Pets should not be denied medical coverage for preexisting conditions: bill
Originally published in
New York Post
The fight over health care coverage in New York is extending to pets.
A new bill introduced by state Sen. James Skoufis (D-Rockland) would bar pet insurers from denying medical coverage to dogs or cats with pre-existing conditions or illnesses — just like for people.
About 1.5 million dogs and 300,000 cats in the US were insured in 2017 and the market is growing, industry data show.
In New York, there were 179,133 pet insurance policies that year — second only to California, according to a study conducted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
“Around New York, thousands of people have purchased pet insurance for their companion animals only to find that when their pet is injured or sick, their insurance company refuses to cover the cost of treatment or medicine, citing supposed preexisting conditions for the pet,” Skoufis said.
