A pre-existing condition is any health issue that existed — or showed clinical signs — before your pet insurance coverage started. Almost no cat insurance carrier covers pre-existing conditions. They are the most common reason for claim denial across all carriers.
What counts as pre-existing
The definition is broader than most owners expect:
- A diagnosis before enrollment — obviously excluded
- A symptom noted by a vet before enrollment — often excluded, even if never diagnosed
- A behaviour or pattern that a vet linked to a condition in any medical note — can be excluded
- Conditions that develop within the waiting period — treated as pre-existing
Example: Your cat vomited twice in November and the vet noted “possible GI sensitivity.” You enroll in December. In March, your cat is diagnosed with IBD. The insurer reviews the November note, links vomiting to IBD, and denies the claim as pre-existing.
Curable vs incurable conditions
Some carriers — notably Embrace — distinguish between curable pre-existing conditions and incurable ones:
- Curable: Conditions that can resolve fully with no recurrence (a past ear infection, a resolved UTI, a healed wound) — Embrace may cover these after a 12-month symptom-free window
- Incurable: Chronic conditions with no resolution expectation (kidney disease, IBD, diabetes, HCM) — permanently excluded
If your cat has had minor health issues that resolved, ask the carrier specifically whether they apply a curable/incurable distinction and what the symptom-free requirement is.
How to minimise pre-existing risk
- Enroll as a kitten, ideally before any vet visit creates a medical record
- Get a complete vet exam before or immediately at enrollment — ask the vet to note that the cat is “clinically healthy with no current conditions”
- Read the pre-existing clause carefully — different carriers define it differently, particularly around bilateral conditions and hereditary diseases
- Don’t wait until your cat is sick to enroll — by then, everything relevant may be pre-existing
If your cat already has a diagnosis
Almost no carrier will cover an active pre-existing condition. The options available:
- Wellness add-ons (Embrace Wellness Rewards, Lemonade preventive add-on) cover routine care that doesn’t depend on diagnosis — vaccines, dental cleanings, wellness exams — so some value is still extractable even when the base policy can’t cover the primary condition
- Accident-only coverage may still be available and worth comparing if your cat has chronic illness but remains active and at accident risk
- Stay with your current carrier if you’re already insured — switching resets all waiting periods and exposes everything on the medical record to fresh pre-existing scrutiny
Disclaimer: Pre-existing condition definitions vary significantly between carriers and policies. Always read the full policy document before purchasing. This content is for comparison purposes only.