Understanding Waiting Periods and Elimination Periods

Many people purchase insurance and experience a loss, only to discover that their policy provides no coverage. They’re responsible for the entire cost of replacing the content of their home or business, along with restoration expenses. The same situation can occur when an individual sustains an injury.

This is due to waiting periods and elimination periods written into insurance policies. The clauses are contained in policies for the home, auto, health care, and for short-term disability coverage. Most people know them as “exclusionary periods.”

Waiting Periods

This is the length of time between when an insurance policy is purchased, when the coverage actually goes into effect, and an individual can make a claim. Some insurers place additional waiting periods for specific situations, such as maternity coverage and cancer. Health insurance is notorious for creating various waiting period times, depending on the claim.

The usual wait period is 3 months, but that still doesn’t necessarily mean that all coverage is available at that time. There may be other exclusions or waiting periods that can depend on previous coverage. Waiting periods can vary by the insurer. For instance, dental coverage may require a 6 to 12 month wait and cancer and heart care may have a wait of up to one year.

Homeowner policy wait times can vary from 30 to 90 days, along with auto insurance policies. Insurers may have the option of canceling an auto policy if the individual is deemed a high risk or they misrepresent any information on the application.

Elimination Period

An elimination period is a specific amount of time between when an illness or injury occurs and when an insurance policy begins to pay benefits. During the elimination period, individuals are responsible for any medical costs associated with the injury or illness. Depending upon the policy, the elimination period can be as little as 30 days or as long as one year.

For more information about how The Sena Group can help you with any

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The Sena Group
6501 Congress Ave., Ste. 100
Boca Raton, FL 33487