When you enroll in a pet insurance plan, coverage doesn’t kick in right away. Instead, there’s a waiting period before you can start making claims. These waiting periods vary among pet insurance companies and aren’t standardized.
Key Takeaways
- The waiting period in pet insurance refers to the time between purchasing the plan and when the coverage becomes effective.
- Typically, accident coverage activates within two to five days, while illness coverage might take 14 to 30 days to start.
- Some conditions like orthopedic issues might have longer waiting periods, ranging from six months to a year. On the other hand, wellness plans may skip the waiting period entirely.
- In exceptional instances, you might find pet insurance without a waiting period, but immediate coverage isn’t guaranteed. There might still be a brief delay while the company reviews your pet’s medical history before making a decision.
Understanding the Pet Insurance Waiting Period
The waiting period in pet insurance delineates the duration between policy purchase and coverage commencement. During this period, if your pet requires veterinary care, you’ll need to cover those expenses personally. After the waiting period, the insurance company will, through reimbursement, cover vet bills.
Do Pet Insurance Companies Exist Without Waiting Periods?
While most pet insurance providers implement waiting periods, the top ones minimize these delays. For instance, MetLife offers immediate accident coverage and starts illness coverage after a 14-day wait.
Among the few exceptions, Companion Protect stands out as a pet insurance company without a waiting period. However, eligibility is tied to adopting a pet from their partner shelters, and instant coverage isn’t guaranteed.
There’s typically a period between registration and policy activation while the company assesses your pet’s medical history. Moreover, if your pet hasn’t had a recent vet visit within the last 12 months, a check-up might be required, effectively acting as an unofficial waiting period.
How Long Does a Waiting Period Last?
The duration of waiting periods in pet insurance can differ based on your location and the chosen plan. Below, you’ll find typical waiting periods for various leading pet insurance companies.
Companion Protect
For pet owners who adopt a dog or cat from participating animal shelters, Companion Protect offers coverage without any waiting period for accidents or illnesses. This means you can utilize your benefits right away. However, before approval, you’ll need to submit your pet’s veterinary records from the past 12 months. Keep in mind, there might be a brief delay between applying and when your plan becomes active.
Figo
Figo’s pet insurance entails a one-day waiting period for accidents and a 14-day waiting period for illnesses. Orthopedic conditions, though, have a longer six-month waiting period. Yet, this waiting period can be reduced to 30 days if your vet confirms the absence of pre-existing orthopedic issues before you insure your pet. Additionally, Figo often covers curable pre-existing conditions provided there have been no symptoms or treatment in the past 12 months.
MetLife
MetLife stands out for allowing enrollment of multiple pets under a single plan and offering virtually no waiting period for accidents. Benefits can be used from the moment your coverage takes effect. However, illness coverage starts 14 days after the policy begins, aligning with the standard waiting period among most other pet insurance providers we reviewed.
Types of Waiting Periods in Pet Insurance Policies
Pet insurance policies commonly incorporate waiting periods, which are defined durations after policy initiation during which certain coverages become effective. These waiting periods are implemented to prevent immediate claims for pre-existing conditions or recent incidents and ensure that policyholders maintain coverage for unexpected future events. Here are two primary waiting periods:
Accident Waiting Periods
Accident waiting periods typically range from one to 14 days. These waiting periods specifically pertain to coverage for injuries resulting from accidental incidents. They encompass various unforeseen mishaps such as broken bones from falls, fractured teeth, ingesting foreign objects, or injuries sustained from encounters with other animals. During this waiting period, coverage for accidental injuries is not yet active.
For instance, if a pet incurs a broken leg within the accident waiting period of two days, any veterinary expenses related to that injury would not be covered until the waiting period has elapsed.
Illness Waiting Periods
Illness waiting periods are generally longer, spanning from 14 to 30 days. These waiting periods are applicable to coverage for illnesses and health conditions that are not related to accidents. They encompass a wide range of health issues such as cancer, gastrointestinal problems, ear infections, heart conditions, allergies, and other non-accident-related ailments.
During the illness waiting period, any expenses incurred for treating these illnesses would not be covered by the insurance plan. For instance, if a pet develops an ear infection within the illness waiting period of 20 days, the veterinary costs for treating that infection would not be covered until the waiting period has lapsed.
Waiting Periods for Orthopedic Ailments
Certain pet insurance plans implement distinct waiting periods specifically for orthopedic conditions such as hip dysplasia, patella luxation, or ligament injuries. These waiting periods might be applicable solely to dogs and can range from 14 days to six months or even longer.
For instance, Embrace pet insurance enforces a waiting period of six months for orthopedic conditions in dogs, but this can be shortened to 14 days if your vet conducts an orthopedic exam. On the other hand, Healthy Paws initiates coverage for hip dysplasia after a 12-month waiting period, exclusively for pets enrolled before reaching six years of age.
Waiting Periods for Pre-existing Conditions
Pre-existing conditions generally fall into two categories: curable and incurable. Most pet insurance providers cover curable pre-existing conditions that have remained symptom-free for a duration ranging from 180 days to 12 months before policy purchase.
Curable pre-existing conditions encompass transient health issues that were resolved before obtaining insurance, such as respiratory or urinary tract infections, vomiting, and diarrhea.
While most pet insurance companies exclude coverage for incurable pre-existing conditions, AKC is an exception. After maintaining your policy for 365 days, AKC may cover pre-existing conditions that other insurers consider incurable, like allergies and chronic ear infections (this coverage may not be available in all states).
Waiting Periods for Wellness Plans
Optional wellness plans offered by some pet insurance companies aim to cover routine services like check-ups, vaccinations, and flea and tick prevention. These wellness plans typically do not have waiting periods.
Why Pet Insurance Has Waiting Periods
Waiting periods in pet insurance serve as a safeguard for insurance providers against individuals who enroll for coverage solely after their pet falls ill or gets injured.
Without these waiting periods, pet owners could exploit the system by signing up for insurance right after an emergency occurs, filing a claim, and then discontinuing their policy post-payout. This behavior heightens risk for insurance companies and could lead to increased premiums for all policyholders. Implementing waiting periods helps mitigate this risk.
Waiting periods can indeed be exasperating, especially if your pet requires medical attention during this period. Here are some strategies to navigate waiting periods:
A proactive approach to minimize waiting periods and sidestep pre-existing condition exclusions involves obtaining pet insurance early in your pet’s life. When you enroll your pet in insurance while they are younger and healthier, the likelihood of pre-existing conditions that might limit coverage decreases.
Conclusion
Understanding these waiting periods is crucial for pet owners to manage expectations regarding coverage initiation for accidents and illnesses after obtaining a pet insurance policy. It’s important to note that waiting periods can vary between insurance providers and specific policy options, so carefully reviewing policy terms and conditions is essential to comprehend the waiting period specifics for your pet’s coverage.
