If your pet already has a known health condition, they’re often not eligible for pet health insurance. Pets with chronic illnesses, ongoing treatments, or recent or planned surgeries can’t be insured. Some conditions are always excluded from coverage. These rules exist because pet insurance is meant to cover unexpected health issues, not conditions your pet already has.
How do pre-existing conditions affect my pet's eligibility for health insurance?
Pets are generally only eligible for insurance if they’re healthy at the time you apply. Any illness, ongoing treatment, or known condition from before coverage starts is considered pre-existing and can make your pet ineligible.
What health issues or situations make my pet ineligible for insurance?
A pet cannot be insured if they:
Have a chronic illness (a condition lasting or expected to last more than 8 weeks).
Are currently receiving medical treatment or have treatment recommended.
Had surgery within the last 6 months or have surgery planned, except for minor procedures such as castration or sterilization without medical indication, accidental tooth or claw extraction, or stitching wounds from accidents.
Which health conditions are always excluded from pet insurance?
Insurance always excludes pets with the following conditions:
Epilepsy
Diabetes
Thyroid disorders
Allergies
Hip or elbow dysplasia
Tumors or abnormal growths
Physical disabilities or malformations such as radius curvus or patellar luxation
Pets with blood test results indicating exposure to blood parasites, including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, hepatozoonosis, leishmaniasis, and micro- or macrofilariae, are also excluded, even if no symptoms are present.
Does preventive care impact my pet's eligibility for insurance?
Preventive treatments like vaccinations, deworming, or parasite prevention do not affect eligibility because they are considered routine care, not medical treatment.
Why does pet insurance exclude pre-existing conditions?
Pet health insurance covers unexpected health events. Costs related to known or pre-existing conditions are predictable and therefore not insurable under these policies.