Spot is our number one choice for pre-existing condition coverage because they will cover treatment of curable pre-existing conditions after your pet has been symptom free for 180 days. Their coverage is extensive, including things like dental disease and prescription food.
Pumpkin also covers curable pre-existing conditions after 180 days with no symptoms. Pumpkin and Spot tend to be similar in coverage and pricing, but Pumpkin doesn’t offer an accident-only plan.
Pets Best is the third pet insurance provider that covers curable pre-existing conditions after 180 days. Their plans tend to be cheaper than Spot and Pumpkin, but don’t cover as many things as either competitor.
Many pet insurance policies don’t cover pre-existing conditions, but there are a few caveats.
If conditions are curable, they can usually be covered by your pet insurance if your pet has been symptom-free for a certain amount of time.
When you sign up for pet insurance, you’ll be asked to submit your pet’s medical history. Many providers have a lookback period between 180 days and 1 year. If your pet had an illness that was cured before the lookback period, the insurer will generally cover new occurrences.
Pets with chronic pre-existing conditions can still qualify for a pet insurance policy, but the insurer won’t pay for expenses related to your pet’s chronic condition.
Simply put, pet insurance coverage is meant to protect you from future expenses, not to pay for current ones.
If your pet has pre-existing conditions, it’s important to consider the lookback period. This is how far back the company will check to see if your pet has any illnesses or health conditions that need to be excluded from the policy coverage.
These insurance companies may be able to cover your pet’s pre-existing conditions:
Editor's take
With Spot insurance, after 180 days, an injury or illness that is curable and free of treatment and symptoms will no longer be regarded as pre-existing, except for knee and ligament conditions.
Spot offers a wide range of annual coverage and deductible options to suit all budgets and is one of a few providers that offer a discount for owners with multiple pets (10%). They also tend to cover more things than other providers such as advanced care and alternative therapies. There is no maximum enrollment age, meaning elderly pets can get coverage at any time.
Spot offers several plan options including an accident-only plan, an accident & illness plan, and 2 tiers of wellness add-ons (Gold & Platinum) which can cover things like teeth cleaning. Another benefit to Spot is that euthanasia and exam fees (for covered conditions) are included with their accident & illness plan.
Spot has a 14-day waiting period for accidents, illnesses, and ligament/knee conditions. Spot will also cover curable pre-existing conditions if your pet has been symptom-free for at least 180 days.
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Editor's take
Pumpkin insurance will cover most common, curable pre-existing conditions (excluding knee and ligament conditions) if your pet has been free of symptoms and treatment for that condition for at least 180 days.
We love Pumpkin for its wide-reaching coverage and reimbursement level. Where other companies let you choose low reimbursement levels, Pumpkin ensures you get 90% back from covered claims and has no maximum age of enrollment. As an added benefit, owners with multiple pets get a 10% discount on policies. When it comes to coverage, what is offered as add-ons from other companies comes standard at Pumpkin.
Pumpkin has a standard accident & illness plan that covers exam fees, dental illnesses, behavioral issues, hereditary & congenital conditions, rehab therapies, and end-of-life services. You can also customize your plan with an optional add-on for preventative care.
With Pumpkin’s accident & illness plan, there is a 14-day waiting period. While this is longer than some other providers, Pumpkin has no extended waiting period for hip dysplasia or knee injuries making it a great option for animals prone to joint issues. On the downside, their add-on plan for preventive care doesn’t have a lot of coverage.
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Editor's take
Pets Best insurance will cover a variety of curable pre-existing conditions (excludes knee and ligament conditions) if your pet has been free of symptoms from that condition for at least 180 days.
We like Pets Best as it offers competitively priced plans with a wide range of deductible options. Pets Best offers multiple plans including an Accident-only plan, as well as 3 tiers called Essential, Plus, and Elite.
You can also opt for an add-on for wellness / routine care plans for an extra fee which offers good coverage versus other plans on the market. There is no age limit for sign-ups, meaning you can purchase coverage for your pet later in life. You’ll also get unlimited access to a 24/7 emergency vet hotline for quick consultations at all hours of the day.
Last, but not least, Pets Best is one of the few providers who can pay the vet directly for you. Simply download the reimbursement release form from their website and have your vet’s office sign and agree to receive payment directly from the provider and Pet’s Best will handle the rest.
With Pets Best you can expect a waiting period of 3 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for cruciate ligament conditions. When choosing, note that exam fees are not included in the Essential plan, which is why we recommend opting for a higher-tier plan, such as the Elite plan, with a wellness add-on.
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Editor's take
Lemonade pet insurance may cover pre-existing conditions if your pet’s condition has been cured for at least 12 months. Recurring conditions are also covered in most states.
