What is a Waiting Period?
A waiting period is the time you need to wait after enrolling and being approved for a pet insurance policy for your coverage to begin.
💡 Pro Tip: See How Soon Does Pet Insurance Take Effect? for a list of each provider's waiting periods.
How Waiting Periods Work
Waiting periods can vary based on the type of coverage within your policy. For example, if you have accident-illness coverage, your accident coverage waiting period may only be 7 days, but your illness coverage waiting period may be 14 days. You may also have different waiting periods for specific types of illnesses or injuries, such as cruciate ligament or orthopedic injuries. Your pet insurance policy will clearly define what your pet insurance policy’s waiting periods are.
If your pet is injured or falls ill during your waiting period, that condition will not be covered and will be considered a pre-existing condition since the condition occurred before your coverage started. No pet insurance plan covers pre-existing conditions. However, curable conditions may be covered after treatment and a specific waiting period with no recurring symptoms depending on your pet insurance policy.
Key Takeaways
- A waiting period is the period of time before coverage kicks in.
- Many pet insurance plans have different waiting periods for different coverage types.
- If your pet develops a medical condition or is injured during a waiting period, this condition or injury will be considered pre-existing and will not be covered.
