It is the question that comes up most before taking out a policy, and the honest answer is not the one anyone would like to hear: no pet insurance in Spain covers pre-existing conditions. Petplan does not either. It is worth understanding exactly what this means, because the term is broader than it seems.
What counts as a pre-existing condition
It is any illness or ailment that your dog, cat or rabbit already had before taking out the insurance. It does not need to have been diagnosed: it is enough for the signs to have already been present.
This includes three situations that people do not always associate with the term: an ailment diagnosed before taking out the policy; an ailment that was already showing symptoms even if no one had yet given it a name; and an ailment that appears during the waiting period.
Why it is like this across the whole sector
Insurance spreads the cost of the unexpected events of a few among many policyholders. If you could take out a policy with the problem already present, it would stop being a sharing of risk and become a way of financing an expense that is already known. The price would have to rise for everyone until it became unviable.
That is why it is not a peculiarity of one particular company. It is the reason why no pet insurer in Spain covers them.
What does change between companies
The fact that the exclusion is universal does not mean all policies are the same. What varies, and a great deal, is everything else: the reimbursement percentage, the annual limit, the excess, the waiting periods and whether you can choose your vet.
At Petplan the reimbursement is 100% up to €3,100 a year, the excess is €45 per illness, the waiting period is 15 days for accidents and 30 for illnesses, and you can go to the vet of your choice anywhere in Spain.
What you can do if your pet already has an ailment
An ailment being excluded does not leave the animal without cover for everything else. A dog with a diagnosed chronic condition is still exposed to accidents, to new illnesses unrelated to the previous one, and to emergencies of any kind. All of that is indeed covered.
The practical conclusion is simple and worth stating clearly: the time to take out pet insurance is when the animal is healthy. Every month that passes is a month in which something may appear that will then be permanently excluded.
What else is left out of the policy
In addition to pre-existing conditions, Petplan does not cover deworming, neutering or spaying, or routine or preventive visits. Vaccines are not part of the health insurance, but they can be taken out separately through the optional Health + Vaccines plan, which reimburses 100% of the vaccines prescribed by your vet, including the one for leishmaniasis, up to €90 a year.
Frequently asked questions
Can my policy be rejected because of a previous ailment?
The exclusion affects that specific ailment, not necessarily the policy itself. What will not be covered is that condition and whatever derives from it.
How does the insurer know it was pre-existing?
From the veterinary report that accompanies the claim. It records the history and the development of the process.
What if the ailment appears during the waiting period?
It is considered pre-existing and is permanently excluded. It is not enough to wait for the period to end.
What does Petplan not cover besides pre-existing conditions?
Deworming, neutering or spaying, and routine or preventive visits. The full list of exclusions is in the general conditions of the policy.
