In this article: About Hip Dysplasia | Top Pet Insurance Companies | Is Pet Insurance Worth It? | Waiting Periods | Is Hip Dysplasia a Preexisting Condition? | FAQs | Methodology
Hip dysplasia is a painful malformation of the hip joint that can affect your pets mobility and quality of life. It can happen to cats and dogs at any age, but older, large-breed dogs such as German shepherds and golden retrievers are most susceptible.
Because hip dysplasia is an expensive chronic condition, many pet insurance companies place exclusions and waiting periods on related expenses. These are the best pet insurance providers for hip dysplasia to ensure your pet receives coverage.
Most pet insurance companies cover hip dysplasia, but only under certain conditions. Most importantly, there must not be any signs or symptoms before your policys effective date or during the waiting period.
Many providers have a special waiting period for orthopedic conditions, including hip dysplasia, typically six to 12 months. Additionally, theres often a bilateral condition exclusion, which means that if your pet shows symptoms in one hip before or during the waiting period, dysplasia in the other hip isnt covered either.
Based on our rigorous research, these are the top pet insurance companies for hip dysplasia.
Spot earns our top spot because it has one of the shortest waiting periods for hip dysplasia: only 14 days, the same as any other illness. The company also has more customizable coverage than competitors, including annual limit options between $2,500 and unlimited.
+ Short hip dysplasia waiting period
+ Option for unlimited annual coverage
+ No upper age limits
Relatively long accident waiting period
Doesnt pay the vet directly
Spot covers hip dysplasia under its accident-and-illness plan. You can add one of its wellness plans for preventive care.
To learn more: Spot Pet Insurance review
Get your quote: Fill out Spots online quote form
Trupanions waiting period for hip dysplasia is also relatively low at 30 days. Theres no upper age limit or bilateral exclusions, which is rare. Trupanion further stands out for its flexible deductible, allowing pet owners to choose a rate between $0 and $1,000. Its deductibles are per condition, not annual, and are paid for the lifetime of your pet once reached.
+ 30-day waiting period for hip dysplasia
+ Pays directly for vet visits, rather than reimbursing you later
+ Unlimited coverage cap
30-day waiting period for illness coverage
No add-on for preventive care
Trupanion covers hip dysplasia under its standard accident-and-illness plan. You can add its Recovery and Complementary Care package to get coverage for healing treatments such as acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, hydrotherapy and rehabilitative therapy.
To learn more: Trupanion review
Embrace covers hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia with no per-incident coverage caps. Although theres a six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions, this can be reduced to as little as 14 days if you fill out a form and take your pet for an orthopedic exam. Embrace also offers multiple discounts and a Healthy Pet Deductible benefit that credits pet owners $50 toward their co-payment each year they dont file a claim.
+ Orthopedic Exam and Waiver reduces the waiting period for hip dysplasia
+ Diminishing deductible for each year without a claim
+ Two-day waiting period for accident coverage
Low coverage limit for preventive care
$25 enrollment fee
Embrace covers hip dysplasia in its standard accident-and-illness plan. You can get wellness coverage by opting for its wellness add-on.
To learn more: Embrace Pet Insurance review
Get your quote: Fill out Embraces online quote form
Formerly PetPlan, Fetch by Dodo covers hip dysplasia after a six-month waiting period. It doesnt limit payouts by condition or lifetime, which will prove valuable for something like total hip replacement surgery. It also offers robust holistic care such as acupuncture, homeotherapy and stem-cell therapy.
+ No per-condition coverage cap
+ Covers alternative therapies
+ Healthy Pet Credit offers discounts for years without filing claims
No routine care coverage
Long average claim processing period
Fetch covers hip dysplasia under its standard accident-and-illness plan. It doesnt offer add-ons for preventive care.
To learn more: Fetch Pet Insurance review
Get your quote: Fill out Fetchs online quote form
Youll need to enroll your pet by age 6 to qualify for hip dysplasia coverage from Healthy Paws. The companys selling point is its unlimited annual and lifetime coverage caps. These ensure you wont have to worry about going over your maximum limit when treating a condition like hip dysplasia, which sometimes requires costly surgery.
+ Most claims processed within two days
+ No coverage caps
+ Covers some alternative treatments
12-month waiting period for hip dysplasia
Other age-based exclusions
Healthy Paws covers hip dysplasia in its standard accident-and-illness plan. It doesnt offer add-ons for preventive care.
To learn more: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance review
Get your quote: Fill out Healthy Paws online quote form
ASPCA pet insurance is a seasoned provider with more than 15 years of experience. Though the company is a little unclear about its coverage policy for hip dysplasia, the condition doesnt appear to be subject to any exclusions apart from a 14-day waiting period.
+ Short waiting period for hip dysplasia
+ Covers alternative therapy, end-of-life expenses and some prescription food
+ Option to add wellness care
Unlimited coverage not available by online quote
Coverage may vary by state
ASPCA covers hip dysplasia in its accident-and-illness plan. It also offers two wellness add-ons with different coverage levels and annual limits.
To learn more: ASPCA Pet Insurance review
Pets Best insures pets of all ages, but it stands out for its coverage of older pets. Unlike competitors, it has no age limit and allows you to enroll your pet anytime. It offers excellent hip dysplasia coverage starting after 14 days and covers wheelchairs prescribed by a vet, which some pets will need when suffering from the condition.
+ Hip dysplasia waiting period is only 14 days
+ Coverage for wheelchairs and prosthetics
+ Vet Direct Pay available in some areas
Illness coverage not available to some pets with severe chronic conditions
Exclusions for parasites and alternative therapies
Pets Best covers hip dysplasia in its accident-and-illness plan. It also offers two wellness add-ons for preventive care.
Pet insurance for hip dysplasia is only worth it if you enroll your pet before it shows signs of the condition. Otherwise, hip dysplasia will be considered a preexisting condition, and you wont be reimbursed for related costs. Enrolling your pet while its still healthy could save you thousands of dollars since hip dysplasia treatments are generally expensive. Most treatments require surgical procedures such as triple pelvic osteotomy and femoral head osteotomy, which can cost $6,000 or more.
Theres always a waiting period for hip dysplasia, as there is for all illnesses and conditions. Many pet insurance policies have much longer waiting periods for hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament problems than other illnesses and conditions.
Preexisting conditions are never covered by pet insurance. If the condition shows up during the waiting period on your policy, its considered preexisting.
If your pet is already showing signs of hip dysplasia, you wont receive coverage for the condition. However, pet insurance will still cover expenses for accidents or unrelated illnesses. So if your pet is still young and healthy but prone to hip dysplasia, its worth buying pet insurance now to know it will be covered later. You could save thousands of dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hip Dysplasia
Our review of pet insurance companies is based on in-depth industry research that includes reading hundreds of customer reviews, simulating the quote and purchasing process, speaking to representatives on the phone to assess the customer service experience and surveying 1,000 dog and cat owners nationwide to determine the most important elements of pet insurance coverage. We have scored each provider on a 100-point scale based on those elements.
Here are more details about each factor and how theyre weighted:
We use our rating system to compare and contrast each company against key factors to help us determine the best pet insurance companies in the industry. Additionally, we keep our research up to date and revisit our reviews on a regular basis.
Dana Getz is a seasoned editor with nearly a decade of experience writing and editing content. She has a background in journalism and worked as a fact-checker for prestigious magazines such as New York and Chicago. She holds a journalism and marketing degree from Northwestern University and has worked across numerous categories within the home services space.
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Best Pet Insurance That Covers Hip Dysplasia - MarketWatch