"I have a medical pet insurance policy for my 12 year old cat, Mr. Marbles. Do you know if it will cover these chews?"
I researched one pet insurance company and documented my findings below. Remember – not all pet insurance is alike so be sure to find out about your pet’s insurance!
Definition of a supplement: “Dietary supplements including vitamins and nutraceuticals that are prescribed by your veterinarian in the treatment of injuries and symptomatic illnesses.”
As you know, pet insurance is designed to cover medical conditions that are present and need to be treated rather than cover the prevention of medical conditions.
Your pet insurance probably will not cover routine or preventative care like flea/tick prevention, vaccinations, and supplements to prevent the development of a medical condition.
However, if your pet does develop a medical condition, your insurance might cover Treatibles if the following requirements are met:
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The supplement is prescribed by a veterinarian
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The supplement is dispensed by a veterinarian
“Dispensed” does not mean that the vet must carry Treatibles at their clinic. You can purchase Treatibles outside of the clinic in the same way that you would purchase other medications. However, the medical records must indicate that the veterinarian prescribed it.
- The supplement is widely manufactured.
Glucosamine is a good example of a “widely manufactured” supplement. If the supplement is considered “holistic” “naturopathic,” or “herbal,” there is an additional rider that could be purchased to cover those supplements.
It is unclear if it would be necessary to purchase an additional rider to cover Treatibles. The customer service rep I spoke with did not think so, based on what I described. She thought Treatibles would be covered under the base policy so long as a veterinarian prescribed it. However, she cannot guarantee this.
- the supplement is labeled with the ingredient analysis
This particular insurance company offers a rider for an additional cost that addresses anxiety. It is called “Recovery and Complimentary Care." Their other rider covers alternative medicine options such as Hydrotherapy, Post Surgical Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, etc. If Treatibles isn’t covered by the base policy, it might be covered under one of these two riders.
Hope that helps!
lisag
