Every pet insurance company has limitations and exclusions, but you'll find that most won't come right out and tell you what they are.

To help you make an informed decision, we're listing ours here. If this list doesn't answer your questions, please e-mail Pets Best Customer Service, or phone us at 1-877-738-7237. You can also download and read our entire policy online.

Pre-Existing Conditions

If your pet has an accident, an injury, or an illness before your policy becomes effective, it's a pre-existing condition. Please understand, it's not when you bought the policy, but rather when your pet became afflicted that matters in terms of the accident or illness date and whether a condition is considered pre-existing.

The younger the pet when the policy is purchased, the less likely a condition is to be pre-existing to the policy. Sometimes it takes months for conditions like cancer or kidney-failure to manifest symptoms.

What Makes Something Pre-existing?

We classify a pre-existing condition as a condition that was present prior to the original policy effective date, whether or not the condition was diagnosed or treated previously.

1. Some conditions—like broken legs, ear infections and bladder infections—heal and require no further treatment. Those conditions are no longer considered pre-existing, once they are cured. Should your pet break the same leg a second time or acquire a new ear or bladder infection (after your policy becomes effective, of course), that second injury or illness is covered at our standard 80% reimbursement.
2. Some conditions are on-going (like seasonal allergies) and require treatment. These incurable conditions – if they began before your policy was purchased – cannot be covered.
3. There are also serious on-going pre-existing health conditions (like cancer,and diabetes) that we can’t issue full health care coverage for at all. In this case, we are happy to provide accident coverage, even to pets with serious on-going health conditions.

Hereditary conditions are not excluded, but benefits are normally limited to $100, $200 or $300, depending on the type of policy you choose. View the list. If a condition isn't included and isn't congenital, Pets Best doesn't consider it hereditary, and it's covered at 80%.

Congenital Conditions

A congenital condition is something your pet is born with and unfortunately is ineligible for coverage because it is a pre-existing condition.

The most common examples of congenital conditions are:

• Patellar luxation
• Entropion
• Ectropion
• Liver shunt

Parasites and Preventable Diseases

Ask your veterinarian which parasites you should be protecting against, since they are not covered under your pet's health insurance policy. Parasites are nasty little bugs like fleas, ticks, heartworms, roundworms, ear mites, tapeworms, giardia, or scabies.

Likewise, diseases that could be prevented by vaccines are also ineligible for coverage.

Elective Procedures

In human terms it's like plastic surgery, but in pets it's called elective procedures. Elective procedures (including tail docking, ear cropping, declawing, skin folds, and anal gland expression) are not covered under your policy.

Dental Coverage

Just as with other types of medical insurance, dental coverage is not included with your pet’s accident-and-illness plan. What we are able to cover is any dental procedure that is required because of an accident or injury, such as extractions or a root canal.

For those interested in routine dental care, BestWellness reimburses $100 each year for teeth cleaning with no deductible.

Specific Questions?

If you would like more specific information about our coverages, please use our live chat feature, e-mail Pets Best customer service, or phone us at 1-877-738-7237.