Cat insurance questions

[Serenityinaz12]

Hi there,

My cat recently has developed a limp. After bringing him in and x-rays they said to try rest and a joint supplement and if that doesn't work I will need to bring him to an orthopedic surgeon. The bill was 900 dollars just to get this info and I'm scared to death of what the bill will be if I need surgery for him or anything else. Can I get pet insurance for him now, after this last visit and before going to the surgeon? He seemed to be getting better but now his limp is worse than ever all of a sudden so I'm very worried both for his health and financially. I have almost no knowledge on pet insurance but it seemed a bit expensive. But, if it's something I could get now and then use for him I would imagine it would be worth it.

 

[Muggs]

Hello!

I have pet insurance and I have to say, it’s been a huge lifesaver! From what I have researched there are 2 types of insurance. You can get coverage for routine stuff like annual exams. The type I have is for accident and illness which to me, this is where you run into larger vet bills compared to routine check ups and stuff.

The company I am with offers different payment options (ie: montly, annually etc). I was able to choose how much annual coverage I wanted as well as deductible and reimbursement amounts. All of these decisions will affect your premiums though. I have monthly payments which increase as my cats get older. Claims submission are super easy and the staff are great with any questions you have. I have been reimbursed within 30 days of submitting a claim.

If you decide on getting insurance, do it before you get a diagnosis of having to see a surgeon cause they may not cover pre existing conditions. Best to get the insurance started before an official diagnosis.

Hope this info helps!

 

[Pjg8r]

Any insurance company will ask for all vet records. That will include the X-rays already taken. This will most likely be considered a preexisting condition at this point and would probably not be covered.

 

[fionasmom]

I also have pet insurance and you are in a gray area as you have no diagnosis of a condition so it is hard to tell how this might be viewed. I would call some of the pet insurance companies and see how they view this. You may not get the same answer from all of them. There is a company called Pet Assure that supposedly covers pre existing condition but do not consider themselves to be an insurance company per se. Some companies may have different lists of pre existing conditions as well...so major stuff like cancer would not be covered but an injury that might heal and not have really been a condition at all might still be allowed.

Some like Embrace allow for curable pre existing conditions after a 12 month waiting period. So if the cat's limp does not appear again for a year it would be covered. Try to get as much information as you can from the major companies and I do recommend that you insure your cat regardless as other things will happen in the years to come, unfortunately. Any specialist pet bill is in the 4 to 5 figure range.