Pet Insurance with No Waiting Period – I had two pets and as a pet owner, I faced a huge cost related to the veterinary care of my pets. I had no pet insurance for my pooch and instead of that; I chose to keep some money separately for their care.
But in retrospection, if I would have bought an insurance plan, then today I would have been able to save some money aside from my veterinarian. And this is something which I want other pet owners to consider. The monthly premiums along with the extra cost are something worth it.
Pet insurance plans and coverage differ a lot. Now it totally depends upon you as to what plan you choose, whether you choose accident only plan, or accident and sickness plan or accident, sickness and routine care plan. But many of the pet insurance companies will globally have is a waiting period before your pet insurance policy starts. So, you must have the pet insurance comparison tools.
The waiting period and the length will also vary from one health insurance plan to that of the other. It is a normal rule for the coverage of the insurance not to start soon after you have purchased it. And the reason behind this is that insurance companies of the pet do not want you to simply buy insurance policy soon after the pet has started displaying some medical issues.
You will have to take into note many of the things when it comes to buying a new pet insurance policy. You can quickly like a policy and buy it instantly thinking that you can get instant coverage, but sadly that’s not the way pet insurance companies work.
Whenever your pet gets registered the waiting period is something which is very common and normal, and every pet insurance company will have a waiting period which is different, some insurance companies will have it as 16 days and some will have it as 14 days so it differs, but it is just a part of the calculation when you sign up with a pet insurance company.
Are There Any Pet Insurance Policies with No Waiting Period?
Now prior to your pet being covered all the pet insurance company which is providing for pet insurance will have a mandatory waiting period. And the methodology is very simple – Before your pooch/kitty gets sick pet insurance companies want to ensure that your pet is safely covered with them.
In case if something goes wrong, then insurance is there to cover you. It will not protect your pet against pre-existing conditions which have been developed, but it will secure you financially. Pet insurance company would want you to pay on a monthly basis or annual basis as the case may be premium payments for a long time so that when your pet gets sick or meets with an accident they can protect/cover it under their care i.e. reducing the financial burden.
Suppose the insurance policies dint have the mandatory waiting period, then it would have been easy for anyone to get registered their pet as it got injured or got sick and then the pet insurance companies would have been forced to pay out a huge sum for the care of the pet before even gathering the premiums of the new policy.
As there would have been no encouragement to registration to an issue from being created the pet insurance company will end up covering the sick pets which cost them the buck – that too without any inflow of income from the pet parents.
So, the insurance company didn’t want to get into so much trouble that is why they laid down a mandatory waiting period so that pet owners can purchase an insurance plan before their pooch or kitty gets injured or sick.
As all the pet insurance policies have a waiting period it is important that you buy a pet insurance policy for your pooch./kitty ASAP. And that too ASAP when you become the owner of the pet, so that if something goes wrong with your pet you can have them covered and secured in financial terms.
There is one exception to this waiting period and that is that ASPCA Pet Health Insurance including few more companies offers an injury only coverage plan with NO WAITING PERIOD Pet Insurance. So in order to protect your pet in a better way this policy has been introduced. Suppose they meet with an accident – so you can get the coverage instantly through this plan. But this is not applicable in case of sickness.
What Is A Waiting Period?
When your pet gets registered with a new insurance policy, then a waiting period starts which is from 14 days and can extend up to 30 days. It also depends on the pet insurance industry which you have chosen. And it is during this phase that the pet insurance firms would ensure that your pooch or kitty is not sick and there is no such condition which is being concealed or you dint disclose.
Why Are There Waiting Periods for Pet Insurance?
As mentioned above the pet insurance firms wants to ensure during this phase of the waiting period that your pet is not suffering from any kind of sickness or has any kind of injury or has any condition which exists previously like any disease, which was not informed when the pet was being registered.
Insuring a pooch/kitty which is already sick is dishonesty and apart from this, the caring expenses of the sick pet are likely to affect all. It is somewhat similar to that of health and car insurance, you can check out.
