Pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions

A pre-existing condition is any injury, illness, or irregularity noticed by you or your veterinarian before the end of your waiting period, even if your pet never went to see the veterinarian for it.

Bernese Mountain Dog with its tongue hanging out

Does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

No pet insurance company covers pre-existing conditions, but a pre-existing condition will never prevent you from obtaining pet insurance coverage. Whether your pet’s pre-existing condition is curable or not will determine your coverage options for that condition.

Embrace is one of the few companies that distinguishes between curable and incurable pre-existing conditions, allowing for the greatest long-term coverage. Before signing up, it is important to understand what pre-existing conditions your pet insurance company deems curable or incurable. Curable pre-existing conditions may be covered if the pet goes 12 months symptom and treatment free while incurable pre-existing conditions will never be covered.

Curable pre-existing conditions in pets

If your cat or dog has been diagnosed with or shown signs/symptoms of the following conditions prior to enrolling in an Embrace Pet Insurance plan any related recurrence will be excluded for 12 months from the date of the last episode:

  • Respiratory infections

  • Urinary tract/bladder infections

  • Vomiting, diarrhea, & other gastrointestinal disorders

  • Other curable conditions

If your pet's medical history shows no further episodes subsequent to this then, at our discretion, we will reinstate coverage for these conditions moving forward.

If your pet has been diagnosed with a disease of an anatomical area where the underlying cause was undetermined any diagnosis of the same area within 12 months would not be covered. For example, gastritis and colitis are both general diagnoses of inflammation, but do not get at the cause of the disorder.

Incurable pre-existing conditions in pets

If your cat or dog has been diagnosed with or shown signs/symptoms of the following conditions prior to enrolling in an Embrace plan they (and any related conditions) will be permanently excluded under your pet insurance policy:

  • Any orthopedic condition, as well as any orthopedic illness or injury on the opposite side of a prior injury. (See example below.)

  • Allergies

  • Cancer

  • Diabetes

  • Lipomas or skin lumps

  • Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism

  • Urinary or bladder crystals or blockages

  • Other chronic conditions

Are bilateral conditions covered with pet insurance for pre-existing conditions?

A bilateral condition is a condition or disease that affects both sides of the body, such as hip dysplasia or a cruciate ligament tear. Because a pet runs a higher risk of the same condition on the other side of the body, if a pet has a pre-existing instance of a bilateral condition, we are not able to cover the condition on the other side. However, if a pet is diagnosed with one covered bilateral condition, we will also cover the condition if it occurs on the other side.

Examples of how pre-existing conditions might affect a dor or cat's pet insurance coverage:

  • Your dog tore her right cruciate ligament before you bought your policy. She then tears the left cruciate ligament 2 years into the policy. The left cruciate tear is a pre-existing condition.

  • Your cat had a bout of diarrhea from Giardia eight months prior to enrolling. Two months into the policy term, he has diarrhea again and your veterinarian does not know the cause except she has ruled out Giardia. The diarrhea would be covered.

  • Your cat was limping 2 weeks prior to being insured and your veterinarian didn’t know what caused it. After your waiting period has expired, your cat is limping again. The limping would be a pre-existing condition.

Your website says you cover my pet's condition.

You'll see lots of pet insurance claims examples on our website. These claims were paid because the conditions were not pre-existing when the pets first enrolled with Embrace Pet Insurance.

Have you visited your vet in the last 12 months?

Your policy terms and conditions require you to have a documented visit to the vet in the 12 months before you purchased your policy. Your pet must be examined and documented by a veterinarian for coverage to start. You should get this done as soon as possible so you don't find yourself without coverage when you need it most.

Still not sure about pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions?

Not everything is black and white when it comes to your pet's health. We try hard to be honest and upfront about what we consider pre-existing before you enroll.

For peace of mind about your pet's coverage, we recommend you ask us to conduct a free Medical History Review after you enroll your pet.

For more specific information on a policy for your pet, get a pet insurance quote here.