Does Pets Best pet insurance have a waiting period?
Lemonade Pet is not sold in every state.
Yes. Pets Best waits 3 days for accidents, waivable entirely with a qualifying vet exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment, then 14 days for illness. Cruciate ligament events specifically wait 6 months, though waiting periods may be reduced or waived when a participating veterinarian certifies the pet.
Get a Lemonade quote
Lemonade is the one insurer on this site we can send you to for a live quote. That does not make it the right plan for every pet. As of October 2, 2026, Lemonade Pet is not yet available in Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wyoming.
Get a quote from LemonadeThe exclusions cheat sheet
A plain-English guide to waiting periods and key exclusions across eight insurers, with links to the full reviews.
The three clocks
Accidents: 3 days, and the only documented full waiver in our lineup, triggered by a qualifying vet exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment. Illness: 14 days. Cruciate ligament events: 6 months, reducible or waivable when a participating veterinarian certifies the pet.
Our review data does not document a separate general orthopedic clock beyond the cruciate line at Pets Best, unlike the explicit 6-month orthopedic holds at Embrace and Figo.
Pre-existing rules and the exam-fee note
Signs shown before enrollment or during an applicable wait are pre-existing. One cost trap sits adjacent to the waiting periods: exam fees are not covered on the base Essential plan, they require an add-on or the Plus tier, so budget for the first urgent visit either way.
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