Hey all, I need some advice! My cat has his first check-up in two days, and I’m trying to pick pet insurance here in NJ. I’ve been looking after this black shorthair who showed up neutered and ear-tipped, but I have no idea about his medical history. He’s friendly and lives on my porch now, but I’m getting overwhelmed with all the insurance options. I’d like to keep the cost under $40 a month and need coverage for labs, imaging, surgery, wellness, and dental care. I’m leaning toward Pumpkin, any other recommendations?
Edit: By the way, I found out some companies will treat pets with no prior medical records as having no pre-existing conditions. Pumpkin told me that’s their policy, but I still need to check with other providers. They might use the first exam as the starting point, and anything found then could be considered pre-existing.
Just a heads up, don’t take your cat for that check-up until the insurance kicks in. Most providers have a 15-day waiting period, and if you go before that, anything they find could be considered pre-existing and not covered.
Good call, thanks! I’ll have to reschedule his appointment. I was trying to squeeze it in this week since I got some time off work, but I definitely want the insurance to start first. Any suggestions on which insurance to go with? I’m still leaning toward Pumpkin.
All the insurance companies are gonna want your pet’s medical history, and each has its own look-back period. If you haven’t taken him to the vet in a while, I’d suggest getting a full check-up before you enroll, just to have a baseline. That way, they won’t use the first visit as a way to mark anything as pre-existing. Make sure to call around and ask for sample policies they usually aren’t easy to find online.
Source: I’m licensed in property insurance (yes, pets are considered property) and I sell pet insurance too.
Thanks a ton! I went ahead and called Pumpkin, and they confirmed what you mentioned. I told them about Oscar showing up on my porch already neutered and ear-tipped. They said if there are no previous medical records or paperwork, they’ll go by that, meaning no pre-existing conditions would be listed. I’m also considering Lemonade and ASPCA, so I’ll call them to check their policies too. Oh, and the rep mentioned that some companies even cover braces for dogs, never knew that was a thing!