But, if your pooch/kitty gets sick after the waiting period is over, then they will get the coverage by the pet insurance company.
Are There Pet Insurance Companies Offering Immediate Coverage?
No. There are no companies of insurance which will offer instant coverage.
Suppose your pet has pre-existing conditions at the time of birth, then even those will not be included in the pet insurance policy. Pet insurance is for the sudden sickness which arises in the future and to avert the medical bills. For specific conditions, all the pet insurance companies will have different waiting periods.
The waiting period is also no there in the wellness care and preventive care as it is added to the existing policy, which means the policyholder can optionally buy it.
If your pooch/kitty is registered and has passed through the phase of the waiting period successfully, then wellness insurance will start instantly.
What Is the Typical Waiting Period for a Pet Insurance Policy?
Fourteen days time period is the typical waiting period for policies which cover sickness. Many pet insurance firms offer different policies and the waiting period also differs from one company to the other company. But there are also many policies which do not have a 14 days waiting period.
The waiting period for 2 weeks is very common. Some pet insurance companies, one like that of a Trupanion Pet Insurance Company imposes a waiting period of 30 days prior to your pooch/kitty being covered fully.
Accidents only policies have a shorter waiting period compared to that of the sickness policy. ASPCA Pet Health Insurance company will impose no waiting period for accidents only policy. But other pet insurance firms will impose the waiting period of 3-5 days before the policy starts. When it comes to certain kinds of sickness, some insurance companies would impose a waiting which is longer.
For example, for ligament injury, hereditary conditions or congenital conditions, it’s common for some pet insurance companies to levy a 6 month to 1 year of waiting period.
Insurance companies who levy the waiting periods which are longer can also waive it or lessen the time of waiting for your pooch/kitty if they had a visit to the vet to get covered and that too if the doctor suggests that your pet has no serious condition.
Which pet insurance has the shortest waiting period?
Finding a best insurance policy for your pet without no waiting period or short waiting period is a pre work that Can be helpful for your pocket to save the money. There are many things to be consider as we have already discussed in this post, You may find many plans That start covering the claims of your pet coverage for illness after 14 to 15 days. you must consider that the waiting period is a time for every pet insurance policy and pet that you enroll with your policy, Every company has different waiting period for coverage some might take too long and some Provide Coverage with short waiting period.
Here are some companies that offer shortest waiting period for Pet insurance Policy.
| Sr. No. | Insurance Provider | Waiting Period |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Embrace Pet Insurance | 6 months for orthopedic conditions, 14 Days For Illness, 48 Hrs for Accident |
| 2 | Figo Pet Insurance | 14 days for Illness, 5 Days For Accident, 6 Months Cruciate Ligaments |
| 3 | ASPCA Pet Insurance | 14 Days for Illness, No Waiting for Accident, 14 Days Cruciate Ligaments |
| 4 | PetFirst Pet Insurance | 14 Days for Illness, No Waiting for Accident, 12 Month Cruciate Ligaments |
| 5 | Petplan Pet Insurance | 15 days for Illness, 5 Days for Accident, 6 Months for Cruciate Ligaments |
| 6 | Pets Best Pet Insurance | 14 days for Illness, 3 Days for Accident, 6 months for Cruciate Ligaments |
| 7 | Nationwide Pet Insurance | 14 days for Illness, 14 Days for Accident, 14 Days for Cruciate Ligaments |
| 8 | Healthy Paws | 15 days for Illness, 15 Days for Accident, 6 Months for Cruciate Ligaments |
Which Pet Insurance Has No Waiting Period?
The Insurance Providers has various plans that cover your pet during Any uncertainty. If you say waiting period for your insurance policy, as per company norms and conditions they decide this during you enroll your pet for insurance cover.
For accident Cover ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Pet First Pet Insurance Offer plans for injury and accident coverage with no waiting period, for other protection they have short waiting period, In case your pet met with an accident you can take benefits of these accident cover plans without any waiting period.
