Last year after adopting my dog, I got her Pets Best and took her to get checked up. Although it looked good at the time, the veterinarian diagnosed her with patellar luxation. Would this be seen as a preexisting condition as the rescue probably had this condition when I got her, even if it was not listed in her medical papers when I acquired her? If it matters, she is five years old.
She has been walking slowly and occasionally limping for the past three days, and this has me really concerned. Although I’m going her to the vet tomorrow, I sincerely hope that my insurance will pay for any necessary surgery. The cost of surgery for a luxating patella is very high. To be honest, though, I do not have much hope.
Because patellar luxation is, in my opinion, genetic, it depends on the policy and whether or not it covers congenital or inherited conditions. Since it was found long after the policy was issued and beyond the waiting periods, if your policy does cover those conditions, it ought to be covered. I used to work in pet insurance, and I genuinely advise you to review the exclusions in your particular policy document as they may differ depending on the state.
Yes, if the veterinarian found it prior to your insurance visit.It should be covered if it was the first set of paperwork following the waiting period and insurance.
I made cautious not to take her to the veterinarian until after the waiting time. I suppose my paranoia sprang from the possibility that the insurance would contend that my dog had the illness earlier. Given that it was an older dog with an unclear medical history, it seemed like a gray area.
Yes, this is where it gets tricky. Depending largely on the language employed, patellar luxation alone may or may not be covered. It will also depend on the diagnosis, since I believe that the cruciate ligament is involved in about 25% of dogs with patellar luxation. You will have to ask the insurance company directly over the phone for this. It will mostly depend on how the policy was drafted, what the veterinarian precisely diagnosed, and, in the event that imaging was carried out, the results of those scans. Wishing you luck, I hope it works out in your favor.