Best Pet Insurance That Covers Pre-Existing Conditions

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Updated: August 24, 2026

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Best Pet Insurance Companies for Pre-Existing Conditions

My team and I analyzed 18 major pet insurance providers and found three good options for pets with pre-existing conditions:

  1. Pumpkin: Covers curable pre-existing conditions, like infections, injuries and temporary illnesses, once they've been resolved and free of treatment and symptoms for 180 days, with the exception of knee and ligament conditions.
  2. Lemonade: Covers curable and non-chronic pre-existing conditions that reoccur, as long as they were cured without recurrent signs, symptoms or continued treatment for 12 consecutive months.
  3. AKC: The only pet insurer to cover both curable and incurable pre-existing conditions after 365 days of continuous coverage, with no requirement for the condition to be symptom- and treatment-free during that wait.

Because pet insurance protects against unforeseen events, it treats conditions that occurred before enrollment or during the waiting periods as pre-existing and excludes them from coverage. 

Not every company covers pre-existing conditions. My top three recommendations are exceptions, but you should still read the pre-existing condition terms in online sample policies and reach out to customer service before enrolling to determine whether pet insurance is worth it for your specific situation.

Pumpkin
4.70
$31
Curable Pre-Existing Conditions

Curable pre-existing conditions qualify for coverage once your pet has been symptom- and treatment-free for 180 days.

Lemonade

4.51

$40

Curable Pre-Existing Conditions That Reoccur

Non-chronic pre-existing conditions that reoccur become eligible for coverage if your pet was completely free from signs, symptoms and treatment for 12 consecutive months.

AKC
3.94
$53
Incurable Pre-Existing Conditions

Both curable and incurable pre-existing conditions are covered after 365 days of continuous enrollment.

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CURABLE VS. INCURABLE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS

Curable pre-existing conditions are temporary injuries or illnesses that treatment can fully resolve, including ear infections, upper respiratory infections, sprains, urinary tract infections and minor skin conditions. Incurable pre-existing conditions need life-long treatment and management instead, such as cancer, diabetes, hip dysplasia, allergies, arthritis, heart disease and cruciate ligament disease.

Don't just focus on scores when looking into my top recommendations. Each insurer's strengths and drawbacks below can help you determine which option fits your pet's health needs best.

We evaluated coverage, customer experience and affordability across 18 major pet insurers using more than 67,000 pet profiles. These covered mixed breeds and purebreds in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Every provider was compared against the same two base profiles: a 6-year-old Labrador Retriever and a 7-year-old Ragdoll, each with a $5,000 annual limit, $500 deductible and 80% reimbursement rate. This kept the comparisons apples-to-apples.

We assessed coverage breadth and flexibility for breed-specific health risks specifically, compared pricing across breeds and locations and tracked customer experience from enrollment through claims. Coverage options and terms count for 50% of the overall score, customer experience for 30% and affordability for 20%.

See the full methodology for the complete metric breakdown and scoring approach.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin

Best for Curable Pre-Existing Conditions

Pumpkin is my top pick for curable pre-existing conditions overall, with the strongest blend of affordability and customer experience and the lowest average rate of my picks at $31 a month. If a curable condition reoccurs and your pet's medical records need review against the 180-day waiting period, Pumpkin's straightforward claim submission process and fair claims assessment cut the odds of a denial that doesn't reflect what the policy actually covers.

But Pumpkin has few customization options for coverage, so you won't have much flexibility tailoring your policy to your pet's needs and your budget.

Read our review: Pumpkin Pet Insurance Review

Lemonade

Lemonade

Best for Curable Pre-Existing Conditions That Reoccur
On Lemonade's site

The runner-up Lemonade is best in coverage flexibility with the widest range of deductibles, annual limits and reimbursement rates of my picks. You can choose an annual limit up to $100,000 if your pet's prior curable condition needs expensive treatment, or adjust your reimbursement rate between 60% and 90% to cut out-of-pocket costs if a reoccurrence means multiple vet visits before it resolves again.

Lemonade averages $40 a month, making it one of the cheapest pet insurers in my analysis. But customer experience isn't a strength, with a claims appeal process that isn't always straightforward for pre-existing condition determinations.

Read our review: Lemonade Pet Insurance Review

AKC

AKC

Best for Incurable Pre-Existing Conditions

AKC rounds out my top three, as the only insurer that covers both curable and incurable conditions after 365 days of continuous coverage, with no requirement to be cured or symptom-free during that wait. Whether your pet has a respiratory infection or is managing diabetes, AKC covers it after a year of paying premiums.

But AKC is the most expensive of the insurers analyzed, averaging $53 a month, and its customer experience isn't competitive either, with a claims process that can take a while and run into issues when a claim needs additional medical records.

