Successive Periods

What Does Successive Periods Mean?

Successive periods refer to multiple hospital confinements occurring within a specified timeframe that are considered a single instance of hospitalization, provided that each confinement is related to or caused by the same medical condition.

Insuranceopedia Explains Successive Periods

If a policyholder visits a hospital multiple times for the same injury or illness, the insurance company treats each visit as part of a successive period and a continuation of the original medical condition, rather than a new instance. Since insurance companies consider this when providing benefits, it is important for policyholders to understand how it may affect the amount paid out. Often, a specific duration known as a waiting or elimination period must elapse before insurers regard benefit periods as separate rather than as successive periods.