Switching pet insurance
Everything your pet has been treated for becomes pre-existing at the new insurer. That's the whole page.
Switching to a cheaper pet insurer is the instinctive response to a renewal increase, and for most owners it's the wrong one.
The reason is structural rather than about any particular company.
The clock restarts
A new insurer applies its own pre-existing condition exclusion from the date your new policy starts. Anything your pet has been treated for, or shown signs of, becomes pre-existing and is excluded.
So you can end up with a cheaper policy that no longer covers the condition you actually have. Waiting periods also restart, including the long orthopaedic one.
Who can switch safely
- A young pet with genuinely nothing in its records
- A pet whose records are clean and who has never claimed
- Someone whose current plan has a structural flaw — a lifetime cap, no continuation at renewal — that outweighs the reset
- Someone moving from accident-only to accident and illness, where the reset is the price of much better coverage
What to do instead of switching
- Raise the deductible on your existing plan
- Lower the reimbursement percentage
- Reduce the annual limit if it's higher than you need
- Ask about discounts you may now qualify for, including multi-pet
- Ask the insurer to explain the increase — errors and outdated details do occur
If you do switch
- Request your pet's full records first and read them, so you know what will be excluded
- Get the new policy in force before cancelling the old one
- Never leave a gap, even of a day
- Get the new insurer's position on specific known conditions in writing before you commit
- Ask whether the new plan distinguishes curable pre-existing conditions, and on what terms
Cancelling properly
Contact the insurer directly rather than stopping payment, give an effective date, and get written confirmation. Ask whether any refund is due.
If you're cancelling because you no longer need cover at all, settle any outstanding claim first.
Common questions
You can, and everything your pet has been treated for becomes pre-existing at the new insurer, with waiting periods restarting. For most owners with any claims history, that's a bad trade.
Raise the deductible, lower the reimbursement percentage, reduce an annual limit that's higher than you need, and ask about discounts — all of which keep your coverage history intact.
A young pet with clean records, or where your current plan has a structural flaw such as a lifetime cap or no continuation at renewal that outweighs the reset.
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This page is general information, not advice about your specific circumstances. A licensed insurance professional can tell you what’s actually available to you.
General information only, not insurance advice. Coverage, availability, and terms vary by insurer and by state, and are subject to underwriting. Quote My Policy LLC is a licensed insurance producer. Nothing here binds coverage.