What is Enrollment?
For pet insurance, enrollment is the process of registering your pet with an insurance provider/carrier after they’ve approved your application. The process entails selecting your official “enrollment date” and purchasing your desired insurance plan.
Every provider establishes a waiting period that begins on your enrollment date, after which time your pet insurance policy will kick into effect.
How Enrollment Works
Unlike human health insurance, there is no “open enrollment” period, pet insurance enrollment is open at any time. Most pet insurance companies require pets to be at least eight weeks old to be insured, but once they’re of age, you can apply for the plan of your choice.
Some providers have conditions regarding pet insurance for older pets,and no company offers pet insurance for pre-existing conditions (although you can still obtain coverage for any new unrelated conditions that may arise). That’s why it’s important to enroll in pet insurance while your pet is young and in good health, as potential health issues often arise later in life.
Key Takeaways
- Enrollment marks the date your pet enrolls in a pet insurance plan, but the policy doesn’t go into effect until the waiting period is over.
- Pets can enroll in health insurance at any time of year, unlike their owners who are confined to a window of time to sign up for human health insurance, known as “open enrollment”.
