Pre-Existing Conditions

What is a pre-existing condition?

A pre-existing condition is defined as a condition that exists or occurs before you take up a policy, or during any applicable waiting periods. A condition doesn’t need a vet diagnosis to be considered as a pre-existing condition – so signs and symptoms can be considered as pre-existing conditions too.

What pre-existing conditions do you cover?

We know that some pre-existing conditions can be cured. So, pre-existing conditions are assessed differently depending on whether they are considered chronic conditions or temporary conditions.

We can cover some temporary conditions that occurred or existed before you took out the policy (or which arose during the relevant waiting period) as long as your pet has not shown any symptom for that condition for at least 18 months.

However, chronic conditions will always be excluded if they are pre-existing.

What is a temporary condition?

A temporary condition is a condition which normally resolves itself with treatment, like eye infections or gastroenteritis. However, there are some conditions that can be resolved with treatment, which we don’t consider as temporary conditions, such as cruciate ligament conditions and hip dysplasia. You can see the full list of conditions that we don’t consider to be a temporary condition in our Policy Wording.

What is a chronic condition?

A chronic condition is long-lasting or recurring and affects your pet for more than three months (which doesn’t have to be consecutive). Chronic conditions may also include conditions that are intermittent or managed by medication, with intervals of remission. Examples of chronic conditions are diabetes and seasonal allergies. If your pet has a chronic condition before you take up your policy, or if it arises within the applicable waiting period, it will not be covered under your policy.

My pet has a chronic condition. Does this mean that I can’t apply for pet insurance?

You can still apply for pet insurance even if your pet has a chronic condition. However, your pet’s chronic condition will not be covered under your policy. For example, if your pet has diabetes, you won’t be able to make any claim related to their diabetes treatment – but you could still be covered for other illnesses and accidents.

How does cover for temporary conditions work?

If your pet has been symptom-free for 18 months, you can apply for the condition to be covered. This means, that if your pet had a temporary condition (e.g. dietary-related gastroenteritis), before you took up the policy, but it had been resolved by medication, they will be covered under your policy, as long as they don’t suffer from the same illness within an 18-month period.

My pet had a temporary condition that is currently excluded from my policy, but they have been symptom-free for 18 months. How do I get this condition covered?

When assessing a claim our team will consider the length of time between symptoms and will automatically remove the temporary condition where appropriate. You can also request a review of a pre-existing condition that is currently being excluded from your policy outside of claims time. Simply fill out this form and send it to claims@aapet.co.nz. Please allow 30 days for us to complete the review. We’ll let you know if we can cover your pet’s condition in writing.