Cat insurance, often coming under the wider moniker of ‘pet insurance’ will often not cover certain basic areas of cat wellbeing cat owners often need. Incurable pre-existing ailments are often top of this list. Any kind of trimming such as nail trimming or fur trimming won’t be covered unless its part of a surgery routine. Taxes charged by a vet, breeding costs and cosmetic procedures doesn’t get covered in te majority of plans. Let kitty fall asleep on your lap while you read until the end to find out more.
Cat insurance covers a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean it covers everything. There are some things you need to know up front about what cat insurance does and does not cover. In fact, many people get put off from buying cat insurance because they think the costs will be exorbitant. But if you know exactly what is and isn’t covered by cat insurance, it is easy to get started with coverage that protects your future as well as your kitty’s present. Cat health insurance is an affordable way to protect your pet against unexpected vet bills and other expenses related to caring for a cat. However, there are some things cat health insurance won’t cover. Read on to learn more about what cat insurance doesn’t cover and what you should look out for.
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Things Cat Insurance Doesn’t Cover
Ongoing Preexisting, Incurable Illness
There are a few things that cat health insurance doesn’t cover. Ongoing preexisting, incurable illness and injury are obvious things that aren’t covered by health insurance. That means you won’t be reimbursed for your kitty’s visit to the vet if he gets sick or injured. That’s true even if the visit was a result of the insurance triggering a claim.
Pet insurance covers acute conditions, such as broken bones or infections, but not chronic health conditions like kidney disease or arthritis. Chronic conditions are those that are expected to last for a dog’s (or cat’s) lifetime, and many pet insurance companies don’t cover expenses related to these diagnoses.
Some providers may provide partial coverage for chronic conditions like allergies, diabetes, or thyroid issues, but it’s best to read your policy carefully before assuming any conditions are covered. If your pet has a chronic condition, make sure you pick a policy with lifetime coverage that can be increased as your pet’s condition worsens. If you wait until your pet’s condition has progressed to the point where it requires treatment before you purchase pet insurance, you may have to pay a higher premium to cover the chronic condition.
Loss of Vision and Hearing
Pet insurance doesn’t cover the cost of treatment for visual or auditory issues, including eye infections, glaucoma, cataracts, and deafness. If your pet is diagnosed with a visual or hearing impairment, your doctor may recommend ophthalmological or ontological surgical procedures to protect your pet’s health. These are often expensive procedures and are not covered by most pet insurance providers unless your pet has a pre-existing condition.
If your pet develops visual or auditory impairments after purchasing a policy, you may be able to file a claim and receive reimbursement for the cost of treatment. Contact your provider before incurring any expenses to see if your pet’s condition is covered by your policy.
Does Cat Insurance Include Dental Care?
Dental care is another thing that health insurance doesn’t cover. That will have to be paid out of your own pocket, and no one will reimburse you for that either. However, Health insurance does cover routine dental cleanings, x-rays and anesthesia and little more; it doesn’t cover any more serious dental issues your cat might have.
Cat health insurance won’t cover the cost of replacing any items lost or stolen; e,g: if kitty runs off with your gold watch and looses it.
Insurance also won’t cover the adoption fees for a rescued cat. In general, health insurance doesn’t cover anything that is considered a loss including the cat itself. It only covers the cost of treatment that is expected to be expensive.
Dental Care
Cat health insurance doesn’t often cover dental care, though some companies often allow for polishing routines certain times of the year and anesthesia costs (its best to check the small print of phone your intended company). That means that you’ll have to pay for that out of pocket. You can expect to pay around $100 for a cleaning if this is not included in your policy, but the cost can vary.
Many cats need more extensive dental work to get their teeth back in shape. That can get expensive, but it is completely avoidable if you invest in a dental chew or brush for your kitty. All in all, dental care is something you’ll want to be prepared for if you have a cat.
Loss or Theft of Items
Health insurance doesn’t cover losses like the theft or loss of items. That means that if your kitty gets out of the house and eats your shoes, you won’t be reimbursed for those. Cat health insurance does cover food and treats for your kitty if she gets sick. So, if your kitty gets into some bad food and ends up in the vet, the vet will reimburse you for the cost of the care. However, if the vet charges you for your kitty’s treatment and you have health insurance, you won’t be reimbursed for any of those charges.
Rescuers and Adoption Fees
Health insurance doesn’t cover adoption fees, even if the adoption fee is your kitty’s medical care. That can include shots and other medical expenses associated with adopting a cat. That means that if you adopt a cat and she needs medical attention right away, you’ll be on the hook for the full cost of her care, and health insurance won’t cover any of it. Cat health insurance does cover routine care for your kitty. That includes vaccines, blood tests, and other procedures you would expect a vet to do routinely. That will help to offset the cost of your kitty’s routine care, but it won’t cover any emergency treatment your kitty might need.
Examination Fees
Routine Examinations
The most common types of costs that pet insurance won’t cover are: routine examination and vaccinations. These cover visits to the vet to get vaccinations or other routine examinations. Your policy may cover vaccinations but it may not cover the cost of your pet being examined before getting them.
Other Things Pet Insurance Doesn’t Cover
Food, Litter and Grooming
These are basic necessities for owning a pet and are things that you will need to pay for regardless of whether you have pet insurance or not. Many policies will only cover the cost of necessary medical care (although some will cover regular grooming).
Routine health check-ups: depending on the policy, pet insurance may not cover visits to the vet for routine health check-ups. It’s best to check the policy on this and make sure you understand what is covered before you sign up.
In Conclusion
Cat insurance is a great way to protect your pet and your budget. It will cover many routine and emergency expenses related to your kitty’s care. Be sure to read the terms of your health insurance policy and understand exactly what it does and doesn’t cover. That will help you to avoid any surprises and use your health insurance policy to its full potential.
Always read and understand the terms of your policy before signing up. If you don’t follow the rules or there was an error in the way you filled in the insurance application, your company may refuse to pay out. There’s also a chance that your pet insurance company will change in the future. This can happen if the company decides to stop offering the policy or if you change insurance companies. It’s best to keep an eye on this and make sure you understand any changes that may happen so you can prepare for any potential increase in costs.
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