What is a waiting period in pet insurance?
A waiting period is the time after your policy starts during which no claims are paid. Accident waiting periods typically run 2 to 14 days and illness periods around 14 days across the insurers we review. The one that catches people is the orthopedic waiting period: cruciate ligaments and hip dysplasia often wait 6 months, and some insurers require a vet exam to shorten or waive it. Anything that shows symptoms during a waiting period is treated as pre-existing and excluded for the life of the policy.
The three waiting periods in every policy
Accidents clear fastest. Figo covers accidents after 24 hours, Lemonade after 2 days (immediately in a list of states), Pets Best after 3 days, and Trupanion after 5. Healthy Paws and Fetch have no accident waiting period at all.
Illness periods cluster around two weeks: 14 days at Lemonade, Embrace, Spot, Pets Best and Figo, 15 days at Healthy Paws and up to 15 at Fetch. Trupanion is the outlier at 30 days, a real drawback if your pet gets sick right after enrollment.
Orthopedic and cruciate waits are the longest and the least advertised. Embrace and Figo hold cruciate, IVDD and hip dysplasia claims for 6 months, though both let a qualifying vet exam cut it down. Lemonade waits 6 months for cruciate events specifically. Pets Best sits at 14 days in most states, and Spot has no separate orthopedic wait at all. Healthy Paws excludes hip dysplasia entirely for pets enrolled at age 6 or older.
Why the orthopedic clock matters most
Cruciate ligament tears are one of the most common expensive claims in dogs, and the long waiting period exists precisely because insurers know owners enroll right after the first limp. If you are insuring a large-breed puppy or a Dachshund, the orthopedic waiting period is the most important number in the policy. A plan that looks identical on price can differ by five months on the claim you are most likely to file.
The rule that makes waiting periods permanent
Anything that shows symptoms during a waiting period counts as pre-existing and is excluded forever, not just until the wait ends. A vet note during the 14-day illness window can lock out coverage for that condition for the pet’s entire life. This is why enrolling before any symptom appears is the whole game.
Related questions
Keep reading
WhichPetPlan currently earns no commission from any insurer listed, so no ranking on this site is paid placement. Premium figures are illustrative starting estimates, not quotes. See our methodology for how scores are set.