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Most pet insurance companies don’t provide coverage for pre-existing conditions, but there is pet insurance that covers hereditary conditions. Your pet may be covered for conditions they were born with or inherited from their parents, whether they show signs of illness at birth or later in life.
Keep reading to learn more about hereditary conditions and how a MetLife Pet Insurance policy can help reimburse you for costs associated with congenital and hereditary conditions.
MetLife Pet Insurance plans can provide coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions as part of our standard accident and illness policy. This means you could be reimbursed for some of the associated costs, according to your reimbursement rate.1
As long as your pet isn’t exhibiting symptoms before enrolling and after the 14-day waiting period, they can be covered for any necessary treatment for these conditions, like prescription medication, X-rays and other diagnostic testing, exam fees, and surgeries. Check out our coverage and exclusions page for more details about what a policy through MetLife Pet does and doesn’t cover.
Like in humans, hereditary conditions in pets are genetic disorders caused by genes inherited from parents and previous generations. These may also be referred to as inherited or genetic conditions, and some breeds are known for being more vulnerable to certain hereditary conditions.
Congenital conditions are present at birth, and they may or may not be hereditary. While some congenital conditions are caused by inherited genetic malformations, they can also be caused by environmental factors in utero.2
If you’re bringing home a young pet and know they’re prone to any breed-specific hereditary conditions, it may be worth getting a puppy insurance or kitten insurance policy for them as soon as possible. That way, they could be covered before symptoms arise.
A number of illnesses are considered both hereditary and congenital conditions, while some are either one or the other. Some examples of hereditary and/or congenital conditions in dogs include:3,4,5
Some examples of illnesses in cats that can be hereditary or congenital — or both — include:3,6,7
Some of these conditions are fairly common and can result in expensive veterinary bills. For example, a luxating patella surgery for dogs can cost up to $5,000 per leg. To help offset some of those expenses, you may want to consider dog insurance or cat insurance.
Your pet’s condition likely won’t be diagnosed until they start showing symptoms, and treatment will vary depending on the specific condition. Even if they were born with a congenital condition, they may not show signs of having it for a while.
If you’re aware of hereditary conditions your pet is prone to based on their breed, a pet insurance plan may be worth it so they’re covered if and when the disease appears. You could get an even better idea of your pet’s health and any genetic markers that cause disease with genetic testing. MetLife Pet’s Preventive Care add-on covers DNA testing when purchased through licensed veterinarians.
Pet insurance providers generally don’t provide coverage for pre-existing conditions, which are conditions that manifest prior to the date the policy goes into effect or before any relevant waiting periods end. So even if your pet’s condition is considered hereditary or congenital, if the onset of symptoms takes place before insurance enrollment is complete and your waiting period ends, coverage won’t apply for that condition.
Say your cat was born with a congenital illness but didn’t exhibit symptoms for a few years. If you tried to enroll them in a pet health insurance policy after taking them to the vet and getting a diagnosis, treatment probably wouldn’t be covered. This is because signs of the condition were present before enrollment.
When you submit vet records with your first pet insurance claim, they will note the vet’s diagnosis about when the condition first manifested, making it a pre-existing condition — as opposed to a covered hereditary or congenital condition that manifested after enrollment is complete.
At MetLife Pet Insurance, we know it’s stressful when your pet has a health condition, whether they were born with it or developed it when they were older. That’s why we pride ourselves on our pet insurance that covers hereditary conditions. If your pet is diagnosed with a hereditary or congenital condition, we can offer coverage from the first sign of symptoms to ongoing treatment.
For example, take Oscar, a Rottweiler puppy from New Jersey. His pet owners were worried when he suddenly began limping. So they brought him to the vet, where he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. His hospitalization bill came to $2,200, but a MetLife Pet policy reimbursed his pet parents for $1,975 of those costs.
Get a free quote today to start the enrollment process so you can spend your time dedicated to your pet’s wellness, not worrying about vet bills.
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