When taking out pet insurance, you’ll often come across the term “pre-existing condition”. It’s important to understand what this means, because pre-existing conditions can affect what your pet is covered for and whether a future claim is accepted.
Scratch & Patch policies do not cover pre-existing conditions. Our pet insurance is designed to provide cover for eligible new illnesses and injuries that arise after your cover begins and any applicable waiting period has passed, subject to the terms of your policy.
So, what counts as a pre-existing condition and how could your pet’s medical history affect their cover?
What counts as a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition is broadly an illness, injury, symptom or health issue that existed or showed signs before your pet’s Scratch & Patch cover began.
This can include situations where your pet had:
- Been diagnosed with an illness or injury
- Received treatment, medication or veterinary advice for a condition
- Shown signs or symptoms of a condition, even if a formal diagnosis hadn’t yet been made
- Previously experienced a condition that later returned or was related to a subsequent condition
This means a condition doesn’t necessarily need to have been formally diagnosed before your policy started to be considered pre-existing.
As definitions and circumstances can vary, you should always refer to your policy documents for the full terms and exclusions that apply.
Does Scratch & Patch cover pre-existing conditions?
No. Scratch & Patch pet insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions.
Our policies are designed to provide protection against eligible new illnesses and injuries, rather than medical conditions, symptoms or signs that existed before your cover began.
If a condition is considered pre-existing under the terms of your policy, veterinary treatment relating to that condition will not be covered.
However, having a pre-existing condition doesn’t necessarily prevent you from taking out a Scratch & Patch policy. Your policy may still provide cover for new and unrelated eligible conditions, subject to its terms, exclusions and waiting periods.
What if my pet had symptoms but wasn’t diagnosed?
This is an important distinction.
For example, imagine your dog had been experiencing recurring lameness before you took out a policy. No condition had been formally diagnosed and the problem appeared to improve. After your insurance started, your vet subsequently diagnosed a condition connected to that earlier lameness.
The fact that the diagnosis happened after the policy started doesn’t necessarily mean the condition is new. If signs or symptoms existed beforehand and are related to the subsequent diagnosis, the condition may be considered pre-existing and therefore would not be covered by Scratch & Patch.
How do we determine whether a condition is pre-existing?
When you make a claim, information may be requested from your vet, including your pet’s clinical history and treatment records.
This helps establish when symptoms or signs first appeared, what veterinary advice or treatment your pet has previously received, and whether the condition you’re claiming for is eligible for cover.
A claim therefore isn’t assessed solely on the date that a condition was formally diagnosed.
What about recurring or related conditions?
Sometimes a new veterinary problem can be connected to an illness, injury or symptoms your pet experienced previously.
Where a new condition is related to a pre-existing condition, it may also fall within the policy’s pre-existing condition exclusion.
This can be a complex area, so it’s important to read the definitions and exclusions in your policy documents to understand how they apply to your pet.
Can I still insure a pet with a pre-existing condition?
Yes, you may still be able to take out Scratch & Patch pet insurance if your pet has an existing medical condition.
However, that pre-existing condition will not be covered.
Your policy can instead provide protection against eligible new and unrelated illnesses or injuries that occur after your cover starts and any applicable waiting period has passed, subject to the terms and limits of your chosen policy.
What if I switch pet insurance providers?
Switching insurer requires particular consideration if your pet has developed a medical condition while insured elsewhere.
A condition covered by your existing insurer could be considered pre-existing when you take out a new policy and may therefore no longer be covered.
Before switching, it’s worth looking beyond the premium and considering whether your pet has any existing or previous conditions that could affect their new cover.
Why can taking out pet insurance earlier help?
Nobody can predict when their pet will become ill or injured.
Taking out insurance while your pet is healthy can reduce the likelihood that they already have medical conditions, signs or symptoms that are excluded from cover when the policy begins.
If you wait until a health problem has already developed or symptoms have appeared, taking out insurance afterwards won’t make that existing condition eligible for cover.
What about waiting periods?
Waiting periods are different from pre-existing conditions.
Scratch & Patch policies have a 48-hour waiting period for accidents and a 14-day waiting period for illnesses, subject to the policy terms.
This means certain accidents or illnesses arising shortly after your policy begins may not be covered, even though they weren’t present before you purchased your policy.
Understanding both pre-existing condition exclusions and waiting periods is therefore important when taking out pet insurance.
Understanding your pet’s cover
The key thing to remember is simple: Scratch & Patch does not cover pre-existing conditions.
Our policies are designed to protect against eligible new and unexpected illnesses and injuries, subject to the cover you choose and its terms, limits, exclusions and waiting periods.
If your pet has previously experienced an illness, injury, symptom or other health problem, make sure you understand how this could affect their cover before purchasing a policy.
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