When you bring a new cat into your home, you are not only bringing in a new pet, but you are also bringing in a new family member. However, providing care for your pet, particularly when sick or injured, can rapidly become prohibitively expensive.
Veterinary treatment is expensive, and many pet owners turn to pet insurance to help cover the costs. However, if your cat is suffering from a pre-existing disease, pet insurance may not be an option for you. There is, fortunately, another option for pet owners who have pets who have pre-existing conditions.
What Are the Cat Pre-Existing Conditions?
Pre-existing conditions are divided into two categories by certain pet insurance companies: curable diseases and incurable illnesses.
Curable pre-existing conditions
Curable pre-existing conditions are covered by pet insurance companies like Embrace as long as any recurrence occurs at least 12 months after the last problem occurred, according to the company. Because it is treatable and there have been no symptoms for 180 days, the ASPCA’s pet insurance plan will not consider a condition to be “pre-existing” (excluding knee and ligament conditions). If the disease recurs after 180 days, it will be treated as a new problem and covered.
Curable conditions include, for example, the following:
- Vomiting
- Ear infections
- Respiratory infections
- Diarrhea
- Urinary tract infections
- Bladder infections
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Incurable pre-existing conditions
There are, on the other hand, pre-existing conditions that pet insurance providers consider incurable, such as the ones listed below:
- Orthopedic conditions
- Cancer
- Kidney disease
- Bladder crystals
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Urinary blockages
- Epilepsy
- Heart disease
- Hip dysplasia
- Allergies
Many of these illnesses necessitate repeated veterinary visits, continuing medication, and, in some cases, surgical intervention. Pre-existing diseases that are incurable will not be covered by pet insurance.
Bilateral Exclusions Should Be Paid Close Attention
If you have a disorder that affects both your body’s left and right sides, you have bilateral illness or injury. Examples of such conditions include hip dysplasia and a torn cruciate ligament in the knee.
Several insurance firms have bilateral exclusions in their plans since there is a larger likelihood that a pet may experience the same ailment on the opposite side of their body. In other words, if your pet received therapy on one side of its body before the coverage began, the treatment on the other side will not be covered later on in the policy.
If your pet develops a bilateral ailment after coverage begins, it will be fully compensated under the policy.
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Buying cat insurance for cats with pre-existing conditions
Just because your cat has a pre-existing ailment does not rule out the possibility of receiving pet insurance, nor does it rule out the possibility of obtaining insurance altogether. Even though your pet has a pre-existing ailment, you should still enroll him or her in pet insurance. If your cat develops any other sickness or is involved in an accident while not covered, you could face large out-of-pocket expenses to provide your pet with the care they require.
How to Determine Which Pet Conditions are Insurable?
As a pet owner, you may be perplexed about what constitutes a pre-existing ailment and what your pet insurance policy would protect you against. As a result, pet insurance firms such as Embrace and Pets Best do medical history checks on the pets they insure.
Medical history evaluations are intended to identify any conditions that are not covered by your insurance coverage. You will be aware of all of the expenses for which you will be accountable.
The medical evaluation will be conducted once you have applied for coverage. Once the assessment is complete, most insurers will give you a choice to terminate your policy if you believe the coverage is insufficient for your pet’s needs.
Choosing the Most Appropriate Insurance for a Pet with Pre-Existing Conditions
If your pet already has a pre-existing ailment, you can still get pet insurance, and the insurance will cover conditions that are not related to the pre-existing disease.
Things to keep in mind are as follows:
- Be a pet owner who takes an active role
Taking care of the injury or illness as soon as possible prevents the situation from worsening and resulting in enormous vet expenditures. Taking the necessary safeguards will help avoid future mishaps or diseases from occurring due to the condition.
- Keep your pet’s vaccines up to date at all times
Your cat becoming unwell due to your inability to keep them up to date with their immunizations is the absolute last thing you want to happen. Many insurance companies will deny a claim if your pet falls sick due to not having been vaccinated following your veterinarian’s recommendations.
- Compare cat insurance
Even though pet insurance does not cover incurable pre-existing conditions, you can locate the coverage that is adequate to cover other medical expenses. Consider not only the apparent variables such as the monthly price and deductible but also other considerations such as waiting periods and whether coverage is lowered as your pet ages. When you choose an insurance provider for your pet, you are essentially putting your trust in that company to be your pet’s lifelong companion. If you transfer to a new pet insurance provider during your pet’s lifespan, any claims made with the prior insurer will be viewed as pre-existing by the new provider. Due to this, they will not be covered by the new insurance provider.
- Purchase pet insurance as soon as possible
Pet owners who have pre-existing ailments should be aware of the financial burden that vet bills can place on their finances. The expense of future treatment for the same condition can be reduced if pet insurance coverage is purchased early on in the relationship.
- Alternatives to pet insurance should be considered
Companies such as Eusoh <–(recommended) and Pawp provide alternatives to insurance that help cover the costs of a pet’s medical expenditures in an emergency.
