when you sign up for a new health insurance policy it doesnt get implemented with immediate effect the policy comes into effect after a waiting period which depends on the the kind of insurance and other factors such as age your medical history and the company in other words the insurer is liable to entertain any claim amount filed only after this waiting periodif an individual undergoes an accident or undergoes hospitalisation during the waiting period the customer may not be covered for a loss as mentioned before the concept of waiting period exists across different kinds of insurance policies and the quantum of waiting period may differ depending upon the insurer and the nature of the insurance policyhowever following are the broad indicators of waiting period there is an initial waiting period of 30 days which goes up to 90 days in some cases from the effective date of the policy some insurance policies may permit treatment for accidental external injuries with a minimum of 24hour hospitalisationpreexisting diseases may not be covered in the first 24 years of the policy depending on your age and the nature of the policy a preexisting disease refers to any medical condition of an individual prior to the commencement of the policy now the policy may be effective for any other ailments in the first few years of the policy buy any claim filed for illness related to the preexisting disease will not be covered in the first 14 years of the policy as stated in the policy documentthis feature is most common in insurance policies designed for senior citizens also the insurer may insist that you stick with the same insurer if you want the cover to continue without further waiting periods in futurethe third is the ailmentspecific waiting period during which an ailment will not be covered this again varies from company to company but some common ailments that involve waiting periods include ent disorders polycystic ovarian diseases diabetes osteosrthiritis osteoporosis hypertension and hernia these ailments are usually covered only after two years from the date of commencement of the policy