Best Pet Insurance Companies With Short Waiting Periods

If your fur baby is under the weather and you don’t have pet insurance, you might be wondering if you can buy a policy before going to the vet. Pet insurance companies have waiting periods to protect against that scenario.

Some companies offer same-day or next-day accident coverage, and wellness plans often start right away. Unfortunately, no major companies currently offer immediate illness coverage.

The article below highlights our top picks for pet insurance with the shortest waiting periods. We’ll also outline the typical waiting periods for different plan types and conditions, and help you get pet insurance coverage quickly.

Can You Get Pet Insurance Without a Waiting Period?

Most pet insurance plans have separate waiting periods for different types of health problems. None of the major pet insurance companies we evaluated offers zero-day waiting periods for all conditions.

Typical waiting periods for accidents last three to four days, while waiting periods for illnesses may range from 14 to 21 days, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.^[1] Only conditions that begin after that time are eligible for coverage.

Most wellness plans, which cover routine care, aren’t subject to waiting periods. But some policies have longer waiting periods for certain conditions, such as orthopedic issues.

A few pet insurers offer accident coverage that begins the day the policy goes into effect or the day after. But the shortest waiting period major pet insurers offer for illnesses is 14 days.

Why pet insurance companies have waiting periods

Pet insurance companies have waiting periods to prevent fraud. Without strict waiting periods, pet owners might sign up for a policy when their pet needs veterinary care and then cancel the policy after receiving reimbursement for the vet bill. Doing so would increase insurance costs for other pet owners.

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Best Pet Insurance Companies With Short Waiting Periods

Some pet insurance policies have shorter waiting periods than others.

Let’s take a look at some of the best pet insurance companies with short waiting periods. Bear in mind that you should also consider other factors before choosing an insurer, such as the monthly premium, coverage options, and customer satisfaction.

Get QuotesCompare	Get QuotesCompare	Get QuotesCompare	Get QuotesCompare	Get QuotesCompare
Reimbursement % The percentage of costs your provider will pay for a covered event, after you’ve paid your deductible. 70%–90%	Reimbursement % The percentage of costs your provider will pay for a covered event, after you’ve paid your deductible. 50%–90%	Reimbursement % The percentage of costs your provider will pay for a covered event, after you’ve paid your deductible. 70%–100%	Reimbursement % The percentage of costs your provider will pay for a covered event, after you’ve paid your deductible. 50%–90%	Reimbursement % The percentage of costs your provider will pay for a covered event, after you’ve paid your deductible. 80%–90%
Payout limits The maximum amount your provider will pay for covered events. $5,000–$30,000	Payout limits The maximum amount your provider will pay for covered events. $2,000–$10,000	Payout limits The maximum amount your provider will pay for covered events. $5,000–Unlimited	Payout limits The maximum amount your provider will pay for covered events. Unlimited	Payout limits The maximum amount your provider will pay for covered events. $5,000–Unlimited
Deductibles The amount you must pay towards a covered event before your coverage kicks in. $100–$1,000	Deductibles The amount you must pay towards a covered event before your coverage kicks in. $50–$2,500	Deductibles The amount you must pay towards a covered event before your coverage kicks in. $100–$750	Deductibles The amount you must pay towards a covered event before your coverage kicks in. $250–$1,000	Deductibles The amount you must pay towards a covered event before your coverage kicks in. $100–$1,000
Curable pre-existing conditions Pre-existing conditions refer to conditions your pet has shown documented symptoms of before your policy’s waiting period is over. Some companies still cover these conditions if they’re deemed “curable” and haven’t shown symptoms for a specified period of time that varies by insurer. Covered	Curable pre-existing conditions Pre-existing conditions refer to conditions your pet has shown documented symptoms of before your policy’s waiting period is over. Some companies still cover these conditions if they’re deemed “curable” and haven’t shown symptoms for a specified period of time that varies by insurer. Not covered	Curable pre-existing conditions Pre-existing conditions refer to conditions your pet has shown documented symptoms of before your policy’s waiting period is over. Some companies still cover these conditions if they’re deemed “curable” and haven’t shown symptoms for a specified period of time that varies by insurer. Covered	Curable pre-existing conditions Pre-existing conditions refer to conditions your pet has shown documented symptoms of before your policy’s waiting period is over. Some companies still cover these conditions if they’re deemed “curable” and haven’t shown symptoms for a specified period of time that varies by insurer. Not covered	Curable pre-existing conditions Pre-existing conditions refer to conditions your pet has shown documented symptoms of before your policy’s waiting period is over. Some companies still cover these conditions if they’re deemed “curable” and haven’t shown symptoms for a specified period of time that varies by insurer. Covered

Data in this table has been sourced from Compare users who received a pet insurance quote from our partner Fletch.

