Insurance
Waiting period
The time you must hold a health policy before certain conditions or treatments become claimable.
A waiting period is the gap before your policy starts covering specific things, like pre-existing diseases or maternity.
Pre-existing conditions often have a 2-4 year wait, and specific illnesses may have their own periods.
This is a big reason to buy health insurance while young and healthy, so the clock runs out before you need it.
For example
A diabetic buying a new policy may have to wait 3 years before diabetes-related claims are covered, so buying early matters.