Just wanted to give a PSA for an insurance product that Costco endorses.

I bought Figo pet insurance through Costco for my cat. It appeared to be reasonably well reviewed, and the fact that Costco sold it made me more confident that it was high quality.

Boy was I wrong. A number of months into the policy term, my cat was diagnosed with stomatitis, a horrible autoimmune disease that often requires extraction of all the cat's teeth. I obtained an estimate from a local veterinary dental specialist and submitted it to Figo for preapproval. I was thrilled to receive Figo's response, which stated that the stomatitis would not be considered an preexisting condition and may be eligible for coverage.

The extraction went as planned, and I submitted my claim to Figo. They denied it in less than a business day. When I reached out to ask why, they told me that they considered the stomatitis a pre-existing condition because my cat had previously showed signs of mild gingivitis that his veterinary said was a result of the eruption of his adult teeth. (Figo had these records when they rendered the preapproval decision.) Apparently, Figo considers any sign of prior gum disease a preexisting condition for any subsequent dental diagnosis, which Figo did not disclose at the time I purchased the insurance. So, for example, if your pet has even a spot of tartar or plaque noted in its medical records, it will apparently be completely ineligible for any dental illness coverage in the future.

The Figo reps I spoke to did not care about the preapproval letter. They noted that the preapproval letter was not a guarantee of coverage (duh, they could deny the claim for other reasons, just not the one they specifically ruled out). When I asked what the point of obtaining preapproval was, the rep said "I don't know."

Swell.

Anyway, don't waste your money on this trash insurance.