Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Pet Insurance
It can be challenging to find insurance coverage for pets that have pre-existing health conditions or previous injuries that may require ongoing treatment. To make it easier to find a suitable policy, we have compiled a list of insurance providers who may be able to offer coverage for pets with pre-existing conditions. However, it’s important to carefully review the terms of each policy, as each insurer may have different requirements and exclusions.
CompareNI do not offer a comparison service for pre-existing medical pet insurance but we have a list of companies above who may be able to help you.
What counts as a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition is usually any illness, injury or symptom your pet showed before the policy started. That can include problems a vet never formally diagnosed.
The Financial Ombudsman Service says insurers may decline a claim because the animal "already had signs and symptoms of the illness" before cover began. Many policies also exclude conditions that first appear in the first 14 days of the policy.
A later problem can also be treated as pre-existing if the insurer believes it is related to an earlier one. Some insurers apply this to bilateral conditions, where the same problem appears on one side of the body and later on the other. Each policy defines these terms in its own wording.
How insurers usually treat conditions your pet already has
Exclusions on standard policies
According to the Financial Ombudsman Service, most policies don't cover pre-existing conditions. MoneyHelper notes you may still find a policy, but you probably won't get any cover for the pre-existing condition itself. New, unrelated illnesses and accidents may still be covered, subject to the terms.
Symptom-free periods
Some insurers may agree to cover a past condition once your pet has gone a set time without symptoms, treatment or vet visits for it. The length of that period, and which conditions qualify, varies from one insurer to the next. Check the policy wording before you rely on it.
Specialist cover
Some specialist providers, like those listed above, may offer some cover for declared conditions. Limits for those conditions can be lower than the overall vet fee limit, so read each provider's details and policy wording carefully.
Is it different for dogs and cats?
The Ombudsman and MoneyHelper guidance on pre-existing conditions applies to pets in general, not to one species. Where dogs and cats differ is in the conditions that tend to come up. MoneyHelper says pedigree dogs and cats can be more prone to congenital diseases and hereditary conditions, and larger dogs are more likely to have joint problems.
If your pet's breed is linked to a hereditary problem, check whether the policy covers it without restrictions. You can read more on our dog cover and cat cover pages.
Why you need to declare your pet's medical history
MoneyHelper says you must declare any pre-existing conditions. If you don't, the policy might be void and your claim rejected.
The law also places a duty on you. Under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, a consumer must take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to the insurer. The Act extends to Northern Ireland.
In one Ombudsman case study, a dog's new illness was found to be unrelated to past sickness. The complaint still wasn't upheld, because that earlier sickness had not been declared when the policy was taken out.
Can you switch insurer if your pet has a condition?
You can, but think it through first. MoneyHelper warns that existing conditions usually won't be covered under a new policy. If you change insurer, you might lose cover you already have for a long-term condition.
If you hold a lifetime policy, ask your current insurer what renewal will mean for ongoing conditions before you cancel.
What to check before you buy
- How the policy defines a pre-existing condition, and how far back it looks.
- Whether conditions that appear in the first days of cover are excluded.
- Any separate or lower limit for declared conditions.
- The excess, and whether a percentage co-payment applies as well.
- Whether the cover is lifetime, annual, maximum benefit or accident-only.
- What the insurance product information document (IPID) says about exclusions.
If a claim is declined and you disagree, complain to the insurer first. If you don't get a final response within eight weeks, or you're unhappy with it, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge.
If your pet has no medical history to declare, you can compare quotes for a healthy pet with CompareNI instead.
