 TITLE: Do I Need a Good Credit Score for Pet Insurance? CONTENT: Does Your Credit Score Affect Your Ability to Get Pet Insurance?\n----------------------------------------------------------------\nPets are considered property, so pet health insurance is classified as property and casualty insurance, similar to home and auto insurance. In many states, insurance companies check what's called your credit-based insurance score when considering your application for home or auto insurance and deciding your rates. Credit-based insurance scores are different from FICO or VantageScore® credit scores because they help predict whether you're likely to file an insurance claim.\nDo insurers check your credit-based insurance score when you apply for pet insurance? In California and Massachusetts, it's illegal to use credit scoring when writing an insurance policy. If you live in any other state, however, the answer is as hazy as a cataract in an old dog's eye.\nNeither the National Association of Insurance Commissioners nor the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) are aware of credit scoring being used in writing pet insurance policies. However, both acknowledge that it _might_ be happening depending on state laws.\nThe upshot: Maintaining a good credit score is always a smart idea, but it probably won't affect whether you can get pet insurance or how much you pay for it. That depends primarily on your pet. END