Read our review: AKC Pet Insurance Review

Compare Provider Pet Insurance Coverage For Pre-Existing Conditions

No two pet insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions the same way. Some only reinstate coverage for curable conditions that reoccur after a symptom-free period; others cover incurable conditions, subject to terms. Here's how eight major pet insurers handle pre-existing conditions, to help you find the one that matches your pet's specific health history:

Pumpkin, ASPCA, Spot*

180 days symptom-free and treatment-free
Chronic conditions, ligament and knee conditions, bilateral ligament/knee conditions
14 days
14 days
14 days
Lemonade
12 months symptom-free, recurrence-free and treatment-free
Chronic conditions, knee conditions, ligament conditions, bilateral conditions, intervertebral conditions
0 days
14 days
30 days
AKC
365 days of continuous coverage
IVDD, hereditary and congenital conditions, unless an optional add-on is purchased
2 days
14 days

180 days

Rainwalk

12 months symptom-free and treatment-free in California and New York, 180 days in the rest of states
Chronic conditions, bilateral conditions determined to be pre-existing, ligament and orthopedic conditions
1 day
14 days
14 days

Pets Best

Covers curable pre-existing conditions but doesn't explicitly state its waiting period

Cancer, diabetes, bladder crystals, allergies, heart disease, kidney disease, epilepsy, arthritis, hip dysplasia, bilateral conditions
0 to 3 days, depending on state
14 days
30 days

MetLife

Switch to MetLife's Pet group policy, with the conditions covered by the previous insurer
Conditions not covered by the previous insurer when switching to its group policy
0 day
14 days
14 days

Figo

12 months without clinical signs and considered cured
Cancer, IVDD, hyperthyroidism and related conditions, renal disease, certain masses and related conditions
1 day
14 days

6 months for cruciate ligament conditions in dogs

Embrace

12 months symptom-free and treatment-free
Chronic/incurable conditions, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, orthopedic conditions subject to special exclusion rules
2 days
14 days

180 days

*Pumpkin, ASPCA and Spot are all underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company, so their pre-existing condition terms, coverage requirements and waiting periods are similar.

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WHAT ARE BILATERAL CONDITIONS?

Bilateral conditions are health issues that can affect both sides of your pet's body, like hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament tears and cataracts.

If your pet is diagnosed with a condition on one side before enrollment, most insurers won't cover the same condition on the opposite side, even if it develops after waiting periods pass, since it's still considered pre-existing.

Best Pre-Existing Condition Pet Insurance Checklist

Whether your pet already has a pre-existing condition, or you're unsure if a prior symptom excludes anything related to it, this checklist walks you through what to assess, compare and confirm before getting pet insurance.

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    Evaluate your pet's risks and health history

    Request your pet's medical records from your vet and review every sign or symptom, condition and treatment mentioned. Insurers review this history when you apply for coverage or file a claim, and any symptom or condition observable before your policy's effective date can count as pre-existing, whether or not it led to a formal diagnosis or treatment.

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    Talk to your veterinarian

    Ask your vet to confirm whether each documented condition or symptom from your pet's records is curable (fully resolvable with treatment) or incurable (manageable but not curable).

    The AskVet subreddit can add advice from veterinary professionals too. This makes it easier to find insurers that can cover your pet's pre-existing conditions down the line.

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    Find pet insurance companies that cover pre-existing conditions

    Match your pet's health history to providers whose pet insurance coverage terms for pre-existing conditions fit. A curable condition gives you a larger pool of insurers to choose from, since most have curable condition terms explicitly stated in their policies. An incurable condition narrows that pool to AKC.

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    Review policy details

    Look for sample policies from each insurer you're considering. Review its definitions for pre-existing and bilateral conditions, and confirm curable conditions are written into the policy with a defined waiting period.

    Pay attention too to the waiting periods before coverage begins, the list of excluded treatments and the rules for changing coverage. That last one matters, since some providers treat a coverage increase request as new enrollment, reclassifying anything that developed since your original start date as pre-existing under the new policy.

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    Look out for customer reviews

    Read firsthand accounts from policyholders who've submitted claims involving pre-existing conditions or disputed claim decisions, to confirm the providers on your shortlist are true to their word.

    Reddit is particularly useful here, with subreddits where pet owners share how their pre-existing condition terms actually worked in practice.

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    Collect quotes

    Get quotes from at least three pet insurance companies using the same deductible, annual limit and reimbursement rate, for an accurate comparison. Include optional add-ons in the total cost too, since insurers requiring add-ons for exam fees, take-home medications or alternative therapy can end up pricier than those that include them in the base plan.

    Once you have your quotes, check how the monthly cost fits your finances and whether you can comfortably afford it while the pre-existing condition waiting period passes.

Pet Insurance For Pre-Existing Conditions: FAQ

Get Pre-Existing Condition Pet Insurance Quotes

Compare quotes from multiple insurers using the same coverage parameters before getting pet insurance, to find the most cost-effective option for you. Use the tool below to find the top pet insurance companies that can cover your pet's pre-existing conditions at a price you can afford.

Compare Pet Insurance Rates

Ensure you are getting the best rate for your pet insurance. Compare quotes from the top pet insurance companies.

About Ritchel Mendiola

Ritchel Mendiola, Pet Insurance Writer

Ritchel Mendiola is a Pet Insurance Content Writer at MoneyGeek. She produces coverage guides, provider comparisons and cost analyses so pet owners can understand their options and avoid overpaying.

Ritchel spent over four years as a News and Feature Writer at Asian Journal Publications, where she reported for the Asian Journal newspaper and Balikbayan Magazine, conducted interviews and covered media events. At MoneyGeek, she covers policy terms, exclusions, waiting periods and reimbursement structures the way she treated news facts. They're sourced, verified and reported accurately rather than summarized from marketing copy.

She joined MoneyGeek in late 2021 in the loans vertical and moved to pet insurance content, which she now leads. Her published work includes provider comparisons, breed-specific cost guides, age-specific coverage analyses and state-level pricing studies, all from the vertical's 5 million pet insurance profiles across 18 major providers and all U.S. states.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rianmendi/

Contact Email: ritchel.mendiola@moneygeek.com

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