What is Covered and Not Covered by Pet Insurance in California?
Below are some inclusions and exclusions of pet insurance coverages for pets like dogs and cats.
Pet insurance covers:
- Procedures like surgeries, chemotherapy, hospitalizations, endoscopies, and nursing care
- Serious illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease
- Chronic illnesses like allergies, seizures, arthritis, and skin conditions
- Common illnesses like diarrhea, vomiting, and ear infections
- Hereditary conditions like eye disorders, hip dysplasia, and blood disorders
- Testing and diagnostics like X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, blood tests, and ultrasounds
- Accidents and injuries like cuts, broken bones, ACL ruptures, and swallowing objects
- Wellness procedures like flea and heartworm prevention, spaying, neutering, vaccinations, and routine wellness exams
- Behavioral therapy like aggression, excessive barking, and destructive chewing
- Holistic and alternative procedures like laser therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture
Pet insurance excludes:
- Cloning or DNA testing
- Experimental treatments
- Non-veterinary expenses
- Pre-existing conditions
- Avian flu or nuclear war
- Pregnancy, breeding, and whelping
- Food, dietary and nutritional supplements
- Stem cell therapy not deemed medically necessary
- Pet injuries sustained from racing, neglect, fighting, or cruelty
- Grooming services like nail trims, baths, dips, or shampoos
- Intentional injuries caused by you, third-parties, or pet residing in your home
- Cosmetic procedures like ear cropping, tail docking, and dew removal, which are not deemed medically necessary
Note that animals like horses, alpacas, llamas, cattle, and pigs are not covered by standard pet insurance. You have to get equine and livestock insurance for such. Speak to a licensed insurance agent in California who can educate you on the inclusions and exclusions of pet insurance policies.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Accidents and Injuries?
Yes, pet insurance covers accidents and injuries. For instance, your pet insurance will provide coverage if your dog or cat gets hit by a car, accidentally swallows a foreign object, or has injuries sustained by falling down the stairs.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Illnesses?
Yes, pet insurance covers illnesses like arthritis, diarrhea, vomiting, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. However, it excludes pre-existing conditions. For instance, pet insurance will cover vet bills if your dog has digestive problems.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Dental?
California pet insurance covers dental problems, like teeth removal, crowns, gum disease, damaged teeth, gingivitis, root canals, and stomatitis. It does not cover routine dental care and cosmetic, endodontic, or orthodontic services like fillings, implants, and caps. Not all pet insurance companies in California offer pet insurance that covers dental issues. As such, talk to a California-licensed insurance agent who can help you look for pet insurance companies that provide dental coverage at an affordable price.
Which Pet Insurance Covers Dental in California?
Not all pet insurers offer dental coverage in California. Below are examples of pet insurance companies that offer dental coverage:
- Pets Best
- Trupanion
- ASPCA Pet Insurance
- Embrace Pet Insurance
- Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
Research the review of these pet insurance companies and speak to a licensed vet or insurance agent in California before committing to coverage. An insurance agent will be able to provide the answer to the question, “what pet insurance covers dental cleaning.”
Does Pet Insurance Cover Spaying and Neutering?
No, standard pet insurance policies do not cover spaying and neutering because it is considered elective surgery. However, pet parents can get spacing and neutering riders to their pet insurance coverage.
What Pet Insurance Covers Neutering and Spaying?
The best pet insurance that covers neutering and spaying is a pet wellness plan. This plan cannot be bought as a stand-alone policy but as an add-on to an existing standard pet insurance policy (accident only plan or accident and illness insurance plan). Before committing to a wellness plan, research reviews on the pet insurance company and speak to a California-licensed insurance agent who can help you compare quotes from several pet insurers. They will help you get affordable coverage to meet your pet's needs.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Behavioral Issues?
Yes, depending on the pet insurance plan and the insurance provider. Some pet insurance companies offer coverage for behavioral issues as part of their standard pet insurance plans, while others include it as a rider for an additional fee. Some insurance companies do not provide coverage for behavioral issues; they clearly state it in their policies. Examples of behavioral issues some pet insurance companies cover are separation anxiety, aggression, dietary indiscretion, fears and phobias, excessive chewing and licking, and urine marking.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Alternative Therapies?
