Pre-Existing Conditions: The Clause That Decides Whether Pet Insurance Pays
How eight insurers define it, which ones will cover a condition again, and why the enrolment date matters more than the price.
The rule everyone shares
No pet insurer covers a condition that appeared before your policy started or during the waiting period — whether or not it was diagnosed. A limp noted in the file two years ago can exclude a cruciate claim today.
Where they differ: curable conditions
Embrace, Pets Best and ASPCA will cover a curable condition again once the pet has been symptom-free and treatment-free for twelve months. An ear infection in year one need not haunt you forever. Healthy Paws and Trupanion generally treat a noted condition as permanently excluded.
Where they differ: orthopaedic waits
- Figo: one day for accidents, six months orthopaedic.
- Pets Best: three days accident, six months cruciate.
- Embrace: six months orthopaedic, waivable after an exam.
- Healthy Paws: twelve months hip dysplasia, and permanent for pets enrolled after six years old.
- ASPCA and Nationwide: a single 14-day wait with no separate orthopaedic clause.
What to do about it
- Enrol while the pet is young and the file is clean. This matters more than saving $8 a month.
- Get the policy in force before the next vet visit, not after.
- Ask your vet for the full history and read it before you choose — anything in there is a candidate for exclusion.
- If your pet already has a condition, compare on the twelve-month reinstatement rule, not on price.
This is a summary of policy wording we read, not insurance advice. Read your own policy document before buying.
» See the full rankings: Best Pet Insurance of 2026, Best Pet Insurance for Older Pets, Best Dog Insurance .