How does a waiting period work in practice?
Most pet insurers use a waiting period to stop people from only taking out cover once their pet is already (seriously) ill. In most cases, this period is 30 days. During this time your pet is registered, but you can't claim for vet fees, or can only do so to a very limited extent.
Once the waiting period has ended, you can claim for any costs covered by your policy. Bear in mind, however, that insurers look at the date of diagnosis, not the date of the claim. So if an illness requiring surgery is diagnosed during the waiting period, it will usually fall under the waiting period rules. The costs will then generally not be covered, even if the treatment takes place after the waiting period has ended.
Waiting periods are nothing unusual, by the way. Supplementary health insurance policies for people often include a waiting period too, which can sometimes be as long as 12 months.
Which insurer has no waiting period?
Almost all pet insurers in the Netherlands apply a 30-day waiting period. The exception is PetSecur, which has no waiting period at all. This means you can claim for vet fees from the very first month of your policy, although there is a legal 14-day termination period applicable.
A few exclusions do apply, however. To prevent misuse, surgical procedures and operations on cruciate ligaments and the skeleton are excluded during the first two months of cover.
What if my dog or cat has an accident during the waiting period?
And what if your pet has an accident shortly after you've taken out a policy? Fortunately, most policies include exception clauses for this, so if your pet has an accident during the waiting period, you are covered.
Microchipping is also usually exempt from the waiting period and, if it's included in your cover, will simply be reimbursed during the first 30 days.
