Is There Pet Insurance Without a Waiting Period?

Is there pet insurance with no waiting period?

There is no pet insurance without a waiting period for illness, but some policies cover accidents almost immediately. A waiting period is the time between buying a policy and the point when certain claims are covered. Insurers usually set three: one for accidents, one for illnesses and a longer one for orthopedic problems.

Accident waits range from none to 15 days. Illness waits are typically 14 to 30 days. Orthopedic waits, for problems like cruciate ligament tears and hip dysplasia, run from 14 days to 12 months.

Embrace says insurers use waiting periods to prevent fraud. Without them, an owner could buy a policy on the way to the vet with a pet that is already sick.

Waiting periods compared across insurers

Accident and illness waiting periods differ a lot between insurers, and orthopedic ones differ most. These figures are each insurer’s standard terms. Several insurers apply different terms in certain states, covered below.

Insurer	Accidents	Illnesses	Orthopedic	Source
ASPCA	14 days	14 days	not listed	NerdWallet
Embrace	none after start date	14 days	varies by state	Insurer site
Figo	1 day	not listed	not listed	Forbes Advisor
Hartville	14 days	14 days	14 days	NerdWallet
Healthy Paws	15 days	15 days	12 months for hip dysplasia (enrolled at age 5 or under)	Insurer site
Lemonade	0 days (from 12:01 a.m. the next day)	14 days	30 days	Insurer site
MetLife	immediate	14 days	not listed	NerdWallet
Nationwide	14 days on most plans	14 days on most plans	not listed	Insurer site
Pets Best	3 days	14 days	6 months for cruciate ligament	Forbes Advisor
Pumpkin	14 days	14 days	14 days	NerdWallet
Spot	14 days	14 days	not listed	NerdWallet
Trupanion	5 days	30 days	not listed	Insurer site

“Insurer site” means the insurer’s own waiting-period or FAQ page. “Not listed” means the source we used did not give a figure, not that there is no wait. Always check the sample policy for your state before you buy.

Why orthopedic waiting periods are the longest

Orthopedic waiting periods are long because orthopedic conditions are expensive and often develop slowly. The NAIC model law defines orthopedic conditions as those affecting bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and joints. It names hip and elbow dysplasia, disc disease, kneecap luxation and torn cruciate ligaments.

Two common rules shape these claims. First, the wait itself: Pets Best uses six months for cruciate ligament problems, and Healthy Paws uses 12 months for hip dysplasia in pets enrolled at age 5 or younger. Second, early signs count against you. Lemonade, for instance, treats signs of a cruciate issue before or during its 30-day orthopedic waiting period as pre-existing.

A pre-existing condition is any problem your pet showed signs of before coverage started or during a waiting period. Large, active breeds such as the German shepherd and golden retriever feel these rules most. Our pre-existing conditions guide explains how bilateral knee and hip exclusions work.

What state laws say about waiting periods

A growing number of states limit waiting periods through laws based on the NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act. In states that adopt it:

• Accident waiting periods are prohibited.
• Illness and orthopedic waits are capped at 30 days for conditions not caused by an accident.
• Insurers must allow a waiver after a vet exam, which the owner usually pays for.
• Waiting periods cannot be applied to renewals of existing coverage.

The NAIC’s Summer 2026 adoption chart lists more than 20 states with the model or related activity such as laws or bulletins. They include California, Ohio, Washington, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Florida and Rhode Island laws took effect in 2026, and New Jersey’s takes effect January 1, 2027. Not every law on the chart copies the model word for word.

Insurer pages show the effect. Healthy Paws lists 16 states where accidents have no wait, and its 15-day illness wait and 30-day hip dysplasia wait can be waived with a clinical exam. Forbes Advisor reports that in Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Washington, Pets Best has no accident wait and a 30-day cruciate wait.

Can you get a waiting period waived?

Sometimes. In states with model-based laws, insurers must offer a waiver once a licensed vet examines your pet, usually at your cost. Healthy Paws, for example, waives its illness and hip dysplasia waits with a clinical exam in its special-rule states.

Outside those states, waivers are up to each insurer. If you are buying for a large dog with a long orthopedic wait, ask whether a vet exam can shorten it and get the answer in writing.

What “same day coverage” really means

True same-day coverage is rare. Most policies begin the day after you buy at the earliest. Lemonade’s policies, for example, start at 12:01 a.m. the day after purchase. Its accident cover begins then, and its preventative package can be used from that day too. Rhode Island’s new law starts accident cover at 12:01 a.m. on the second day after purchase.

Some extras skip the wait. Healthy Paws says its Airvet virtual vet visits can be used right after enrollment.

If your pet is already hurt or sick, a policy bought today will not cover that problem. It becomes pre-existing. Our emergency coverage guide covers what to do about a bill you face now.

What happens if your pet gets sick during the waiting period?

The condition is treated as pre-existing and excluded. Trupanion says injuries in its five-day window and illnesses in its 30-day window won’t be covered. The NAIC model’s definition of a pre-existing condition also includes signs that appear during any waiting period.

That exclusion may not be permanent. If the problem is curable and clears up, many insurers will cover it again after 180 days or 12 months free of symptoms and treatment.

How to time your enrollment

Buy before you need it. The waiting clock only starts on your policy date, so every week of delay pushes back the day illness and orthopedic cover begins.

• Enroll young. A puppy or kitten with no history has nothing to exclude. Our puppy insurance guide covers timing.
• Don’t let coverage lapse. Waiting periods don’t restart on renewal, but a new policy starts them again.
• Overlap when switching. Keep the old policy until the new one’s waits have passed. See our guide to cancelling or switching.
• Consider accident-only cover only if it fits. Short accident waits don’t make up for missing illness cover. Our accident-only guide explains the trade-off.

Bottom line

No pet insurance covers illness without a waiting period, but some plans cover accidents from the day after you buy. Illness waits typically run 14 to 30 days, and orthopedic waits range from 14 days to 12 months. States that follow the NAIC model law ban accident waits, cap the others at 30 days and allow a vet-exam waiver. The simplest fix is to enroll while your pet is healthy, so the clock runs out before you need it.