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Pet Insurance And Pre-Existing Conditions In Australia

Sophie Venz
Editor

Updated: Jun 27, 2024, 11:16am

Johanna Leggatt
editor

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Pet Insurance And Pre-Existing Conditions In Australia

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If your pet has a pre-existing medical condition, it can be difficult to get cover for that particular illness or complaint with a standard pet insurance policy.

Instead, you may have to turn to a specialist insurer that will offer pet insurance for pre-existing conditions.

Here, we explain all you need to know about pre-existing conditions and pet insurance in Australia.

Related: What Does Pet Insurance Cover? 

What Is Pet Insurance For Pre-Existing Conditions?

Pet insurance for pre-existing conditions is a type of pet insurance designed to cover any medical issues your pet has been suffering from before taking out a policy, hence ‘pre-existing’.

Unfortunately, the majority of standard pet insurance policies will automatically exclude pre-existing conditions from the outset, meaning your cat or dog won’t be covered if you have to make a claim due to that illness.

In some cases, you may find a standard policy that covers pre-existing conditions providing you haven’t made a claim for that condition for a certain period of time. There also may be policies that will cover pre-existing conditions, for an additional cost—the same way some travel insurance policies for humans charge an extra premium for pre-existing medical conditions.

Should you want more comprehensive insurance for your pet’s medical issue, pre-existing conditions pet insurance is likely to be the more appropriate choice.

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Defined

The definition of a pre-existing medical condition varies depending on the provider, so it’s important to read your insurance provider’s product disclosure statement (PDS) carefully.

Throughout the industry, it’s defined as a condition that occurred before the insurance policy was bought. But it may also be defined as a condition that results from, or is closely related to, a condition your pet had before you bought cover.

Common pre-existing medical conditions found in pets include:

  • Chronic conditions: illnesses that can’t be cured and require ongoing treatment, such as diabetes, cancer, allergies and arthritis
  • Historic conditions: illnesses or injuries your pet had previously but no longer suffers from, such as recurring joint pain
  • Bi-lateral conditions: conditions that affect both sides of your pet’s body, such as hip dysplasia
  • Hereditary or congenital conditions: illnesses or conditions passed down from your pet’s family, probably due to breeding, such as heart disease.

Pet Insurance Policies That Cover Pre-Existing

Each insurer has a list of the pre-existing medical conditions that it covers, so be sure to check before buying a policy.

If you can’t find a particular condition on the policy documents, contact the insurer to find out whether it’s covered.

From our top picks for comprehensive pet insurance, we found that these 10 policies have the following criteria when it comes to covering your pet’s pre-existing medical conditions, as per their individual product disclosure statements.


Pet Insurance Policy Are Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Covered? 
Potiki Platinum Cover No
Pet Insurance Australia: Major Medical No
ahm Pet Insurance Platinum Cover Yes, if you can provide veterinary records to verify that your pet has been free of the noticeable signs and symptoms or abnormality of the pre-existing condition for the past 18 months
Trupanion Pet Insurance No 
Bow Wow Meow Ultimate Care Plan Yes, if your pet has a pre-existing condition that is a temporary condition which hasn’t existed, occurred or shown noticeable signs,symptoms or an abnormality in the 18-month period prior to your claim treatment date
Fetch Pet Insurance No
Knose Pet Insurance No
Petsy Top Cover No

Woolworths Pet Insurance Everyday Comprehensive

Plus 

 Yes, if both you and your vet/s are required to certify and provide veterinary records to verify that your pet has been free of noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality of the pre-existing condition for 18 months prior to completing the pre-existing condition waiver form. 
RSPCA Ultimate Plus Accident and Illness Yes, if the condition has not existed, occurred or shown noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality in the 18-month period prior to your claim treatment date
Petplan Covered 4 Life Ultimate No
Pets On Me Deluxe No

How Do I Find Pet Insurance For Pre-Existing Conditions?

