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What is a waiting period in pet insurance?

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Lemonade Pet is not sold in every state.

By the WhichPetPlan editorial team · Last verified 2026-08-17
Short answer

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.

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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.

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The exclusions cheat sheet

A plain-English guide to waiting periods and key exclusions across eight insurers, with links to the full reviews.

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The three waiting periods in every policy

Accidents clear fastest. Figo covers accidents after 24 hours, Lemonade currently advertises no accident wait (check your state policy), Pets Best after 3 days, and Trupanion after 5. Fetch has no accident waiting period from the effective date. Healthy Paws waits 15 days for accidents in most states, with no wait for accident-related conditions in a named group of states (CA, DE, FL, HI, LA, MD, ME, MS, MT, NE, NH, OH, PA, RI, VT, WA).

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 currently advertises 30 days for orthopedic conditions, including cruciate injuries; check your state policy. Pets Best also waits 6 months for cruciate ligament events, and that wait may be reduced or waived when a participating veterinarian certifies the pet. 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

How long are pet insurance waiting periods?
Accidents typically clear in 0 to 14 days and illness in about 14 days across the insurers we review. Orthopedic and cruciate waits run much longer, commonly 6 months, though some insurers waive or shorten them with a vet exam and a few have no separate orthopedic wait.
Can a waiting period be waived?
Sometimes. Pets Best waives its 3-day accident wait with a qualifying vet exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment, and its 6-month cruciate wait may be reduced or waived when a participating veterinarian certifies the pet (exam up to 3 days before or 7 days after the effective date; form back within 30 days). Embrace cuts its 6-month orthopedic wait to 14 days with an orthopedic exam in the first two weeks. Figo’s 6-month orthopedic wait is similarly waivable.
What happens if my pet gets sick during the waiting period?
The condition is treated as pre-existing and excluded for the life of the policy, not just until the waiting period ends. This is the single biggest reason to enroll before symptoms appear.
When does pet insurance coverage kick in?
After the waiting period for that claim type ends. Accidents typically clear in 0 to 14 days (Fetch has no accident wait; Healthy Paws waits 15 days in most states). Illness waits cluster around 14 days, and 30 days at Trupanion. Orthopedic and cruciate waits commonly run 6 months. Anything that shows symptoms during a wait is treated as pre-existing and excluded for the life of the policy.

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Premium figures are illustrative starting estimates, not quotes. See our methodology for how scores are set.