A Vet's Review of Felix Cat Insurance
2024

• No hereditary or congenital coverage unless you purchase their Hereditary/Congenital addon
• According to the sample policy, the Hereditary/Congenital addon has additional waiting periods.
• Some very common chronic medical conditions are not covered unless you purchase the Hereditary/Congenital addon
• If a cancer is shown to be hereditary or genetic, it may not be covered unless you purchase the Hereditary/Congenital addon
• To get exam fee coverage, you must remember to purchase the Exam addon.
• 180 day waiting period for Cruciate Ligament related conditions and Intervertebral Disc Disease. May vary by state.
• 30 day waiting period for Alternative and Behavioral Coverage. May vary by state.
• Dental coverage for injury and illness is limited.
• According to the sample policy, Behavioral Therapy Coverage has an annual maximum benefit of $1,000.

• Strong underwriter
• Coverage when travel out of state, to US territories and possessions and to Canada

• Contact Felix for information on the specific reasons they may cancel a policy. Given that Nationwide unexpectedly announced the cancellation of over 100,000+ pet insurance policies in the spring of 2024, it's important to have clarity in this area.
• If a bilateral condition happens on one side before they policy starts or during the waiting period, that condition will not be covered if it happens on the other side. Even if it happens after the waiting period.
  
  Their definition of Bilateral Condition is " a condition or disease that affects both sides of the body." The way it is written it can apply to all medical conditions that can manifest on both sides of the body (e.g. foot problems, toe problems, eye problems, ear problems, knee problems, hip problems, etc).
  
  Not clearly defining which systems they are referring to leaves a big door open that could allow them to deem something as a bilateral exclusion whenever they see fit. Letting customers know what specific conditions and/or systems fall under this exclusion would be much more transparent.
• Based on their pre-existing conditions policy, symptoms can be used to denote something as pre-existing. As with all pet insurance companies that use this wording, I have concerns that this can be used to deny claims even when these previous symptoms are not directly related to the disease or condition currently in question.
• No hereditary or congenital coverage unless you remember to purchase the Hereditary/Congenital addon.
• Some very common chronic medical conditions are not covered unless you purchase the Hereditary/Congenital addon. Based on information from their website, these conditions include but are not limited to: diabetes and arthritis. Diseases in this list can be hereditary/congenital in origin but there can be other causes of origin as well. For example: arthritis can also be caused by infection of the joint or trauma to the joint.

• Make sure you research what customers are saying about the company. A company may have the 5 components that should be part of a pet insurance plan, but the company may not be a hit with customers. Sites to check include but are not limited to BBB.org, Yelp.com and PetInsuranceReview.com. Things to look for include but are not limited to: How fast are payments paid?, What are customers saying about the pre-existing conditions policy?, How often are claims denied and for what reason?, What is the customer service experience like?, Are there issues with premium increases?
• Check with your state's Department of Insurance to see if any complaints have been filed for the company you are interested in.
• Make sure you understand what the waiting periods are.
• Make sure you understand their bilateral conditions policy.
• Make sure you understand any requirements that you must adhere to to maintain coverage.
• Make sure you read the terms and conditions to get a thorough understanding of all exclusions.
• Make sure you understand when and by how much your premium can increase.
• If you change plan levels, there is a possibility that all medical conditions present under the old plan will be considered pre-existing in the new plan. Make sure you ask the company if this is the case.
• For some companies, pre-existing conditions can be based on signs and symptoms alone, a diagnosis is not needed. For example, if your pet had a cough before you applied for pet insurance and this cough was discussed and written in the pet's medical record, there is the possibility that all future cough conditions, no matter what the cause, would be considered pre-existing - even if there was no treatment given. Make sure you ask the company if this is the case.
• Pet insurance companies are businesses. The top priority of any business is to make a profit for their stakeholders. Pet insurance companies can and may change your rates and terms to meet that top priority. A change of business ownership or underwriters can also be a catalyst for changes in your rates and terms.
  
  When you purchase pet insurance make sure you have a realistic understanding of this and how it can affect you.

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