Yes, pet insurance covers some alternative therapies like homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, hydrotherapy, herbal remedies, laser therapy, physical therapy, and chiropractic. Generally, alternative therapies help pets make stellar progress in their recovery from illnesses or injuries, but the cost of such therapies may be too huge to pay out of pocket. Therefore, the need for pet insurance policies that provide alternative therapy coverage.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Hereditary and Congenital Conditions?
Pet insurance would cover hereditary and congenital conditions if your dog or cat did not show noticeable signs, symptoms, or an abnormality during the pet insurance waiting periods or the commencement of the coverage. Examples of hereditary and congenital conditions pet insurance policies cover are elbow dysplasia, congenital heart disease, intervertebral disc disease, liver disease, cherry eye (entropion), and nervous system issues.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Wellness Treatments?
Most standard pet insurance policies do not cover wellness treatment. However, pet parents can buy separate pet wellness plans that cover wellness treatments. Some pet insurance companies may allow pet parents to add wellness treatments as riders to existing pet health insurance policies. Speak to a California-licensed insurance agent who can help access your pet's needs and recommend good wellness plans that will suit those needs.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Pre-Existing Medical Conditions?
No, most pet health insurance policies in California do not cover pre-existing conditions, so pet owners do not take out policies to make claims right away. However, pet insurance companies cannot refuse to provide coverage for your pet due to pre-existing conditions. Note that any conditions your pet has during waiting periods are also excluded. Some pet insurers cover curable pre-existing conditions and exclude incurable pre-existing conditions.
What Pet Insurance Covers Pre-Existing Conditions?
The best pet insurance plans for pre-existing conditions in California are Embrace pet insurance and ASPCA pet health insurance. Ensure you check pet insurance company reviews and speak to a licensed veterinarian or insurance agent before purchasing any pet insurance coverage.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Cosmetic Procedures?
Pet insurance does not cover cosmetic procedures that are not deemed medically necessary, like tail docking, wrinkle removal, ear cropping, and claw removal. Speak to a licensed insurance agent in your locality for more information about cosmetic coverage for your pet.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Pregnancy?
Generally, standard pet health insurance policies do not cover pregnancy and any complications that may arise from it. If you are unsure about your pet coverage, talk to a California-licensed insurance agent.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Wellness Care?
Standard pet insurance plans do not cover wellness care. However, wellness plan coverage can be bought as a rider on existing pet insurance plans. A wellness plan is a pet insurance that covers vaccination, rabies, deworming, flea/tick prevention, spay/neuter, teeth cleaning, blood, fecal, and parasite exam, wellness exams, and other preventive or routine care expenses.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Pet Pharmacy?
Pet insurance does not cover pet pharmacy structures or their contents. This is covered under commercial property insurance policies. Pet insurance covers any medication a vet prescribes for a covered condition, but over-the-counter drugs are excluded. Pet health insurance can cover prescribed drugs like antibiotics, ear, and eye drops, pain relievers, allergy medication, anxiety medication, insulin and supplies, oral chemotherapy, and steroids.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Horses?
No, it does not. Pet owners would have to get equine insurance (horse insurance) for their horses. Equine insurance provides coverage for horses when they get sick, are injured in an accident, or die.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Cremation?
California pet insurance coverage varies from plan to plan, but most insurers do not cover cremation. It is better to know upfront what your pet insurance policy covers and does not cover to prevent unexpected costs. Therefore, contacting a California-licensed pet health insurance agent who can help you review your policy to ensure you have the right coverage is important.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Euthanasia and End of Life Care?
Not all pet insurance companies in California cover euthanasia and end-of-life care. Some pet insurers pay for both coverages, while some will also pay out the amount you paid for the pet or its current market value when it dies. Some insurers will pay for euthanasia but not cremation, some will pay part of the end-of-life expenses, and the pet owner will pay the balance. Every year, over 100,000 pets in California are euthanized. As of 2019, 100,000 of the 711,000 cats and dogs that entered California shelters were euthanized.
As a pet owner, it is advisable to compare California pet health insurance companies to learn which ones cover euthanasia and end-of-life expenses, which ones exclude them, and how much each covers. Speak to a California-licensed insurance agent who can help you with this process. They are familiar with the insurance market and will help you get comprehensive pet coverage that will meet your pet's needs.
Read more in-depth about: Pet Insurance in California
