THE ESSENTIALS
Before you start
- Waiting periods follow contractual dates and rules, not just the calendar year.
- Different benefits can have different waiting periods.
- A new policy can apply new periods, even with the same insurer.
Check the relevant clock
ASF describes a waiting period as an initial interval during which certain benefits are not yet effective, with durations differing by cover. Moving from December to January therefore does not confirm that every benefit can be used.
Purely illustrative example: a 90-day period beginning in November will not have fully elapsed on January 1. This is not a waiting period offered by an insurer; it explains why changing the year and completing a duration are different events.
Create one row per person and benefit
Use columns for the person, benefit, relevant start date, stated duration and confirmed end date. Give appointments, hospital care and other separately defined benefits their own rows. Retain the condition supporting each date.
If someone joins after the other family members, ask which date applies to that inclusion. Do not automatically copy the first person's timetable. The worksheet collects confirmed answers rather than replacing the insurer's interpretation.
Changing insurance requires a fresh check
In guidance about moving from an employer's cover to an individual policy with the same insurer, ASF explains that a new contract is involved and new waiting periods may be agreed. Remembering the same brand does not establish continuity of terms.
Before deciding to change, request written confirmation of applicable periods and any waiver or special arrangement actually accepted. Do not end a policy relying solely on an expectation that previous time will carry over.
Complete the calendar without delaying care
The end of a waiting period does not remove an exclusion or establish that a particular service is covered, authorised or within the available limit. For a planned expense, compare the confirmed date with the other terms for that benefit.
This calendar helps organise insurance finances; it does not decide when healthcare should take place. Start a RMACHADO quotation request with the people and benefits to compare, keeping diagnoses out of public comments.
KEEP THESE QUESTIONS
Your checklist for the next conversation
- Record relevant dates for each person.
- Separate waiting periods by benefit.
- Obtain the end date and supporting rule in writing.
- Check new-policy terms before changing.
- Review exclusions, limits and authorisations separately.
FROM THE ARTICLE TO YOUR SITUATION
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Sources and transparency
Content updated on .
Consultation dates are stated in individual references when available.
Numerical examples are fictional and explain concepts. Editorial interpretations are identified in the text.
Information from RMACHADO GROUP. This is not an insurance offer or individual advice. Covers, acceptance, exclusions, sums insured and costs depend on the policy. The intermediary does not underwrite the risks.