Embrace

Condition	Waiting Period Length
Illnesses	14 days
Accidents	None
Orthopedic conditions	Varies by state
Curable pre-existing conditions	12 months
Preventive care	0 days

Embrace is the only pet insurance company to offer coverage for accidents that goes into effect the same day you buy a policy. The waiting period for the illness is only 14 days. You can use wellness benefits immediately, but Embrace’s wellness plan only provides $25 in annual savings.

The company only offers accident-only coverage to pets ineligible for an accident and illness policy. The waiting period for orthopedic conditions may be up to 180 days in some states.

MetLife

Condition	Waiting Period Length
Illnesses	14 days
Accidents	None (coverage begins at midnight)
Orthopedic conditions	0–14 days, depending on the cause
Curable pre-existing conditions	May cover repeat conditions unrelated to cured pre-existing condition
Preventive care	None

When you buy a MetLife policy, accident and routine care coverage begin the next day at midnight. Illness coverage kicks in after 14 days. MetLife may cover repeat conditions that are unrelated to a pre-existing curable condition.

A major benefit of MetLife is that if you buy a policy through your employer while you have active coverage from another insurer, MetLife will cover pre-existing conditions as long as you had coverage under your former plan.

Figo

Condition	Waiting Period Length
Illnesses	14 days
Accidents	1 day
Orthopedic conditions	6 months (waiver available)
Curable pre-existing conditions	12 months
Preventive care	None

Figo offers a short one-day accident waiting period and a 14-day illness waiting period. While it has a six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions, you can apply for a waiver. To qualify, your vet needs to certify that your pet doesn’t have disqualifying conditions within seven days of your policy start date.

Figo policies include free telehealth, allowing you to consult with a veterinarian before your coverage begins at no additional cost. But the waiting periods apply to reimbursements for treatment.

Types of Pet Insurance Waiting Periods

Pet insurance waiting periods typically vary for different types of pet health conditions. We’ll give you an idea of how long you can expect to wait for each coverage type in the sections below.

Illnesses

Illness waiting periods are typically longer than accident periods because many diseases develop slowly, making it difficult for insurers to pinpoint when the illness began. Waiting periods for illnesses range from 14 to 30 days. The shortest waiting period we could find from a major pet insurance company was 14 days.

Pet insurance policies cover treatment for a wide range of illnesses, including:

• Cancer

• Diabetes

• Allergies

• Infections

• Epilepsy

• Kidney disease

• Digestive illnesses

Pet insurance has exclusions, so it’s essential to read your policy carefully to understand what it does and doesn’t cover.

Accidents

Accident waiting periods are shorter, as accidents often occur unexpectedly and frequently require emergency services. Typical accident waiting periods range from 2 to 14 days. Embrace offers the shortest accident waiting period of the major pet insurers. Its coverage goes into effect the same day you buy a policy.

Some examples of accidents that pet insurance typically covers include:

• Broken bones and fractures

• Cuts and lacerations

• Foreign-object ingestion

• Poisoning

• Bite wounds

Orthopedic conditions

Orthopedic conditions can be expensive to treat, sometimes requiring surgery. Some pet insurance policies have separate waiting periods for orthopedic conditions that may range from 30 days to one year. Other times, the typical accident and illness waiting periods apply.

Common orthopedic conditions include:

• Elbow and hip dysplasia

• Cruciate ligament injuries

• Osteoarthritis

• Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)

• Luxating patella

Pre-existing conditions

Most pet insurance companies don’t cover incurable pre-existing conditions, with the exception of AKC Pet Insurance. But many pet insurers cover curable conditions, like ear infections or certain digestive illnesses, after a waiting period during which your pet had no symptoms. Common pre-existing condition waiting periods range from six to 12 months.

Spot and Pumpkin both cover cured pre-existing conditions after 180 days, the shortest waiting period we could find.

Preventive care

If you purchase a wellness add-on, you can typically use the benefits immediately.

Wellness packages typically cover routine care costs, such as:

• Annual exams

• Vaccinations

• Routine diagnostics

• Preventive medications

• Spaying and neutering

• Dental cleaning

How to Get Pet Insurance Quickly

While you can’t avoid waiting periods entirely, you can do a few things to speed up the process if you need pet insurance coverage fast.

• Research waiting periods. Some pet insurance companies offer shorter waiting periods than others. When comparing your options, be sure to consider both costs and the breadth of coverage.

• Consider telehealth memberships. Vet telehealth membership programs, like Dutch, Pawp, and Vetster, don’t have waiting periods. You can get advice from a veterinarian and prescription medication for many pet health needs while you wait for your insurance coverage to kick in.

• Buy a wellness add-on. When you’re buying a pet insurance policy, consider adding wellness coverage, which you can start using right away. Keep in mind that you’ll only have coverage for preventive care until your waiting period ends.

• Submit your vet records ASAP. Most pet insurance companies require you to submit your pet’s vet records before you file a claim. Upload your records when you sign up to avoid delays when your pet needs care.

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