How long until pet insurance covers hip dysplasia (inherited diseases)?

In most pet insurance policies which cover hereditary or inherited diseases such as hip dysplasia, it will cover it until the duration of the policy. When you need to renew your policy, the illness will be considered as a pre-existing condition and will be excluded in the policy coverage.

So that means that when pet insurance does cover hip dysplasia, it will be only up to the time the policy remains in force.

There are also some pet insurance policies that do not provide cover for hip dysplasia from the very start of the policy. This is because inherited diseases are generally excluded from pet insurance coverage. Thus, if your pet's breed is known to have this disease or whose breed is prone to this disease, your pet insurance provider may automatically exclude hip dysplasia even if your pet is already a mixed breed. It will offer you accident coverage only.

However, some insurance companies provide you with the option of adding cover for inherited diseases for an additional premium. When the insurance company agrees to cover you, they will check that your pet has not shown sign of the illness or has not been already diagnosed with it.

There is also a waiting period before the coverage kicks in. If there are symptoms or if a diagnosis is made within that waiting period, hip dysplasia will be part of the pre-existing condition that are excluded under the policy.

In rare cases, there are pet insurance companies that provide coverage for diseases and injuries for life. Under this "lifetime" coverage, you will have to ensure that you continually renew your policy without a break in the cover.

For Those Who Are Not Familiar with the Hip Dysplasia Condition:

Hip dysplasia is a condition where the hips are abnormally formed and the bones do not fit into the pelvic socket as they should. This is a disease that is inherited in particular species of dogs (like German Shepherds) and even cats. This sickness requires a lot of expensive surgery so it is wise to check whether your pet is covered for this.

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