As the table above highlights, many insurers will not cover pre-existing conditions and those that do attach a range of conditions and caveats.

To find pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions, you’ll need to shop around and compare quotes carefully, ensuring you check which conditions are covered (if any, or whether you can claim them if your pet has not had symptoms for sometime).

If you’re struggling to find cover, it may be worth asking your vet whether they know of an insurer who could help.

You will also need to check the excess on the policy. This is the amount you will need to pay towards the cost of any claim you make, and it tends to get higher as your pet gets older—and is therefore more likely to have a pre-existing condition.

Many policies give you the option to increase your excess to lower your premiums, but it’s important not to push your excess so high you couldn’t afford to pay it in the event of a claim.

Related: How To Lower The Premium On Your Pet Insurance Policy

Do I Have To Declare My Pet’s Pre-Existing Conditions?

Yes, it’s crucial that you are honest about any pre-existing conditions your pet has when taking out insurance. If you don’t declare a pre-existing condition, any future claims you make are likely to be rejected, and your cover could be cancelled.

What If My Pet Develops A New Medical Condition?

Your existing pet insurance policy will cover any new conditions your dog or cat develops. How long this cover will last, and how much the cover is for, will depend on the policy type.

If you have a maximum benefit policy, your pet will be covered for a condition up to a set amount and once you exceed this limit, you won’t be able to make any further claims for that condition.

If you have a time-limited policy, each condition will be covered for a maximum of 12 months from the date of the first treatment—assuming the policy is renewed. There is also usually a maximum claim limit.

If you have a lifetime policy, there will be a limit to how much you can claim for each illness or injury which either resets each year or lasts for your pet’s lifetime.

Alternatives To Pre-Existing Conditions Pet Insurance

If you can’t find (or simply don’t want to take out) pet insurance for pre-existing conditions, one alternative is to self-insure. This means putting a sum of money into a savings account each month which you can then use to pay veterinary costs should your pet need treatment.

The downside of self-insurance for pre-existing conditions is that you would need to build up a sizable savings pot to cover the bills, depending on the severity of your pet’s medical needs.

Alternatively, there are veterinary charities, such as the RSPCA, that may be able to help you cover your pet’s condition. However, these are often oversubscribed, and you will need to meet certain criteria, relating to your income or location, to qualify for compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why don’t pet insurance policies cover pre-existing conditions?

Petsy Pet Insurance explains that most pet insurers do not cover pre-existing conditions within their policies as pet insurance is “designed to help cover the unexpected”. That means if you are already aware of the condition, it’s not viable for the insurance provider to be covering it.

“Any illness, health condition or injury that have occurred in the past, or are in the process of happening, or shown signs or symptoms of in the past, are not covered under [most policies],” Petsy Pet Insurance says.

However, as you can see from above, some of our picks from the top ten pet insurance policies in Australia cover pre-existing conditions—pending certain conditions.

Are allergies considered a pre-existing condition for pet insurance?

Most pet insurance providers usually consider allergies to be a pre-existing condition if your pet has shown symptoms of the allergy in the 24 months before you buy the policy or your animal has previously been prescribed medication for specific allergies.

To ensure your insurance is valid, you must disclose full details of any allergies and any allergy treatment when taking out cover.

How can I compare veterinary cover provided for pre-existing conditions?

It is important to read the small print on cover for pre-existing conditions when comparing pet policies as the cover limits, terms and exclusions vary between insurers, cover types and policies. You can do this by reading a pet insurer’s product disclosure statement (PDS) which are usually available on their websites.

Some pet policies covering pre-existing conditions limit the amount of cover in the first year, while some may want your pet to be clear of the condition for at least two years before you can have cover for that condition.

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Sophie Venz Editor

Sophie Venz is an experienced editor and features reporter, and has previously worked in the small business and start-up reporting space. Previously the Associate Editor of SmartCompany, Sophie has worked closely with finance experts and columnists around Australia and internationally.