There are several options to consider when purchasing pet insurance. You want to choose dependable pet insurance for dogs with reasonable pricing, coverage, and reimbursement options. However, one concern that arises is the waiting period of the policy.
You may think that coverage will begin the next day after you purchase a policy, but that never happens. Typically, one has to wait 30 days before the coverage kicks in.
The waiting period — Explained
A pet insurance policy often has waiting periods between 14 to 30 days before your coverage begins. It’s advantageous for you because you can decide whether you want to continue with the company or quit at any time.
On the other hand, the pet insurance provider wants to ensure that your dog or cat doesn’t have a sickness, ailment, or condition that wasn’t mentioned.
Why is a waiting period needed?
Pet insurance firms use waiting periods to determine whether any newly enrolled cats or dogs are healthy or injured. The enrollee must inform upfront if any animal has a pre-existing condition.
On the surface, it may appear that the insurance providers are being overly rigorous, but pet insurance prices would increase even further if everyone enrolled sick dogs.
Can any pet insurance policy cover you right away?
Unfortunately, no pet insurance provider offers immediate coverage. There is always a wait, even if your dog or cat is just a few months old. A pet insurance provider won’t pay for a congenital condition that exists in your puppy from the moment of birth.
This is why it’s better to insure your pet as a young animal.
Pet insurance for dogs is to provide coverage for any future diseases or accidents and for you to make a small payment now to avoid having to make a large one down the road.
There are various waiting times for your pets and even various illnesses and diseases with each pet insurance provider.
Only wellness pet insurance, which is added on to an existing policy, provides immediate pet cover.
In other words, the wellness policy can begin the day after enrollment because you have already passed the initial 30 days of waiting.
What illnesses are counted as pre-existing?
Any illness, ailment, or injury that your dog or cat had before your pet insurance policy started counts as a pre-existing condition.
For instance, if your dog has allergies or ligament problems, the pet insurance provider would not pay for those specific problems.
You can obtain coverage for any subsequent illness the same dog contracts.
In fact, there is a six to one-year waiting list to enroll for patella and hip problems that have not yet been shown.
What kind of waiting period is typical?
The waiting periods differ not only by pet insurance companies but also by the state of your dog or cat’s health, and their condition.
At the time of enrolment, the pet insurance provider will go over the waiting periods with you.
Conclusion
This is why we advise getting pet insurance as early as possible in your pet’s life. Also, look to buy a policy with the shortest waiting period. This would help if your pet falls sick or is involved in an unfortunate incident shortly after having bought an insurance policy. To get the most out of your policy, purchase dog insurance online to gather much-needed information and compare various policies.
Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms, and conditions, please read the sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.