- What is a waiting period?
- How long is the waiting period for accidents?
- How long is the waiting period for illnesses?
- Are there longer waiting periods for other conditions?
- Are there pet insurance plans with no waiting periods?
- Why does pet insurance have waiting periods?
- Can I make a claim during the waiting period?
What is a waiting period?
A waiting period is the period of time at the start of your insurance policy before your coverage starts. Waiting periods for pet insurance help to prevent fraud and apply to all new policies or any new pets being added to an existing policy.
How long is the waiting period for accidents?
It varies from insurer to insurer. Some insurers only have a two-day waiting period for accidents. At the other end of the spectrum, Fetch and HealthyPaws have a 15-day waiting period for accidents. In terms of the pet insurance industry, 14 or 15 days is not uncommon for an accident waiting period. Here are some insurers’ waiting periods for accidents:
- ASPCA 14 days
- Fetch 15 days
- Figo 1 day
- HealthyPaws 15 days
- Lemonade 2 days
- ManyPets 15 days or 24 hours
- Nationwide 14 days
- Paw Protect 2 days
- Pets Best 3 days
- Prudent Pet 5 days
- Pumpkin 14 days
- Spot 14 days
- Trupanion 5 days
How long is the waiting period for illnesses?
Again, it varies, although the waiting periods for illnesses tend to be a lot more similar across the board than those for accidents. For most insurers it’s 14 days, although Trupanion has the longest illness waiting period at 30 days.
- ASPCA 14 days
- Fetch 15 days
- Figo 14 days
- HealthyPaws 15 days
- Lemonade 14 days
- ManyPets 15 days or 24 hours
- Nationwide 14 days
- Paw Protect 14 days
- Pets Best 14 days
- Prudent Pet 14 days
- Pumpkin 14 days
- Spot 14 days
- Trupanion 30 days
Are there longer waiting periods for other conditions?
For orthopedic conditions, such as hip dysplasia or cruciate ligament injuries, the waiting periods are often a lot longer. Six months is very typical across the pet insurance industry, although for some insurers, like Nationwide and HealthyPaws, it’s 12 months.
Are there pet insurance plans with no waiting periods?
Most pet insurance plans have waiting periods as standard. Some companies might offer shorter waiting periods or a way to reduce their waiting periods. We advise choosing a policy that offers the best value and coverage for your pet.
Why does pet insurance have waiting periods?
Pet insurance companies typically have waiting periods before coverage kicks in an attempt to counter fraudulent claims. These kind of claims tend to center around pre-existing conditions. If someone’s dog got injured and they then took out a pet insurance policy to try to cover the cost of the operation, the waiting period would stop that from happening because the injury would be considered a pre-existing condition, which are not generally covered by pet insurance.
Can I make a claim during the waiting period?
Unfortunately not, as waiting periods by definition are the time you have to wait before making claim. Even if your pet develops symptoms or an unforeseeable emergency during this time, you will not be covered.