What Medical History Records May Be Required for Pet Health Insurance?

If an insurance company is willing to insure your pet they will likely want to know as much about your pet as they possibly can. This isn't to be nosey or intrusive but instead it is to get as much information as possible in order to charge you appropriately for your policy. Most pet insurance companies will not outright deny coverage to a pet for the lack of this information, it is usually very helpful in their processes.

Here are a few instances where a medical history record may be required:

1. If your pet is currently taking medication for an injury or illness it will likely warrant the presence of medical history records. This will be used to decide if your policy needs to be amended in order to get the right coverage applied.

2. A pet with a recent injury or illness will be required to send in the corresponding medical history records. There are some pet insurance companies that are run by former veterinarians and they will want to see if the right diagnosis or decision was made.

3. If you just rescued or adopted your pet they will likely be subject to a physical exam. As most former strays or runaways don't have records available it is necessary to asses the issues with your pet.

4. If you are currently re-enrolling your pet into the same pet insurance company you should be aware that records for the time that you were gone will likely be requested. This will be to make sure that the pet didn't contract any injuries or illnesses during the absence from insurance.

If at any time you become tired of the requests for additional records or reports you have the right to cancel your policy at any time. It is best to make this request in writing so that it is clear and legible. You don't want to be questioned about leaving abruptly without warning and the date you put on the letter will give you proof of when you dropped the policy.

Try not to get to worked up at the idea of having to provide all of this information for your policy to become effective. The more cooperative and easy going you are the better the entire process will be for you and your pet. Being respectful and understanding pays off for people if they are watching you and notice that you are passing on good vibes and habits to everyone around you.