We all like surprises…except when it comes to us forking over large amounts of money for a vet bill we thought would be covered. Let’s avoid this costly mistake and amp up our pet insurance T’s & C’s knowledge.

I will be the first person to tell you that skipping past the terms and conditions of any contract is incredibly tempting. You have to trudge through heavy insurance terms, pretend to understand the lingo and ignore the fact that it’s more than a single page.

Ignoring these pages may save you a little time at the moment but it’s going to cost you a pretty penny. Especially when it comes to your pet. Let’s protect both your pet and your finances by delving into the waiting periods involved with common pet insurance companies.

What is a claim?

Whether you just enrolled your pet in comprehensive pet insurance or are headed to the vet for the first time, you’ll need to know what a pet claim is. Especially given the fact that claiming is one of the most commonly misunderstood pet insurance practices.

The most unpretentious way of defining the term ‘claim’ is by looking at it as a formal request by our policyholder (that’s you) to our company for the compensation for a covered policy event! Keep in mind that there is often a deadline linked to when you can still file a claim (usually 90 days from the date of treatment for an injury or illness).

Now, keeping this knowledge in mind, you must understand when you can submit a claim. That means understanding waiting periods. 

Exploring common waiting periods

To cover my basis here, I must give a disclaimer at this point of the blog. Each insurer will have a different waiting period allocated to their various pet policy plans. They will also have varying amounts of time before you can make a particular type of claim.

Defining the term

Okay, so now that I have saved myself, waiting periods are the predetermined time frame that is set by your desired pet insurer where no claim is eligible for coverage. Your coverage will therefore only kick in after the allocated waiting period.

That being said, it is completely normal to be tempted to go with the insurer that has the shortest waiting period. I get it. However, the aim here is to look for the most comprehensive medical coverage, for the best protection in the long run.

Why do they exist?

Look, there are many reasons why pet insurers enforce waiting periods. The main one, however, is to prevent people from getting insurance based on the fact that their pet needs urgent treatment.

It also acts as a means of protection for insurers against pre-existing pet conditions. Naturally, some pre-existing illnesses lay dormant and may only become apparent after a few weeks. This means that if it’s detected beforehand, the insurer will only have to cover what happens after the waiting period is completed.

What factors affect waiting periods?

Certain factors may affect your waiting period, these include:

• Certain health conditions of your pet
• The breed of your pet
• Your insurer and policy type

The blueprint for pet insurance

The reality is that I could just give you an overview of waiting periods, which sounds fancy but doesn’t give you any direction. Instead of being vague, I’ll let you in on a little secret here. I have been using Oneplan Pet Insurance for many years and there is a reason why they are one of the top pet insurers in the country.

Not only is their policy document the easiest read (and no, I’m not just saying that because I’m a writer). And so, let’s get into the waiting periods for Oneplan Pet Insurance.

But this time around, I won’t be dazzling you with a long winded explanation as to why they’re leading the insurance game (I’ve already done that here). Instead, I thought I’d just let their cover benefits speak for themselves.

Waiting periods for Oneplan pet cover benefits

• Vet visits: 30 days (14-day waiting period in between vet visits)
• Routine Care: 30 days
• Kennel Cover: 3 months
• Accident Cover: None
• Illness Cover: 3 months

Cutting through the jargon

Again, I won’t be telling you that these waiting periods are relatively unheard of. Standard waiting periods are significantly longer. And any quick Google search will prove it to you.

It’s a common practice for pet insurers to confuse you with fancy phrases, “save now” tactics and numbers that will have your head spinning. However, the reality is that once you’ve cut through all of that jargon, you discover that your coverage isn’t exactly as comprehensive as it had been advertised.

And that’s why Oneplan is so different.

They don’t just tell you that they care about your pet. They show you, and the above is proof of this!

Don’t find yourself in a situation where you find out that your claim has been rejected. Prove your love and dedication to your pet, sit down, get comfortable and read through your policy document.

It will save both your pet and your finances.

Until next time,

The Pet Insurance Team