Which Vet Insurance Offers the Best Waiting Periods?

Getting vet insurance for our dog is a great decision, but not every insurer offers the same waiting periods, and we might make the mistake of thinking our dog is fully insured from day one... which isn't the case.

What Is the Waiting Period?

When we take out vet insurance, we need to pay close attention to the waiting periods, which is the time that passes from when we sign up for the insurance until our dog is 100% insured.

Did you think that by taking out vet insurance your dog would have immediate coverage? That's not the case. And, in addition, waiting periods can vary a lot depending on the company we sign our vet policy with.

How Many Types of Waiting Periods Are There?

Actually, there's no set limit, so there can be as many as the insurance company wants to include in its terms. However, generally two are used:

1. Waiting period for accidents
2. Waiting period for illnesses

Although some companies also include a third one, called "waiting period for surgical procedures." As an example, an insurer may have a 15-day waiting period for accidents, 3 months for illnesses, and 6 months for surgeries.

This would mean your dog isn't covered if it has an accident before 15 days, nor if it gets sick before 3 months, or needs surgery before 6 months, from when the policy was signed.

Why Are Waiting Periods So Important?

Mainly because it's the time that passes from when we take out insurance until it provides coverage to the insured, in this case our dog. The longer the waiting period, the worse for us, since it will be time we've paid for but during which we have no real coverage.

Why Do Waiting Periods Exist in Policies?

It's a way for insurers to prevent someone from taking out vet insurance only once their dog has already had an accident or is already sick.

Which Insurer Offers the Best Waiting Periods?

There are countless insurers both nationally and internationally, and each has its own terms (clauses), obviously including its own waiting periods. We've focused on the two most important insurers in Spain, which are Petplan and SantéVet.

Petplan SantéVet Waiting period for accidents 15 days 15 days Waiting period for illness 30 days 60 days

Petplan Offers the Best Waiting Period

As of this article's publication date, the best waiting period is offered by the insurance company Petplan, which has only a 15-day waiting period for accidents and 30 days for illness.

This means if our dog has an accident sixteen days after the policy is signed, it will be covered. And if it gets sick the following month after signing the policy, it will also be covered.

Obviously, the waiting period isn't everything in good vet insurance — we should also consider the annual maximum, reimbursement percentage, freedom to choose a vet clinic, etc. The waiting period is just one of several important points we should assess when taking out insurance for our dog.