What should I look for in pet health insurance coverage?

All insurance policies define what is covered in the policy, and also what is excluded from coverage. The most common exclusion is for pre-existing conditions, problems that have been identified in the pet prior to the insurance policy taking effect. For example, if a pet has arthritis prior to being covered by insurance, it should be anticipated that the ongoing care of arthritis will be excluded from policy coverage. This is one of the reasons why it is so important that pets have insurance coverage from an early age, when nothing is considered pre-existing and the pet appears completely healthy. Ideally, coverage should be started by around 8 weeks of age to get the most benefit out of insurance, but insurance should be considered for pets of any age.
Some pet health insurance policies extend the concept of exclusion to conditions known or believed to have a genetic component. So, if a certain breed is known to be “predisposed” to certain ailments, coverage of that condition may be excluded in some policies. The best way to safeguard against this is to buy a policy that clearly states that genetic (hereditary) problems are covered by the policy, and to what extent. It should be expected that such policies are going to cost slightly more, but they are well worth it, since it can be disappointing to have insurance, only to learn that conditions you would most like to have covered won’t be covered. Similarly, some policies can appear cheaper if they don’t offer chronic care coverage. So, for example, if a pet develops diabetes mellitus during the policy term, it will be covered, but when the term next renews, the medical condition could be considered “pre-existing” and excluded from further coverage. Everyone wants to save money on insurance, but such short-term savings are rarely worth it. If at all possible, go with a company and a policy that will provide ongoing care for chronic and hereditary conditions, and not exclude conditions likely to occur in the breed being covered. Yes, you can save money by excluding more conditions, but why would you?