1
out of 5
POSTED: | BY: Katie Gerloff
Unreasonably strict waiting period has cost me thousands
I applied for pet insurance the day I filled out the adoption contract for my newly adopted rescue dog. A mandatory 14-day waiting period was enacted before my policy would be activated. Approx. 25 hours prior to the activation date, my dog experienced a non-volvulus bloating episode, which was not covered, but worse - prompted “gastritis” to be considered pre-existing condition on my pet’s policy. This bloat episode was an emergency, not a pre-existing condition I was trying to sneak into the covered conditions in this policy. I had adopted this dog < 2 weeks prior and could not have purchased a policy any sooner than that day. This was purely a case of bad luck. However, my dog has since had continued GI issues, and none of it is covered due to “gastritis” (such a broad term) being considered a pre-existing condition. I pleaded my case to Nationwide and there was no reasoning with them, no flexibility on their side, nothing- it is still considered a pre-existing condition. I’ve since spent thousands of dollars in vet bills on my dog due to this and am still paying premium costs on top of it in order to maintain my policy. I’m incredibly disappointed about my experience, and feel genuinely unsupported by Nationwide. I make sure to tell everyone I discuss this with to avoid Nationwide insurance for their pets.