There's More? Yes!
You need to consider what happens to the pre-existing conditions when your policy renewal comes up - do they reset to include illnesses and conditions that occurred during the year or not?
Veterinary Pet Insurance: Pre-existing conditions are not reset.
Petshealth Care Plan: Pre-existing conditions reset.
PetCare: Pre-existing conditions are not reset.
Pet Protect: Pre-existing conditions reset.
Pet Partners: Pre-existing conditions reset.
So, it looks like PetCare and VPI have the only products that allow coverage of a condition that lasts beyond your policy's renewal date. Having said that, PetCare's coverage limits are by body system (either $3,000 or $6,000) so that once you spend that amount of money on any condition, your pet has no more coverage for the rest of its life.
What else do I need to know?
Perhaps an example will help?
Assume you sign your Goldie up for pet insurance when it is a puppy. Because you have a healthy pet, there are no pre-existing conditions at the start. Suppose that your Goldie gets hip dysplasia when she is 5 years old. Your pet insurance covers it until your next policy renewal, which could be very soon or at most a year away. When the policy renews and the pre-existing conditions reset, your Goldie is not covered any more for any hip dysplasia-related claims. If they don't reset, you will continue to be covered until your policy maximums are reached.
This is THE most key aspect of pet insurance you need to ask about. Why? Because none of the pet insurance companies at the moment disclose this on their websites or on their policies (as far as I can tell - please point me in the right direction if I am wrong). You need to ask about this one so you aren't disappointed down the road. Believe me, it's a big disappointment if you aren't expecting to get cut off.
Make sure to check out Pre-existing Condition Part 1 as well.