Lemonade is popular for its affordable accident & illness coverage and its many customizable plans. They are one of the few pet insurance providers that offer dental coverage and have a convenient app that allows you to manage your policy online.
Add-ons from Lemonade include coverage for preventative care, vet visit fees, dental illness, physical therapy, behavioral conditions, and end-of-life care and remembrance.
With Lemonade’s accident and illness plan, there is no waiting period for accidents and a 14-day waiting period for illnesses. There is a 30-day waiting period for orthopedic conditions in most states.
While Lemonade offers excellent coverage at an affordable price, they don’t offer telemedicine, don’t cover spay/neuter costs for pets over 2 years old, and vet fees are extra unless you purchase the add-on.
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Editor's take
Paw Protect may cover curable pre-existing conditions if your pet has not had any symptoms or treatment for that specific illness for 12 months.
Paw Protect is a relatively new provider but has taken the market by storm. One of its main draws is that it offers customers a $2,000 interest-free charge card that can be used to pay the vet directly, so you have no out-of-pocket expenses. Most other providers require you to pay upfront and be reimbursed.
Paw Protect offers an accident & illness plan as well as an optional Wellness plan available as an add-on. Like some other providers, it comes with 24/7 telemedicine coverage which allows you to speak to a vet in case you have an emergency and aren’t sure whether to take your animal in for a visit. It also offers considerable discounts if you have multiple pets (10% off) or are a military member (5% off).
Paw Protect accident and illness plan has a two-day waiting period for accidents and a 14-day waiting period for illnesses. There is a six-month waiting period for canine orthopedic conditions, which can be reduced to 14 days if you complete an orthopedic exam and waiver process.
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Editor's take
Embrace pet insurance covers curable pre-existing conditions if your pet has not had any symptoms or treatment for that specific illness for 12 months.
Embrace offers highly customizable plans and discounts to customers with multiple pets (10% off) or who are military members (5% off). Embrace offers an accident & illness plan with optional wellness coverage as an add-on, which covers things like exam fees and prescription drugs. Additionally, Embrace offers a diminishing deductible, meaning that every year you don’t file a claim, your deductible is lowered by $50.
In case of an emergency, you’ll also get access to 24/7 virtual assistance via telemedicine calls which can help you diagnose if it’s necessary to rush to an in-person emergency vet. This feature alone could save you hundreds on vet bills, which is another reason we love Embrace.
With Embrace’s accident and illness plan you’ll have a two-day waiting period for accidents and a 14-day waiting period for illnesses. There is a six-month waiting period for canine orthopedic conditions, which can be reduced to 14 days if you complete an orthopedic exam and waiver process.
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Editor's take
Figo may consider covering a pre-existing condition if your pet has been symptom-free for at least 12 months but will review each case to determine if your pet’s condition will be covered.
Figo is known for its fast claim processing which is a huge benefit to its customers. It’s one of the few providers that offer 100% reimbursement (on plans with deductibles of $500+). It’s also great for elderly animals as it has no age limit for enrollment.
Figo has lots of plan options to suit all types of budgets. It offers several pre-set accident & illness plans but also allows you to customize your plan based on your desired coverage limits, deductible, and reimbursement level. You can also opt for add-ons that offer continued wellness coverage and reimbursement for vet exam fees. All plans come with 24/7 vet assistance text-chat, however, video/phone telehealth consultations are also available as part of the wellness add-on.
With Figo, there is a 1-day waiting period for accidents and injuries and 14 days for illnesses.
For dogs, there is also a 6-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions. However, this can be waived if you get an orthopedic exam within the first 30 days of your policy and your pet is deemed healthy.
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Pre-existing conditions are health issues your pet had before signing up for pet insurance or that begin during the waiting period after buying your policy.
According to Doctor Stephanie Liff, a doctor of veterinary medicine, pre-existing conditions can cause pet insurers not to cover treatment of other related issues.
“Diarrhea is one of the most common issues that arise and lead to the exclusion of coverage prior to the end of a pet insurance waiting period. Many young pets will present to the vet at first visit with diarrhea due to parasites. Then insurance companies will consider this ‘pre-existing’ and won’t cover diarrhea or other GI issues going forward or until the pet has been symptom-free for a specified length of time.” - Dr. Stephanie Liff, DVM
Based on Doctor Liff’s expertise, if your pet shows any signs of an illness before your policy fully begins, you run the risk of having other related conditions excluded from your policy.
For this reason, we recommend:
Pre-existing health conditions for pets are broken down into four categories:
Here is a closer look at each one.
