What Does Pet Insurance Not Cover?

Pet insurance is a useful type of policy that covers unexpected accidents and illnesses that may threaten the health of your beloved pet. This can range from car accidents, a pet eating something it’s not supposed to, a sudden and unexpected illness in a previously healthy pet, and more.

Unfortunately, just like any other insurance policy, pet insurance has its exclusions and limitations.  Before signing onto a pet insurance policy, be sure it includes coverage for accidents and illnesses, congenital and hereditary conditions, and cancer and chronic diseases. Some of these do not come with a standard pet insurance policy. Aside from these incidents, an average pet insurance policy will not cover:

Pre-Existing Conditions

Typical life and health insurance policies may have limited or no coverage for pre-existing conditions. This applies to pet insurance, as well. If your pet has a pre-existing condition, any expenses, injuries or death related to the pre-existing condition will not be covered. This is because people would then wait until their pet is sick to purchase coverage and make a claim. Pet insurance should be purchased quickly while the pet is healthy, as anything listed on your pet’s health record before the start of the policy can be considered a pre-existing condition and be excluded from coverage.

Routine Preventive Care and Procedures

Basic checkups, spay and neutering, heartworm preventative, teeth and ear cleaning, and other routine or preventive care will not be covered. Pet insurance is designed to combat expenses related to the unexpected and does not cover basic care. Most vets offer wellness plans that allow you to save money on preventive and basic care such as heartworm medicine and teeth cleaning, so be sure to speak with your vet about saving money on care that your pet insurance policy doesn’t cover.

Limitations

There are certain limitations when it comes to office visits and exams. Some policies may cover these costs while others do not, and it primarily depends on your pet insurance policy’s limits. A pet insurance policy without limits will not cover office visits and exams. This may seem odd, but it’s designed to prevent pet owners from filing a claim every time their pet goes to the vet, especially if that pet owner tends to be anxious about their pet’s health. More claims mean higher premiums for pet insurance. 

If your pet insurance policy has monetary limits, it’s possible for visits and exams to be covered under those limitations.

READ MORE: What is the Average Cost of Pet Insurance a Month?