Does Pet Insurance cover seeing a dermatologist?

[nightowls]

This is for the USA.

I do not currently have pet insurance. I have multiple cats and find it cheaper to just cover the cost of the vet. However, I do one cat that has skin irritation (not itchy; minor rash/sores) that I would like to get to the bottom of.

So I am investigating if I should sign him up for insurance first. ^.^

 

[GranolaLouise]

I failed miserably with pet insurance. Everything I submitted they chalked up to something caused by an existing condition. I cancelled and find the amount I pay for vet visits and treatments are more sensible for me to pay than the premium.
They ain't gonna pay for something that is already there.

 

[Gizmobius]

Unfortunately, with insurance, if there's already a skin irritation issue that your cat is experiencing, then it would be a pre-existing condition and most (if not all) pet insurance won't cover those. Honestly, the best time to get pet insurance is either when they're a kitten and have a clean slate of health or if they're a younger adult cat that hasn't had any health concerns noted in their vet file yet.

 

[gilmargl]

I'm not in the USA but pet insurances are similar wherever you live. You have to read the small print: they are all different - covering or not covering vaccinations, check-ups, operations, dentistry, medication, accidents. Prices will not only depend on the individual coverage you choose but on the cat's age, medical history and breed. If you find an insurance which includes specialist treatment, it will no doubt be exceedingly expensive as it will include oncologists, radiologists and other specialists as well as dermatology. If the expenses you cause are too high the company also has the right to cancel your insurance.
There are on-line insurances where you can put in your cat's details and mark up what you want the insurance to cover and you will get an estimate of the costs for the first year. I think you will find it is far too high and decide to budget your own vet costs. An insurance company wants to make money insuring healthy young cats but you are already a high risk.

 

[fionasmom]

My pet insurance does cover any medical treatment which is eligible including specialists. One of my cats see a cardiologist and it has always been covered to the full extent of the policy. Diagnostics like ECGs have also been covered.

Where you might get into a gray area is if the skin condition has been seen by a vet and diagnosed. That could make it preexisting but the only way that you can determine that is to call companies that you are interested in and ask. Some companies have a full exclusion of a pre existing condition which is systemic and will never get better. So a cat who is already diabetic or suffering from IBD might have those conditions excluded permanently. However, a single UTI which does not seem related to anything other than bacteria in bladder and does not recur for a certain number of months might be covered after a waiting period.

 

[bbdoll22]

In my experience the insurance company will require the pets past veterinary records so they can deem if there are any preexisting conditions or illnesses and also will not cover any illnesses for the first 6 months. This is why I’m unable to insure my cats. I adopted them as rescues that had preexisting issues.