Getting Health Insurance For A Cat With A Pre-existing Health Issue

[I_Wuv_Kitties]

I plan on getting health insurance for my cats because i never want to have to choose between paying a large bill or putting them down.


i don’t know too much about how pet health insurance works but i know that there is no protection for cats with pre-existing conditions. But does that mean they can’t get coverage at all or just not for that condition?


And if they can get coverage but not for that condition, how sleazy are the insurance companies about covering things?


Shield my pet gives an example of a pre existing condition:


“If your pet tore its right leg’s cruciate ligament a few years before you got the insurance cover and then the pet tears the cruciate ligament on its left leg when you already have a cover, then the left tear will not be covered. The tear on the second leg is considered a pre-existing condition.”


Does Your Pet Have a Pre-Existing Condition? Here’s How to Insure It


This seems really sleazy considering it’s two different injuries.


What about amputee cats? If i adopt a loving 2 year old kitty who has 3 legs because of an injury to a front leg, would he be denied coverage?


I wish we could all be nice to each other and have honest and fair insurance companies but that’s not how it is :/

 

[Kieka]

My opinion is it would be more proactive to put the insurance premium in a savings account and build up a kitty emergency fund. It will take dedication and commitment to not use it for anything else but it will give you the money for most emergencies. It won't help for something long term or extensive but in that case you'll have a nice little fund to get going and can look into credit cards, CareCredit or other options at that point. Insurance companies will look for any reason not to pay AND you typically have to pay the full cost out of pocket anyways (then get reimbursed after it is settled).

 

[Willowy]

They will cover the cat, just nothing related to that pre-existing condition. You can contact the companies to ask about how they determine what is related.

The reason they don't cover an ACL tear in the other leg is because once a dog tears the ACL in one leg, it's basically guaranteed they'll tear the other one because of the extra strain put on that leg. So if they covered that, they'd have people racing to get coverage once their dog tore one ACL so that the other one would be covered. It stinks but do remember that they aren't a charity; they're in business to make money.

 

[pharber-murphy]

I second the suggestion to start a savings account, rather than taking out an insurance policy. IMHO, these pet insurance policies are too expensive and the coverage offered isn't nearly as comprehensive as it should be. The other thing is that you will draw some puny interest on the savings account, too, rather than losing money.

 

[Willowy]

I see the point in both sides. On the not getting insurance side---we all hope we never have to use our insurance for anything major. Insurance companies make money, so you know most people never use as much as they pay in. On the getting insurance side---those ACL tears we were discussing? Or hip dysplasia treatments? Can cost $5000 per leg to fix :/. I wouldn't be able to put that much away so the insurance may be worth it.

A PU surgery can cost a few thousand. I had a cat who needed a full-mouth extraction and it was $1100. So it all comes down to how much treatment you want to be able to provide. Of course, it's a lot better if you get the insurance while the pet is young and healthy and doesn't have any pre-existing conditions.