Dealing with your pets’ health issues is a tricky business. On one hand, pets are family, so our hearts break whenever they’re sick, injured, or unhappy.
On the other hand, we have to cat-sider the expenses going into their care, as well as those that might come as a result of unexpected accidents. It’s good if you’ve decided to get pet insurance for your doggo, but how do you solve any previous health conditions it had?
Can you get insurance for your pet? What pet insurance should I get for my puppy?
We singled out the types of conditions that get covered, as well as those that don’t by pet insurance companies. We’re positive you’ll find our advice helpful!
Let’s get to it.
Can I Still Get Pet Insurance After Diagnosis?
Can you take out pet insurance after diagnosis?
Yes, you can! But that doesn’t mean the insurance will cover the condition that your dog is suffering from. This depends on both the insurance plan and the condition itself.
Pre-existing Conditions that Don’t Get Covered
Most pet health insurance plans don’t cover pre-existing conditions. These refer to any diseases, disorders, or illnesses that your pet might have suffered from (or is chronically suffering from) before you got them insured. They also include permanent damage acquired in accidents.
Furthermore, be aware that most plans come with a waiting period (ranging between two days for accidents and 14-30 days for certain conditions) starting immediately after you get the insurance. Meaning that your pet won’t actually be insured until some time goes by.
This is implemented for insurance companies to avoid being scammed by customers who expect their pets to need immediate medical attention.
That aside, there are a few other scenarios in which insurance plans do not cover conditions.
1. Escalating Symptoms
This refers to an older symptom present in your pet before you got them insured, which only escalated after the insurance was in place. In other words, if your pet had some minor issue that worsened with time, it would usually not be covered by the insurance plan.
Whether it’s a bone injury that later manifested itself as a limp or strain in the limb or a benign condition that resulted in the development of a related disease, this would all fall under a pre-existing condition and won’t be covered.
2. Bilateral Conditions
Similarly, if your pet had a pre-existing condition in one side of their body – an orthopedic condition in their left limb, for example – and, after getting insured, started developing similar symptoms in their right limb, treatment for neither the left nor the right limb will be covered by the insurance plan.
The pet had a tendency to develop a condition on the other side of their body as well, so it’s considered a pre-existing condition.
3. Other Conditions
Not necessarily health conditions, but any of the following are usually not covered by insurance policies:
- Breeding-related issues and expenses (it’s a conscious decision on your part)
- Cosmetic procedures
- Injuries acquired through activities you put your pet into (racing, contests)
- Injuries acquired due to abuse and/or negligence
Does pet insurance cover vet check-ups?
Unfortunately, most insurance policies don’t cover veterinary check-ups either!
Conditions That Are Covered
On the flip side, conditions that are considered curable (such as eye infections), which were dealt with a long time before the pet was insured, tend to be covered if they arise again in the future.
As long as there’s no clear connection between the two instances – you’re covered. Aging conditions are usually covered as well, and because of this – it’s wise to insure your pet as soon as possible.
You need to be aware that pet insurance companies and plans vary, and you may not get the same treatment with all of them.
Conditions That May be Covered Depending on the Insurance Plan
These are some of the conditions (pre-existing or not) which might or might not be covered by a pet insurance company:
- Hereditary disorders
- Certain allergies
- Arthritis and orthopaedic conditions
- Diabetes
- Heart conditions
- Cancer and other severe conditions
Many of these are conditions by the specific breed of your dog and whether it has a predisposition to developing a particular type of health condition.
Therefore, you need to do thorough research before opting for a particular insurance plan.
So, can you get pet insurance after diagnosis? Yes, and your pet will thank you for it.
