If you are switching to an insurance company your pet is no longer alive or the insurance is not working for your budget canceling Nationwide pet insurance is a simple process. Unlike some services there is no contract that you have to stick to and no fee for canceling. Here is how it works.
Can You Cancel at Any Time?
Yes you can. Nationwide allows people who have insurance to cancel at any time for any reason without any penalty. There is no amount of time that you have to keep the insurance and there is no fee for canceling early.
Your insurance is canceled on the date that Nationwide gets your request to cancel, not on the date that you decide to cancel. This is important to remember if you are trying to time the cancellation with the date that your insurance is supposed to be renewed or with the date that you are switching to an insurance company.
Step 1: Decide How You Want to Cancel Nationwide Pet Insurance
Nationwide gives you a ways to ask to cancel your insurance:
You can do it online by logging into your account at my.petinsurance.com and sending in your request to cancel.
You can call Nationwides customer service number to ask to cancel or to ask questions about the process. They are available to talk on weekdays and Saturday mornings. It is a good idea to check their website for the current phone number and hours before you call.
You can send an email to ask to cancel. This way you will have a record of your request.
You can send a letter by mail. Some people like to do this so they have a paper record of their request. If you do this you should use certified or registered mail so you can prove that it was delivered.
Step 2: Make Sure You Include the Right Information in Your Request to Cancel Nationwide Pet Insurance
No how you ask to cancel you need to make sure you include some important information:
Your full name and your policy number
The name of your pet
A clear statement that you want to cancel the insurance
The date that you want the cancellation to happen
A request for a written confirmation and any refund that you are owed
One of the most common reasons that requests to cancel are delayed is that people forget to include their policy number. So make sure you check that before you send anything.
Step 3: Know About the Free Look Period for Nationwide Pet Insurance
If you just got your insurance you should check if you are still in the Free Look Period. This is usually 10 to 30 days after your insurance started, depending on where you live.
If you cancel during this time and you have not made any claims you can usually get all of your money back. This is the thing that can happen if you change your mind soon after you get the insurance.
Step 4: Understand How Refunds Work for Nationwide Pet Insurance
If you cancel after the Free Look Period Nationwide will usually give you back the part of your payment that you did not use. This is called a -rata refund.
If you pay by debit the refund will usually be sent back to the same bank account or card that you used to pay. If you paid all at once by check you will usually get a refund check in the mail.
What Happens After You Ask to Cancel Nationwide Pet Insurance
Nationwide will usually send you a letter to confirm that your insurance has been canceled. If you do not get this letter you should follow up to make sure that the cancellation went through. Sometimes requests to cancel can get lost, especially if you sent them by mail.
If you are worried about a problem later you should keep copies of everything you send and any tracking numbers in case you need to talk to the insurance department in your state.
Important Things to Consider Before You Cancel Nationwide Pet Insurance
If your pet had a health problem while they were insured by Nationwide the new insurance company will probably consider it a pre-existing condition. This means that the new company will not cover it. If your pet has a health problem you should think about how much it will cost to treat it before you switch insurance companies.
It is also important to time the cancellation right if you are switching to an insurance company. You should try to have the new insurance start before you cancel the one so your pet is always covered.
If your pet has passed away you still need to tell Nationwide so they can close your account and stop sending you bills. Some Nationwide insurance plans cover the cost of putting your pet to sleep so you should check your policy before you make any claims.
Nationwide does not have a “pause” option. If you need to cancel your insurance for a time you will have to start a new policy later and any health problems that your pet gets during that time might make it harder to get insurance in the future.
Quick Summary
You can cancel pet insurance by logging into your account calling, sending an email or sending a letter.
You need to include your policy number, your pets name and the date you want to cancel.
You should check if you are still, in the Free Look Period to get a refund.
If not you will get a -rata refund of the part of your payment that you did not use.
You should keep the letter that confirms your cancellation and any other papers for your records.
Final Thoughts
Canceling pet insurance is easy. There is no fee and no complicated rules. The hard part is what comes next: getting insurance understanding how pre-existing conditions will be treated and making sure your pet is always covered. Nationwide pet insurance is a thing to have but you need to think carefully before you cancel it. Canceling pet insurance is a big decision and you should make sure you are doing the right thing for your pet.