Do all pet insurances have a waiting period?
The waiting period is the time That Stop you to use the coverage of your insurance plans at the time you buy them, yes all insurance Policies has some waiting period of time but that depend on the coverage you have bought, if you have bought a accidental cover service for your pet, there are companies that allow you to use the services with no waiting period time. It is always recommended to do some research home work before you buy a best insurance for your pet.
Things to Keep in Mind When Shopping for Pet Insurance
To make a choice which is informed you need to keep in mind the waiting period. Plus, take note down of the effective date. These two are the policy terms to be taken into consideration. You should also find out what all are excluded from the coverage especially if your pet has a condition which exists previously. And additionally, you should check the deductibles and limits of coverage for any policy that you are thinking of choosing.
There will be an exclusion for genetic and congenital conditions by some insurance companies. But globally there are all the pet insurance companies which will exclude the pre-existing conditions. Only an exceptional insurance company includes the pre-existing condition, that too if it is a curable one in which your pet is declared as cured for at least 180 days. If it’s an un-curable pre-existing condition then it will not be included in the policy coverage.
You should always be aware and read the fine print of the policy before you get registered with any or sign up with any insurance company. As any term and condition that you were not aware of may come like a surprise to you. You should read properly what is excluded and does it have any cap on what your pet insurance company will pay – that is your vet bill.
It’s very plain in the pet insurance plans to have a cap which is called the annual limit. After you get a pet insurance quote you can know and identify more about the dog insurance also by going through the reviews of pet insurance.
Is it too late to get pet insurance?
It can get too late to get coverage for your pooch or kitty once they have been identified with some unexpected sickness or met with an accident, so therefore, thanks to the conditions that pre exits and the waiting periods.
I am sure you don’t want to face the situation of financial hardship where you are not able to give the medical care to your pooch or kitty which they need. So get an insurance plan for your pooch/kitty ASAP.
You never know how like a ring on the door a medical condition might also ring your door, so getting an insurance coverage is the smartest choice.
What Type Of Illness Or Condition Would Be Considered Pre-Existing?
A pre-existing condition can be described as any sickness or injury which your pooch/kitty developed prior to being registered in a pet insurance plan. For example, your dog has hip dysplasia or your feline has an allergy, then your pet insurance company will not include those conditions which are specific.
They will definitely cover your dog, for every other sickness or injury, but not for the pre-existing ones. Therefore, many policies have 6 months to 1 year of the waiting period before registering for hip dysplasia. Also included is cruciate ligament.
How Long Is A Typical Waiting Period?
From state to state and provider to provider the waiting period differs. It will also somewhere depend on your pooch/kitty’s condition, your living place, and pet health.
On getting registered with the pet insurance company, the company will define the waiting period.
There can be a waiting period which can be extended up to 6 months for pets with orthopedic conditions. These conditions include – cruciate ligament, hip patella, etc.
Waiting Periods and Their Typical Length:
Accidents: Mostly 0 – 15 days
Illness: Mostly 14 – 30 days
Orthopedic Issues: Mostly 14 days – 12 months
During the waiting period if your pooch/kitty meets with an accident or gets sick and needs the treatment then they will be covered. This is the reason why you should get pet insurance when your pet is young.
Take the Time to Consult With Your Vet
It is recommended that you discuss with your vet prior to getting registered or signing up with any insurance company or taking any policy. You will also have to make sure that your vet is included in the list by the novice pet insurance provider. Vets can help you identify the correct coverage for your pooch/kitty including any condition which can come up.
Before the waiting period is over i.e. 14 or 30 days a vet visit is needed to register the pet, also within the previous year commonly. There are many pet insurance companies who don’t need an examination of the pet immediately, but they will ask you to provide sooner or later. It is always a good idea if you give this data soon, so that you don’t get turned down for a sickness or condition of your pet.