Curable conditions are ones your pet can recover from with treatment. Curable pre-existing conditions can usually be covered under your pet insurance policy after your pet has been cured or healed and symptom-free for a certain time period stipulated in your policy.
Examples of curable pre-existing conditions include issues like:
If your pet currently has symptoms and you purchase an insurance policy, coverage for the pre-existing condition will be excluded. However, if your pet is healed and symptom-free for the set time period, the condition can usually be covered under future vet visits. This is especially important to note when looking for insurance plans for older dogs and cats.
It’s important to highlight that some conditions, like cruciate ligament issues, may be permanently excluded from the curable pre-existing conditions category even if they can be healed. Cruciate ligament conditions can be cured through surgery, but most pet insurance plans won’t cover treatment, even if a pet is healed and symptom-free for years.
Pet insurance companies won’t usually pay for expenses related to incurable health problems since they are long-term issues. Incurable pre-existing conditions are chronic conditions, with a low chance of curability, that a dog or cat will have for life.
Examples of incurable pre-existing conditions include:
Pet insurance typically won’t pay any vet bills related to hereditary or genetic conditions. Genetic conditions are those passed on to a dog or cat from their parents and are most common among purebred dogs and cats.
Examples of genetic conditions include:
Bilateral conditions are medical issues that can occur on both sides of a pet’s body.
Examples of bilateral conditions include:
An insurance company may cover some bilateral conditions, such as the cost of dog cataract surgery, when they occur for the first time on one side of a dog or cat’s body. However, many policies then consider the condition pre-existing and won’t pay to treat the problem if it affects the other side in the future.
There are some exceptions, however. Some pet insurance providers offer an add-on to standard coverage for bilateral health issues. You pay an extra fee per month for this additional benefit.
Pet insurers identify pre-existing conditions in three ways:
As previously mentioned, it’s not necessary for a vet to diagnose a pet with a condition for it to be considered pre-existing. If your pet has a symptom of a condition when you apply for coverage, the insurance policy is unlikely to cover blood work, x-rays and other tests to diagnose the symptom as well as related treatments in the future.
The cost of pet insurance for a dog or cat with medical conditions depends on a variety of factors.
For example, dog insurance is typically more expensive that cat insurance.
Other factors that determine the cost of pet insurance for animals with pre-existing conditions include:
Here’s a quick rundown of the average annual premiums.
Type of plan | Average dog insurance cost | Average cat insurance cost |
---|---|---|
Accident-only | $387.01 | $122.19 |
Accident and illness | $640.04 | $200.58 |
This data comes from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.
Pre-existing conditions shouldn’t prevent you from getting pet insurance for your dog or cat.
In fact, they only make coverage more important. After all, you already know you’ll have ongoing vet expenses. Even though the policy likely won’t cover pre-existing conditions, pet insurance may still be worth it by helping to limit your costs and make care more affordable.
To get the cheapest pet insurance possible, follow these tips:
Some companies offer discounts that can reduce costs. For example, you might get a multi-pet deal if you buy policies for more than one pet through the same company or bundle other types of insurance like car or homeowners policies with pet insurance.
Pet insurance costs go up as your pet ages. Buying a policy as soon as possible can help you lock in a lower rate, making premiums more affordable even with pre-existing conditions.
Being a responsible pet owner may help reduce the costs of vet care. Take your dog or cat for wellness visits as often as recommended and keep their vaccinations up to date.
Payment plans and discount membership services like Pawp and Eusoh can help make vet care more affordable and manageable. You can use these services to help cover costs associated with pre-existing conditions not covered by your policy.
Premium costs can vary greatly between providers. To get the best deal, obtain quotes from multiple insurers. Remember that deductibles, coinsurance rates and coverage limitations also affect your total cost, so consider these factors as well as premium amounts.
Try comparing plans using the tool below, and alternatively, read our guide to choosing pet insurance plans.
A pre-existing condition is a health problem a pet has been diagnosed with or has a symptom of when you apply for insurance coverage.
Pet insurance companies usually require that pets undergo a veterinary exam or ask to review your pet’s medical records before approving an application. In some cases, they may also require that you to fill out a questionnaire.
Yes, you can usually still obtain insurance for a pet after a diagnosis, but the policy likely won’t cover any expenses related to the pre-existing condition.
No, pet insurance typically only pays for services your pet receives after you purchase coverage. It’s meant to protect you from future costs rather than to pay for previous expenses.
In some cases, pet insurance companies impose a pre-existing condition waiting period that begins on the date the policy takes effect, known as the effective date. If you purchase a policy with a waiting period, the insurance may not cover any health conditions your pet develops during this period.