‘What to ask a pet insurance provider’ Series…#4
9. Do I understand exactly what the policy covers?
This is to reiterate the importance of understanding what you’re getting! Too many pet owners get into pet insurance without fully understanding, then get angry for not understanding! Now, true, there are some companies that try to take advantage of the unknowing consumer, but if you don’t do you research thoroughly, you can’t blame anyone but yourself!
10. How much coverage does this policy provide for chronic, hereditary, or pre-existing conditions?
This is a really important question to ask and be made aware of, especially if you own a breed that is prone to certain conditions. Most companies will not cover any pre-existing conditions, so if your pet has had a medical history make sure to ask how that will affect future coverage.
Chronic conditions is also a really important topic. Please read all the fine print. Many companies start a brand new policy upon renewal, making anything in the previous policy term pre-existing and NOT covered. For example, if your cat were to get diabetes and treatment was covered, then you renewed your policy 3 months later, there is the possibility that treatment would no longer be covered. This is a BIG one, so please, please ask the provider how they handle chronic conditions!
That brings me to my next question…
11. How does this provider handle renewals?
As mentioned above, some policies are annual policies, and therefore have to be renewed each year. Make sure to find out how renewal will affect your coverage. The last thing you’d want is to be paying into insurance for 4 years to have your dog develop skin allergies in the 4th year, only have them covered in that 4th year, but then being stuck with that insurance company because you’ve already put so much money into it and his skin allergies would be pre-existing anywhere else. Talk about frustration.
NOTE: There are companies that have continuous policies or that offer additional coverage for chronic or recurring ailments.
12. Are there certain types of accidents or health problems that aren’t covered?
Again, this goes back to making sure you know what is and isn’t covered. Specifically ask what incidents would be excluded for coverage. For example, most companies don’t cover accidents to working dogs (guard dogs, police dogs, etc.) or any complications from breeding or pregnancies. Since intact pets are more prone to certain cancers and other ailments, there are often exclusions if your pet isn’t spayed or neutered, so make sure to also inquire about that.
I would love to hear additional feedback: comments, suggestions, further questions, etc. Until next time…
these series of questions are so important and probably some of the ones that are overlooked. I’m really glad you put these questions out there. Thanks melissa!
Hi Mellisa,
I have a question for you. Let us say I have pet insurance, and the plan period is in effect. At that time, If I take my cat to the vet (am assuming that she is sick by some symptoms she is displaying), then the vet examines her and finally tells me they couldnt find anything wrong with her after doing many tests, x-rays, blood work etc. In this case, will insurance company cover the expenses or not as per the coverage % ? do you know? (For us, am sure the insurance will cover the expenses even though the diagnosis turns out to be nothing. ) is that applicable for pet insurance too? As you know many pawparents are quite over protective or over-cautious and might take their pets to the vet at a sign of something which might be a non issue. Just wondering how insurance companies would handle such scenarios! Thank you in advance.
Um whoever wrote #9 is just plain WRONG. We read the contract/information thoroughly before joining up and as one of us is a LAWYER and the other a college grad it is NOT CUT AND DRY about what will get covered. Only after submitting claims, did we get excuses on their part not to cover things. You think it’s easy fighting a company? Good luck if it happens to you!
Diyaroopa,
Typically insurance companies will cover diagnostic test ONLY when something turns out wrong. If someone is an overprotective/paranoid pet owner who takes their pet in every time they think something might be wrong, pet insurance will not cover that. My best guess at that point would be to go by what your veterinarian recommends. Most companies will listen, and pay out, according to your vet’s recommendations, even if there was possibly nothing wrong. But as a rule of thumb, pet insurance won’t pay for over-protective pet owners :-/
Hey Lee,
Watch who you’re pointing fingers at. This blog is meant to be informational, not slandering. If you disagree with me, that’s fine. But the fact is, ASPCA is filed with each state’s department of insurance, making them required to follow the state’s rules. They are also required to file all of their rates and rules and be approved by each state. And these documents are actually public property. So, unless you have read these documents and fully understand them, then I stand by my statement that you purchased the insurance without fully understanding the policy.
But, perhaps you failed to read the last sentence under number 9 “Now, true, there are some companies that try to take advantage of the unknowing customer…”
I know that these types of companies exist, which is exactly why I’m telling everyone to make sure that they are really looking into companies and researching them BEFORE they get the insurance, instead of after when they go to make a claim and are turned down. But, like I said, feel free to disagree with me.
just adding my feedback to diyaroopa…one of our cats spent 3 trips going to the vet to try and diagnose her problem. We submitted our first claim without a diagnosis and the insurance paid it…it was a $600 bill. They did tell us before they would pay into the same claim again, we would need to submit a diagnosis. After the 2nd visit, the vet leaned towards one diagnosis, but still wasn’t sure. By the 3rd visit, we had a definitive diagnosis, and we submitted the 2nd and 3rd visit claims to our insurance company who ended up paying.
I appreciated that they paid the 1st visit because that was definitely the most expensive.
Sarah,
Welcome back. I am just curious, the insurance company paid for diagnostics without knowing if something was wrong? And also, did you take in your kitty and your veterinarian agreed with you that they needed tests or was it more of a, as diyaroopa puts it, an over protective pawparent? I’m just trying to get a sense of other people’s experiences in getting diagnostics paid.
My cat had begun urinating outside the litter box which she never does…so sure, there was the possibility it wasn’t physical.
They paid for ultrasound, urine tests, blood work-up…I can’t remember all the tests. I believe the vet put down on their insurance form that they were trying to rule out a bladder infection or possible cyst in the bladder.
So when I got reimbursed, there was a note from the insurance company saying they were reimbursing me for the diagnostic tests, but they would not be able to pay out any more until a definitive diagnosis was made.
After the 2nd visit, I didn’t attempt to get reimbursement, because I think at that point, they did a needle aspiration of the bladder. At the 3rd visit, it was concluded that she had a bladder infection so that’s what the doctor put down on the insurance form. I got reimbursed for the 2nd and 3rd visits.
Perhaps it’s because they mentioned trying to rule out one versus the other? My mind is fuzzy on it. I hope this does help a little.