Best pet insurance companies to cover pets with curable pre-existing conditions

Pet insurance typically excludes health issues that your pet has been diagnosed with before purchasing your policy and completing the waiting period. These are considered pre-existing conditions, and your coverage won't apply to these conditions.  

However, some pet insurance companies distinguish between curable and incurable conditions, covering pre-existing conditions that have been cured for a certain amount of time, such as broken bones or respiratory infections.

Here, CNBC Select reviews the best pet insurance companies for covering curable pre-existing conditions and the terms of their coverages, such as waiting periods and deductibles. (See our methodology for more information on how we made this list.)

• Best overall: Spot Pet Insurance  
• Best for high reimbursement rate: Pumpkin Pet Insurance  
• Best for flexibility: ASPCA Pet Health Insurance  

Who's this for? Spot is a top choice for many pet owners thanks to its flexible policies and variety of coverage options. Plus, it has no maximum age limit for coverage, so even older pets can get coverage.

Pre-existing condition policy: The insurer's site states that while Spot doesn't cover pre-existing conditions, it may cover "injury or illness that is curable, cured and free of treatment and symptoms for 180 days" (except knee and ligament conditions). Many other pet insurers we reviewed require a 12-month waiting period for curable pre-existing conditions.

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Who's this for? Pumpkin Pet Insurance stands out for those wanting a high reimbursement rate on their pet insurance policy as all policies from the brand offer 90% cash back on covered vet bills.  

Pre-existing condition policy: Pumpkin has a 180-day waiting period for curable pre-existing conditions. If your pet faces a curable condition, is cured and treated and is symptom-free for 180 days, the condition could be covered if it presents itself in the future. However, knee and hind leg ligament conditions are excluded.

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Who's this for? ASPCA's Pet Health Insurance isn't one-size-fits-all — it offers the ability to customize your policy's maximum annual coverage limits, reimbursement limits and deductibles, which could help you adjust the monthly cost of your coverage.

Pre-existing condition policy: With ASPCA, conditions are no longer considered pre-existing if the pet is cured and symptom-free for 180 days, with an exception for knee and ligament conditions.

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Spot's Pet Insurance boasts strong coverage with strong customer reviews according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). With nationwide availability, no upper age limits for coverage and numerous coverage options, many pet owners will be able to find coverage in their budget.

Age limits

The minimum enrollment age is eight weeks; no maximum age limit

Type of pets covered

Dogs and cats

Policies offered

Accident and illness, accident only and preventative care options

Waiting period

14-day waiting period for all coverage

Notable perks

Spot offers generous coverage options, including coverage for prescription medications, alternative therapies and vet exam fees. Other perks include access to a 24/7 veterinary helpline and a 10% discount for insuring multiple pets.

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Pumpkin Pet Insurance includes many things that other pet insurance companies charge extra for, like prescription food for covered conditions, alternative therapies, microchip implantation and even behavioral issues. The insurer also has no upper age limits or breed exclusions.

Age limits

The minimum enrollment age is eight weeks; no maximum age limit

Type of pets covered

Dogs and cats

Policies offered

Accident and illness and preventative care options

Waiting period

14-day waiting period for all coverage

Notable perks

All of Pumpkin's policies feature a 90% reimbursement level to help you get the most back from your covered vet visits and other expenses. Plus, you can get a 10% multi-pet discount for each additional pet you enroll.

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ASPCA's Pet Health Insurance is offered through PTZ Insurance Agency, Ltd., and has a long history of covering pets. It offers a variety of annual limits, reimbursement rates and deductibles, making it easy to customize coverage.

Age limits

The minimum enrollment age is eight weeks; no maximum age limit

Type of pets covered

Dogs, cats and horses

Policies offered

Accident-only, accident and illness, preventative care

Waiting period

No waiting period for preventative care and a 14-day waiting period for accident and illness coverage.

Notable perks

ASPCA offers some of the most comprehensive plans on the market, covering typical accidents and injuries, as well as less common hereditary, congenital and breed-specific conditions. You can take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee if no claims are filed and receive a 10% discount when insuring multiple pets.

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Diseases and illnesses your pet will always have, called incurable pre-existing conditions, generally aren't covered if developed before you buy the policy and the waiting period ends. This can include things like kidney disease and diabetes, among other issues. If your pet develops these while they're insured, however, they could be covered. It's one of the reasons that it makes sense to get coverage for your pet when they're young and healthy, along with the fact that the cost tends to be lower.  

Some policies will cover a condition your pet has faced after being cured for a certain period, generally between 6 and 12 months, called a curable condition. Temporary illnesses like a broken bone or an upper respiratory infection may be eligible for coverage on a pet insurance policy if the pet insurance company considers it a curable condition and the condition has cleared up. 

There's no one list of what every pet insurance company considers curable versus incurable — the exact list of conditions that insurers will cover varies by company. If your pet has had medical conditions in the past, you'll want to have a good idea of what your policy will cover and what it won't. Be sure to read your pet's policy closely and ask questions before you buy if you're unsure about coverage. 

Pet insurance won't cover chronic illnesses and diseases your pet has before enrolling them. However, it might cover small, treatable issues your pet has faced if they've been cured and treatment-free for a certain timeframe. Make sure to read your policy carefully to understand what conditions are covered, and when a condition can be considered curable, as criteria can vary by company.

If you're worried about a pre-existing condition not being covered, it might be worth creating a separate emergency fund to cover your pet's expenses — a high-yield savings account can be an excellent way to keep that fund growing. Saving each month can give you peace of mind if and when your pet does need care.  

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every pet insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of pet insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best pet insurance companies.

To determine the best pet insurance companies, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of pet insurance companies and compared them based on various factors.

To rank them, we looked at data points including the types of policies available, choices of deductibles, reimbursement levels, annual coverage limits, waiting periods, and customer reviews from Better Business Bureau data. We also considered the language regarding pre-existing conditions and the length of the period a policy required to be considered a cured pre-existing condition.

From there, we sorted our recommendations by the best overall, best for high reimbursement rate and best for flexibility.

Note that the premiums and policy structures advertised for pet insurance companies are subject to fluctuate in accordance with the company's policies.  

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