Pre-Existing Conditions and Pet Insurance: What to Know Before Signing Up

Thinking about signing up for pet insurance but have questions about pre-existing conditions?

You’re not alone. That’s one of the biggest questions pet owners have when comparing pet insurance plans. Conditions that existed before signing up change everything about what’s covered vs. what isn’t.

Here’s the issue:

Most pet parents find out about pre-existing condition exclusions too late. They buy a policy and try to file their very first claim… only to get denied. Nobody wants that frustrating (costly!) surprise.

Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to avoid that headache with the right info.

Knowledge is power when it comes to pre-existing conditions and accident and illness pet insurance. Let’s review how it all works and save you some money in the long run.

What You’ll Learn

1. What Are Pre-existing Conditions?
2. Accident and Illness Coverage
3. Curable vs Incurable Conditions
4. How To Protect Your Pet Before Signing Up
5. Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Policy

What Are Pre-existing Conditions?

Pre-existing conditions are any illness or injury that existed before starting a new pet insurance policy.

That means diagnosed conditions, treated conditions, or conditions showing symptoms before the policy starts. It could be an obvious thing like a torn ligament… or something less obvious like chronic ear infections.

Here’s the kicker:

Pet insurance companies don’t cover any pre-existing conditions. None of them. Whether you’re searching for the best Florida pet insurance or vetting national options, they all exclude pre-existing conditions.

And that totally makes sense. Insurance is there to protect you from unforeseen accidents and illnesses. Known conditions don’t qualify.

The timing of when you sign up matters because of this.

Accident and Illness Pet Insurance

Accident and illness pet insurance is far and away the most common coverage pet parents purchase. It’s a plan that covers both unexpected accidents as well as illnesses after the policy goes into effect.

Industry research projects accident and illness insurance to make up 85% of the market share by insurers in 2024. That’s an enormous percentage, and it demonstrates the popularity of this insurance type.

Accident and illness insurance makes sense because veterinary bills are only going up. A trip to the emergency vet can range from $1,000 to over $10,000, depending on the situation. Treatment for conditions like cancer or hip dysplasia can cost thousands more.

That’s where accident and illness insurance comes into play. Without it, pet parents are on the hook for all of those veterinary bills by themselves. Over 40% of pet parents wouldn’t be able to afford an unexpected trip to the emergency vet if they needed to go today.

That’s a scary thought.

Accident and illness insurance offers a safety net. After the deductible is paid, these policies usually reimburse between 50%-90% of qualifying veterinary costs. That can ease the burden between what’s owed and what can actually be afforded.

Curable vs Incurable Conditions

Pre-existing conditions aren’t all created equal. And that’s important to know too.

Many pet insurers distinguish between two types of pre-existing conditions:

• Curable Conditions: The medical conditions that pets can fully recover from. Ear infections, urinary tract infections, mild digestive issues, etc. Many insurers will cover these conditions if they haven’t shown symptoms or received treatment for a set period of time (usually 12-18 months).
• Incurable Conditions: Diseases or conditions that can’t be cured. Diabetes, hip dysplasia, cancer, heart disease, etc. Once a pet is diagnosed with an incurable condition, insurers won’t cover that condition ever again.

That last bullet point is HUGE.

Once a pet is diagnosed with an incurable illness or injury, no insurance company will cover that issue during the lifetime of the pet. That doesn’t change whether you switch companies or file a claim in the future.

But if the condition is curable…and the pet goes a year or more without symptoms…many insurers will cover that condition again.

Understanding this distinction can save you money when you know what you’re looking for in a policy.

How Can You Protect Your Pet Before Signing Up?

Timing is everything with pre-existing conditions. That’s the best way to protect your pet before signing up.

Why? Because the younger and healthier a pet is when they first sign up for insurance…the less likely they are to have pre-existing conditions on their record.

Puppies and kittens usually don’t have any diagnosed medical conditions. That means all illnesses and injuries should be covered moving forward (with a waiting period, of course).

According to an industry report put out by NAPHIA covering 2025, there were 7.03 million pets insured across North America as of December 2024. Pets are getting insured at earlier ages as more owners recognize the benefits.

That being said, there are a few things to do to ensure the best policy is selected:

• Visit the vet first and know what you’re working with. Make sure the pet’s current health condition is understood before enrolling and filing claims. You don’t want any surprises down the road.
• Pay attention to the policy’s waiting period. Most insurance companies have a 14-30 day waiting period on new policies. If a pet develops a condition during that timeframe, it’s likely to be considered pre-existing.
• Read the fine print on curable conditions. Some insurers might have different stipulations on when they’ll cover a condition again. Make sure you know how long a pet has to be symptom-free before earning back coverage.
• Always submit permission for the insurer to pull vet records. Companies will look back 6-12 months of vet history (longer for older pets) to determine pre-existing conditions. Insurers can only deny coverage on conditions they know about.

These tips should all seem pretty straightforward. But they can make a world of difference if you need to use your policy.

Tips For Using Your Policy

After a pet is enrolled and insured, keep these tips in mind:

• Keep up with annual vet visits. Regular check-ups clear a pet’s record of potential illnesses. Visiting the vet annually can also establish a good baseline for normal health ranges.
• Don’t let coverage lapse. Letting a policy cancel and restarting it probably means any conditions discovered in the interim became pre-existing.
• File claims in a timely manner. Every insurer has time limits on claims. Filing them too late could mean forfeiting that reimbursement.

The Takeaway

Pet insurance and pre-existing conditions can coexist. You just need to know what you’re getting into.

Accident and illness insurance protects your best friend from unforeseen veterinary expenses. But the proper steps need to be taken before signing up if you want the insurance company to pay out on claims. Let’s review:

• Sign up for insurance while your pet is young and healthy
• Learn the difference between curable and incurable conditions
• Read the fine print on waiting periods and pre-existing conditions
• Don’t let your policy lapse
• Keep up with annual vet visits
• File all claims promptly

You can never insure your pet too early. Waiting to see if a pet develops health conditions leaves you vulnerable. If something happens after the fact, it’s too late to get insurance to pay for that condition.

Start researching your options today. Your wallet (and pets!) will thank you later.