ManyPets Guide to Waiting Periods

What Is a Pet Insurance Waiting Period?

All pet insurance companies have waiting periods. Your waiting period is the brief period of time — beginning the day you purchase your insurance policy — when your pet's accidents and illnesses are not yet eligible for coverage. The ManyPets waiting period is 15 days.

In other words, ManyPets will not cover claims for conditions that occurred within the first 15 days of your policy. Accidents and illnesses that do occur during this period will be considered pre-existing conditions, and will not be eligible for future coverage.

However, conditions that develop 16 days after you purchase your policy or later will face no such restrictions.

Why Do Pet Insurance Companies Have Waiting Periods?

For one thing, waiting periods help us deter fraud. Like all pet insurance companies, ManyPets excludes coverage for pre-existing conditions. Waiting periods prevent pet owners from sidestepping these exclusions; without waiting periods, some pet owners might purchase insurance only after their pet has developed a medical condition.

Look, we completely understand that you'd prefer to have full access to coverage the moment you purchase your policy. But waiting periods help us keep prices affordable for all our customers. If new customers purchased plans only when they needed to file new claims, any pet insurance company would be forced to dramatically raise premiums to pay for it.

Just think of pet insurance as an investment in your pet's future. 15 days will pass in no time.

Can I Just Wait 15 Days to Visit My Vet or File My Claim?

No, because our claims team will examine your pet's medical records when processing your claim. If these records make it clear that a condition developed before your waiting period was over, the condition will not be covered.

The last thing we'd ever want to do is discourage pet parents from taking sick or injured pets to the vet in a timely manner. Your veterinarian will know when the condition actually arose, and this information will be documented in the medical records we review, so there's nothing to be gained from delaying your vet visit. In fact, your pet's health condition may worsen or become less treatable while you're waiting.

Does ManyPets Ever Waive Waiting Periods?

Yes, ManyPets will waive your waiting period under one circumstance: If you can prove your pet was covered by another valid insurance policy leading up to your policy purchase. The other policy needs to have been in force at least 24 hours before your new policy effective date. But please note that this waiver will not alter pre-existing conditions exclusions.

Also, just keep in mind: Any exclusions that apply to a condition which developed during your waiting period (or before) will only apply to that condition. For instance, if your pet develops a knee problem during your waiting period, that will not preclude us from covering skin conditions in the future, and so on.

What If I Temporarily Cancel My Plan?

If you cancel your plan, even briefly, you will once again have a 15-day waiting period when you resume coverage. (Your deductible will also go back to square one, any pre-existing conditions that developed during your now-lapsed policy will be excluded from future coverage, and any accidents or illnesses that occur while your pet isn't covered will be considered pre-existing conditions. Think hard before you cancel.)

Does the ManyPets Wellness Plan Have a Waiting Period?

Technically yes, but it's only 24 hours long.

Have any other questions about ManyPets insurance? Visit our FAQ page or read our sample policy.