What is an Attending Physicians Statement?

Question

I've recently applied for life insurance in Ontario, Canada (which is where I reside) for both my wife & myself. The insurance application has taken a little over a month and we still haven't finalized the application (it's still outstanding). I called the insurance broker & he advised that the insurance company had sent my family practitioner an Attending Physicians Statement (APS), and that until they receive this APS they could not proceed. I called my family practitioner to follow up to see what the delay was, but they advised they just mailed it out to the insurance company. Apparently they (the insurance company) only needed an APS for myself, and not my wife. My question is this; What exactly is an APS? I have an idea; possibly a release of all of the details of my medical record/s up to this date for full disclosure. But what kinda threw me off is why they only needed it for me. Anyways, what is an APS, and why did they only require one for me?

Answer 1

You'll have to ask these questions of the insurance company, since they are the only ones who know why they wanted a statement from your doctor.  Your doctor, having filled out the form, should be able to provide you with a copy of it.  Since of course he kept a copy for his own records, see if his staff will send you a copy or if you can go to the office to look at it.  It's about you, so it is very much your business.  

I would just call the insurance company, tell them you're confused, and ask them to explain.

Answer 2

You are correct in what it is.  It is a copy of your primary care physicians records concerning your health.  They are checking for pre-existing conditions.  It may be because of the amount of coverage you requested or it may be because you indicated a condition (because of medication you might be taking or answers to the health questions) and they want more information.  It is a common practice with insurance companies.

Answer 3

Deep5223 is correct.

As to why they only needed it for you, it depends on your Age and the Amount of Insurance you are applying for.  APS is generally required for policies with larger face amounts (eg: $2M+).

As for the length of time, the Ontario College of Physician dicates that the Dr. must complete the report in 60 days or less of receiving the request.  You can try to put some pressure on the Dr. if they are slow or you did not apply for Temporary Insurance during the Underwriting process.