions.
1. ASPCA
We have rated ASPCA as the best pet insurance for pre-existing conditions for a variety of reasons. ASPCA is at the top of our list since it covers many curable and genetic, breed-specific conditions.
The only exclusion from the coverage is ligament and knee issues because they require specific medical help. Other than these two conditions, ASPCA covers anything pre-existing from respiratory infections to urinary and digestive issues.
There’s only one pre-requisite that this particular insurance company has in order to provide you with pet insurance with pre-existing condition coverage.
Your dog or cat has to be free of any symptoms related to the disease for 180 days before the activation date of the policy.
ASPCA offers the most comprehensive and affordable pet insurance for pre-existing conditions, with a monthly cost of as low as $16 for some breeds.
Just as any pet insurance for pre-existing condition coverage, ASPCA doesn’t cover incurable diseases such as cancer, epilepsy, heart conditions, or hip and elbow dysplasia.
2. Spot
We can’t make up our minds on whether Spot or ASPCA should take home the crown. Very similar to ASPCA, Spot offers extensive pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions.
This pet insurance company covers some lighter health issues such as vomiting and diarrhea, along with more serious cases of bladder and urinary tract infections.
Orthopedic conditions aren’t included in Spot’s pet insurance pre-existing condition policy.
Spot requires you to provide a vet’s thorough examination note, along with a piece of evidence that your pet doesn’t have any previous orthopedic issues.
Pre-existing conditions are included in Spot’s Platinum Preventative Care which costs around $25 a month.
3. Figo
Figo is yet another one of the few pet insurance companies that cover treatable pre-existing diseases. However, Figo requires your cat or dog to be cured and symptom-free for one year before the activation date of the insurance.
Figo provides pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions for a variety of diseases, such as dermatological issues and uncontrollable vomiting.
However, Figo’s pet insurance comes with some exclusions to their policy. Any heart and kidney conditions, along with high blood pressure treatments are not covered.
Even if your pet has been previously treated, cured, and hasn’t shown any symptoms in more than a year, the pet insurance policy for pre-existing conditions still doesn’t cover these types of conditions.
A pet insurance pre-existing conditions policy at Figo comes at a monthly fee of around $22.
4. Fetch
Another one of the best pet insurance for pre-existing conditions options is Fetch. This pet insurance company offers slightly more complicated terms and pre-requisites than the other providers.
Fetch provides only curable pre-existing disease coverage, regarding conditions that were noticed and documented one year prior.
Medical issues that do not reappear during the one-year exclusionary period are eligible for pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions coverage if a vet performs an annual inspection.
If the curable disease reappears during the exclusionary term, a second exclusionary year will be imposed. If the treatable medical condition occurs again during the second exclusionary period, the pet will be denied coverage.
However, if your pet gets the coverage, they are eligible for almost any condition you can think of – from diarrhea to more serious infections.
5. Pets Best
Unlike the other pet insurance companies on our list, Pets Best comes with an exclusionary period of 18 months. Even though the company requires your pet to be symptom-free for longer, it will cover some specific conditions that others won’t.
Pets Best deem chronic illnesses, bilateral diseases, and IVDD as pre-existing, and can cover them if the time period is observed.
That’s part of the reason why Pets Best pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions costs more than $35 a month, which many pet parents find to be quite unaffordable.
How Do Pet Insurance Companies Know About Pre-Existing Conditions?
Every pet insurance with pre-existing condition policy needs to be sure that your pet indeed has a pre-existing illness.
When you enroll in a type of insurance like this, the provider requires some personal information about you and your pet. Pet insurance providers often get information about your pet’s pre-existing illnesses in one of these two methods.
The first thing insurance firms use to get information about any pre-existing conditions is to obtain your pet’s vet documentation.
The company needs to know everything related to the history of your pet’s health before it grants you a pet insurance pre-existing conditions policy.
If you haven’t taken your pet to the vet’s office for a thorough check-up recently, a pet insurance company will require a veterinarian checkup, at least 30 days before the policy activates.
To attain an insurance policy for your pet, you need to take your dog or cat to the vet’s office and get it thoroughly examined. Some providers like Spot even appoint a vet to inspect your pet’s legs and hips for evidence of possible orthopedic concerns.
Conclusion
Remember that even if your pet suffers from a pre-existing ailment, you can still get pet insurance that will take some of the financial burdens off your shoulders.
Take an active role as a pet parent and enroll your furry friend in a pet insurance pre-existing conditions plan as soon as possible. Make sure you fully understand the terms and pre-requisites every pet insurance company has.
We made sure to include all relevant data so you can make an educated choice.
Read our review, and compare all the available policies in terms of coverage, price, and exclusions.
Consider taking into consideration all of the best pet insurance for pre-existing condition alternatives, since you entrust the well-being of your pet to them, and you only need the best.
