1300 489 873What if we told you that you don’t always need to wait around for your pet insurance policy to kick in? Well, you don’t!
There are ways around waiting periods that can get you covered in an instant. In this article, we answer whether there’s a way to get pet insurance coverage with no waiting period (and how). You’ll also find out what waiting periods are and why they exist, how long waiting periods tend to be, and gain an understanding of wait period waivers.
Jump in to learn everything you need to know about waiting periods.
What Are Wait Periods and Why Do They Exist?
In the world of insurance, you’ll hear the term ‘wait period’ thrown about a lot, but what does it actually mean?
Well, it’s pretty much how it sounds. It’s a set amount of time that you must wait after buying pet insurance before you can get covered and make claims. Any vet bills or health problems that arise during the wait period and before the commencement date of your policy won’t be claimable.
There’s a few reasons why wait periods exist. One of the main reasons that it’s there is to help prevent fraud. Insurers implement wait periods to stop people from joining a policy to make a claim for pre-existing conditions that happen just before a policy starts.
Another key reason why wait periods exist is to shield the insurance risk pool. In other words, it’s to make things fair for all pet parents paying premiums. If insurers let everyone get cover the second they sign up for a policy, some pet parents out there could just sign up when their pets get sick, make a claim, and then cancel their policy.
Can You Get Pet Insurance Without Waiting Periods?
Most policies do have waiting periods for things like cruciate ligaments and hereditary conditions. But, that doesn’t mean that pet owners always have to wait for pet insurance coverage.
The type of pet insurance plan you pick for your four-legged bestie makes all the difference. Some insurance companies skip the wait for accidental-only coverage, like PetsOnMe. This means you can claim back eligible accidental injury treatments from the second you get covered.
With a higher level of cover, like accident and injury or comprehensive, wait periods can be dropped by insurers. This usually happens if you can show that you’ve held a policy with another insurer for 12 months or more with no interruptions in cover.
The reason insurers will give you instant cover if you can prove this is because it shows you’re a responsible pet parent who’s been consistently insured and not tried to claim pre-existing conditions.
Average Pet Insurance Waiting Periods
Pet insurance waiting periods vary depending on the insurer you’re covered by and the level of cover you choose. Here’s a general guideline of what to expect when it comes to waiting for pet insurance coverage:
- 0-1 days: Accident-only
- 14-30 days: Illness
- 14-30 days: Poisoning, intervertebral disc disease, ingestion of a foreign object
- 180 days: Third party liability
- 180 days: Hereditary conditions
- 180 days: Cruciate ligament, patella luxation
- 180 days: Dental Illness
Good To Know: You can find all the details about waiting periods, and other important stuff like eligible claims, in your product disclosure statements (PDS).
Understanding Wait Period Waivers
When wait periods are waived, it means they’re skipped or shortened, so you get covered and can start making claims sooner. Insurers dish out waivers to pet parents who can prove they’ve had continuous coverage with another insurance company, usually for 12 months or more. It’s basically a way of rewarding owners who’ve been consistent and reliable with their policy.
Things like illnesses, hereditary conditions, and cruciate ligament treatment can all become claimable immediately when you’ve got a waiver.
What Happens After The Waiting Period Is Up
Once your wait period is over, your full coverage will kick in. This means you’ll be able to make claims for eligible treatments and conditions. It’s worth pointing out that just because a wait period is over doesn’t always mean you can claim everything just yet.
Sometimes, certain conditions, like cruciate ligament injuries or dental illness, might have a longer period before they can be claimed. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still claim other stuff, like accidental injuries and common infections. Always check your product disclosure statement (PDS) if you’re ever unsure of what you can claim under your insurance policy.
Get Instant Pet Insurance Cover With PetsOnMe
At PetsOnMe, you can say goodbye to wait periods.
Our Accidental Plans for cats, dogs, kittens, and puppies give you instant coverage, so you can claim back eligible treatment costs from the second your policy begins.
Like every other insurance company out there, we’ve got insurance waiting periods. But, these aren’t set in stone. As long as you’ve held a previous policy from another insurer for one year or longer with no interruption in cover, we’ll ditch our waiting periods and get you covered pronto.
Having a good history with uninterrupted policies shows us you’re a committed pet parent, and we think that deserves to be rewarded!
And that’s not the only treat we give our customers — you also get exclusive discounts on our pet care services, including 12% off professional dog walking and cat sitting services.
Learn More About Pet Insurance Waiting Periods
Can I Claim Vet Treatments Before the Waiting Period Is Over?
Nope, you can’t make any claims for vet bills that were paid before your waiting period was over — that’s because it’s before your policy’s commencement date. This also means that any onward treatment for those health issues will be considered as a pre-existing condition and not eligible for claims once your policy starts.
What Is the Cut-Off Age for Dog Insurance?
The cut-off age for dog insurance varies from insurer to insurer. In most cases, you’ll find that comprehensive policies have an upper age limit of around 8 years. This means you can’t take out a new policy once your pooch hits that age.
At PetsOnMe, your fur baby can be covered under our Accidental Plan as soon as they hit 6 weeks of age and until they are 12 years old. And for our Classic and Deluxe Plans, we’ll cover them from 6 weeks to 8 years.
How Soon Can I Claim Illness Treatment?
At PetsOnMe, you can claim eligible illness treatments after 21 days. If you’ve held a policy for 12 months or more with no interruption in cover, we’ll ditch that waiting period so you can make claims ASAP.
Is There a Wait Period for Poisoning or Ingestion of a Foreign Object?
Yep, you’ve got to wait 21 days with PetsOnMe before you can claim vet bills for poisoning and ingestion of a foreign object. The same goes for eligible illness treatments and intervertebral disc disease.
