Can I buy pet insurance after my pet is already sick?

The answer

You may be able to buy a policy, but conditions that appeared before coverage began, or during a waiting period, are often treated as pre-existing and excluded. Waiting periods also mean a new policy usually will not help with a crisis that is already under way. Read the policy wording carefully, ask how pre-existing conditions are defined, and consider looking at insurance while your pet is young and healthy. In an emergency, never delay care to check a policy.