Pet insurance exists to protect you against unexpected vet bills in case your beloved feline friend gets sick or injured. But is there a pet insurance plan that covers everything your cat could need?
There are many different companies that provide cat insurance, and it’s important to know that some offer greater coverage than others. In this post, we’ll discuss how to compare plans to find the right cat insurance plan that covers everything you’ll need.
Click on a link below to jump straight to the answers you need:
- Is there cat insurance that covers everything?
- What’s not covered by cat insurance?
- Where can I see the coverage details of a pet insurance plan?
- Key Takeaways
Is there cat insurance that covers everything?
The answer to this question is: it depends on how you classify "everything". No company will provide pet insurance for a pre-existing condition, which refers to a medical issue that your cat developed before enrolling in an insurance policy. However, if you’re looking for a cat insurance plan that covers all medical treatments for illnesses and injuries that take place after policy enrollment, then yes.
Accident & Illness pet insurance plans are the most comprehensive type of coverage that you can find and the most popular choice among pet owners. These plans reimburse the money you spend out-of-pocket to diagnose and treat both illnesses and accidents that befall your feline friend, including:
- Diagnostic tests and imaging at the vet office
- Trips to the pet emergency hospital
- Management of chronic illness
- Congenital disease
- Orthopedic conditions
- Planned and unexpected surgeries
- Overnight hospitalizations
- Viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections
- Broken bones and torn ligaments
- Bites, burns, abrasions, and puncture wounds
- Dental illnesses, root canals, and tooth extractions
- Diseases of the eye, liver, kidney, etc.
- All related cancer tests and treatments
If you’d like even more coverage for your cat, you can add on a supplementary pet wellness plan, which is a separate feature that helps off-set the cost of routine care such as:
- Heartworm testing for cats
- Flea and tick preventatives
- Core vaccinations
- Spay or neutering
- Microchipping
- Grooming
- Wellness checkups
- Alternative therapies, such as chiropractic and massage therapy
- End-of-life care
- Cremation or burial
Remember that not all pet insurance companies offer your cat the same degree of coverage. For example, Fetch by The Dodo includes extra reimbursements that most providers do not for things like lost-pet advertising and reward money, as well as vacation cancellation fees you incur because your cat had an unexpected illness or injury. Many providers compete by offering unique benefits, so it’s important to compare pet insurance plans to find the solution that’s most attractive to your needs.
What’s not covered by cat insurance?
Cat insurance doesn’t cover:
- Qualified veterinary expenses beyond the policy limit
- Treatment costs for policy exclusions
- Pre-existing conditions that occur before the time of insurance enrollment
- Elective or cosmetic procedures
When something isn’t covered by a pet insurance policy, it’s known as a “limit” or “exclusion”.
If your cat’s health coverage is limited, it means that the insurance provider will only reimburse you for out-of-pocket costs up to a certain amount per condition, incident, year, or lifetime of your pet. Therefore, a pet insurance plan could cover everything at the beginning of the policy term, but once you hit the ceiling on claim payouts, you would be responsible for the veterinary service or treatment until the policy renews (if applicable).
When a medical condition is excluded from policy coverage, it means that it will never be eligible for financial reimbursement through an insurance claim. Pre-existing conditions are almost always excluded from insurance coverage for pets, but some companies will cover conditions that are considered curable after no symptoms have been present for a specified amount of time. You can still sign up for cat insurance that covers everything other than the costs related to that condition.
Even the most comprehensive pet insurance plans won’t cover some situations pertaining to your cat’s health, such as elective or cosmetic procedures (ear cropping, claw removal, tail docking, etc). Breeding, pregnancy, and whelping are also typically excluded from cat insurance coverage.
Where can I see the coverage details of a pet insurance plan?
You'll need to read through a policy's fine print to see what's covered by cat insurance. Understanding the granular details of any pet insurance policy can be an overwhelming task that requires you to sift through often confusing information, decipher complex jargon, and/or experience long waits on hold to speak to a customer service representative who can answer your questions.
That’s why we created Pawlicy Advisor. We make it simple to compare the coverage details of top insurance providers side-by-side so you can find the most comprehensive plan for your cat’s health. Generate custom quotes based on your pet’s specific information in a matter of minutes and receive personalized recommendations for plans with the most lifetime value.
Pawlicy Advisor can quickly show you what’s covered by cat insurance and what’s not, in clear language that’s easy to understand. And if you ever have any questions about coverage, limits, or exclusions — or anything else related to cat insurance — our dedicated customer support team is on standby ready to help.
Key Takeaways
- If you're looking for cat insurance that covers everything, an Accident & Illness policy with a supplemental wellness plan will provide the most comprehensive coverage.
- No pet insurance company will cover a pre-existing condition that your cat may have at the time of enrollment.
- Be aware of certain coverage limits and exclusions within your cat insurance policy.
- Use Pawlicy Advisor to easily compare coverage details from top pet insurance companies to find a plan that provides the most financial assistance for all your cat's healthcare needs.
