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Pet Insurance For a Pet with a Pre-Existing Condition

When you bring a pet into your home, you're not just bringing in a new pet - you're gaining a new family member. But caring for your pet, especially when he's sick or injured, can quickly get expensive.

Many pet owners turn to pet insurance to help reduce the costs of veterinary care, but if your pet has a pre-existing condition, pet insurance may not be an option. Luckily, there's another solution for owners of pets with pre-existing conditions.

What is a Pre-Existing Condition for Pets?

Pet insurance can help to reduce the veterinary care costs that you face during your pet's lifetime. But when your pet has a pre-existing condition, pet insurance gets complicated and may no longer be the best option.

Pre-existing conditions are significant problems or conditions that your pet has before you enroll him in an insurance program. For instance, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and some other very common pet ailments are considered pre-existing conditions. If you know about these conditions, you're obligated to disclose them to the insurance company.

Each pet insurance company will have its own specific list of which conditions it excludes, but most insurance companies will consider the following to be pre-existing conditions:

Diabetes
Allergies
Cancer
Heart disease
Arthritis
Urinary blockages
Epilepsy

Even injuries can be considered to be pre-existing conditions.

Why Pre-Existing Conditions are a Problem for Pet Owners

The problem is, most pet insurance companies won't insure a pet that has a pre-existing condition. Insurance companies see these pets as being expensive and risky investments, since they'll certainly need some veterinary care to manage these conditions. Additionally, some of these conditions can lead to other medical problems in the future, and insurance companies don't want the added risk of having to pay for those treatments.

Current laws prevent human insurance companies from discriminating against humans who have pre-existing conditions. When it comes to pets, though, there are no laws regulating what pet insurance companies can and cannot do. That means that if you're unlucky enough to have a pet with a pre-existing condition, you may be out of luck if you're trying to insure your pet.

Unfortunately, many of these pre-existing conditions are fairly common issues for pets to encounter. And if your pet develops a condition early on in life, this means that you may never be able to insure him for his entire life. There are often no warning signs that your pet may be prone to developing a condition, so there's no way for you to know that you won't be able to insure your pet.

But going without some sort of veterinary discount isn't practical for many pet owners. Pet insurer Nationwide identified the top 10 medical conditions that affected dogs and cats, based on 1.4 million claims that were submitted to the company. The issues and their associated costs really highlight how expensive it can be to treat a pet, especially when a pre-existing condition prevents you from insuring him.

For dogs, the top 10 most common medical conditions were:

Atopic or allergic dermatitis average cost to treat: $255
Otitis externa average cost to treat: $172
Benign skin neoplasia average cost to treat: $377
Pyoderma average cost to treat: $128
Enteropathy average cost to treat: $175
Gastropathy
Degenerative arthritis
Periodontitis/Tooth infection average cost to treat: $400
Cystitis or urinary tract infection
Anal gland sacculitis/Expression

Cats presented with similar common conditions:

Cystitis or urinary tract disease average cost to treat: $495
Periodontitis/Tooth infection average cost to treat: $434
Gastropathy average cost to treat: $334
Renal disease or failure average cost to treat: $649
Enteropathy average cost to treat: $221
Hyperthyroidism
Feline upper respiratory infection
Diabetes mellitus average cost to treat: $889
Atopic or allergic dermatitis
Valvular heart disease or murmur

Luckily, there's another solution for pets with pre-existing conditions.

Why Pet Assure Makes Sense for Pets with Pre-Existing Conditions

If you have a pet with a pre-existing condition, Pet Assure may be the perfect option for you. Pet Assure isn't a pet insurance company. It's a veterinary discount plan that offers you discounts on vet care for your pets, and best of all, pre-existing conditions DON'T MATTER.

You'll find that Pet Assure is designed to be simple, efficient, and all-inclusive of any and every pet, regarding of age, existing health conditions, or breed. Every single pet is covered under Pet Assure, with no exclusions. You don't have to submit past vet records, prove that your pet is healthy, or jump through any other hoops just to get your pet enrolled.

Pet Assure can be used for any in-house treatments, including:

Wellness visits
Sick visits
Emergency care and hospitalization
Surgical procedures
Spays and neuters
Routine care and vaccines
Dental exams, cleanings, and x-rays
Allergy treatments
Diabetes management
Cancer care
And much more

Pet Assure members also receive 15% off of all purchases on PetCareRx, which can lead to significant savings if your pet is on a long-term costly medication. Members who are first-time Rover members receive a $50 credit toward pet sitting, boarding, or dog walking.

Do you have multiple pets in your home, and are you looking for a plan that will work for all of them? Pet Assure accepts all types of pets, including:

Dogs
Cats
Birds
Llamas
Horses
And more

Signing up for Pet Assure is easy, and no medical conditions or services are ever excluded. It's that simple! No claims are denied, and you don't have to worry about filling out any claim forms or paperwork. There are also no deductibles to hit; you start receiving discounts immediately. Pet Assure is hassle-free, and you don't have to double-check about which veterinary services are covered and which aren't. Plus, since all services are discounted, there's no worrying that filing a claim will eventually get your pet dropped from the plan, or that a claim will make your rates go up.

With thousands of veterinarians participating in Pet Assure, this veterinary discount plan is a practical and affordable option for pet owners nationwide. It's an easy and simple way to save money on your vet bills, and you can even use Pet Assure in conjunction with pet insurance for improved coverage. With Pet Assure, there are no surprises, no long reimbursement processes, and even if your pet needs lots of veterinary treatment, you don't have to worry about him being dropped from the plan.

Investing in Your Pet's Future

Even if your pet has a pre-existing condition, Pet Assure provides a practical way that you can still reduce the costs of any veterinary care that he may need. There's no hassle, there are no exclusions, and the process is far easier than dealing with pet insurance companies. You'll receive discounts from participating vets right at the time of service, so you'll instantly save money.

No matter what pre-existing conditions your pet may have, Pet Assure makes veterinary care more affordable so you can ensure your pet always gets the care he needs and deserves.

Learn more about Mint Wellness Learn more about Veterinary Discount Plan