Does My Insurance Coverage Begin Immediately?
Purchasing an insurance policy today doesn’t secure coverage tomorrow. Insurance companies have what’s commonly known as a waiting or elimination period. Within the industry, it’s called an exclusionary period. The exclusions are written into all types of policies ranging from life, home and auto to short-term disability and healthcare.
Elimination Period
In a healthcare policy, for example, this is a very specific amount of time that has to elapse before the insurance company will begin to cover any costs. Policy holders are responsible for any medical expenses incurred during the elimination period. Elimination times vary widely, from as little as 30 days to as long as 1 year. The same is true of other policies.
Healthcare policies are often riddled with these exclusionary clauses. Depending on the policy, there may be different elimination periods for different types of illnesses or injuries.
Waiting Periods
A waiting period is the length of time between:
- When the policy is purchased
- When the coverage actually goes into effect
- When the policy holder can file a claim and have it paid by the insurer
Insurers also place additional waiting periods for specific situations. Typical wait times are 3 months, but each insurer has its own parameters. Additional wait times may be imposed on certain types of coverage within the policy. Healthcare insurance may have a wait time of 6 to 12 months. Cancer and heart-related care can have a wait time of up to 1 year. Home and auto policy wait times typically range from 30 to 90 days.
You Can be Cancelled
Insurers are under no obligation to accept you as a client. They can refuse to insure you – or drop your existing policy – if they deem you too high risk or to preserve their profitability. Insurers can also cancel your policy if you lie or misrepresent any information on your application.
For more information about how The Sena Group can help you with any
of your insurance needs, please contact us at 561-391-4661.
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The Sena Group
6501 Congress Ave., Ste. 100
Boca Raton, FL 33487
