🐊💰 Florida Pet Insurance Law HB 655 2026: New Rules Every Cat and Dog Owner Must Know
Florida HB 655, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on April 18, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, is the most significant state-level pet insurance reform in the United States to date. The law passed the Florida legislature unanimously — a rare achievement for consumer protection legislation — and introduces protections that do not exist in most other states. For Florida cat and dog owners, it means no more waiting periods for accident coverage, a capped 30-day maximum for illness waiting periods, a 30-day free-look return window, mandatory insurer disclosures about claim payment formulas, and a shifted burden of proof on pre-existing condition exclusions. This is a complete guide to every provision and what it means for your policy in 2026.
📊 HB 655 at a Glance: Florida Pet Insurance (Effective Jan 1, 2026)
Signed: April 18, 2025, by Governor Ron DeSantis
Passed: Unanimously by Florida Legislature
Effective: January 1, 2026
Codified at: Florida Statutes Chapter 627, Section 71545
Key provisions: No accident waiting periods • 30-day maximum illness waiting period • 30-day free-look period • Mandatory claim payment disclosures • Insurer bears burden of proof on pre-existing exclusions • Wellness programs cannot affect eligibility • No medical exam required at renewal
Who it applies to: All pet insurance policies sold in Florida from January 1, 2026 onward; insurer must comply with disclosure and waiting period requirements on all new and renewed policies
🚫 No More Accident Waiting Periods in Florida
The most immediately impactful provision of HB 655 for new Florida pet insurance buyers: pet insurers are prohibited from imposing any waiting period for accidents. Florida Statutes 627.71545(9)(b)(1) states explicitly: “A pet insurer may not issue a policy imposing a waiting period for accidents.”
🚫 Accident Waiting Period — Before vs. After HB 655
This provision aligns Florida with the NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act, which also prohibits accident waiting periods. For Florida pet owners, this means accidents — broken bones, trauma, foreign body ingestion, lacerations — are covered from the first day of the policy.
⏰ Illness Waiting Periods Capped at 30 Days
Florida Statutes 627.71545(9)(b)(1) also establishes a maximum waiting period for illness coverage: pet insurers may impose a waiting period of no more than 30 days for illnesses, diseases, or orthopedic conditions not resulting from an accident.
🤒 Illness Waiting Period — Before vs. After HB 655
The 30-day cap on orthopedic conditions is the most financially significant change for dog owners with large breeds prone to cruciate tears and hip dysplasia. Previously, a 6-month orthopedic waiting period meant that a dog who tore a ligament in Month 4 of coverage faced a full denial. Under HB 655, Florida insurers can only impose a maximum 30-day wait for any orthopedic condition.
📋 Mandatory Disclosures: What Insurers Must Now Tell You
HB 655 requires Florida pet insurers to make specific, clear disclosures before and at the time of policy purchase. These are legally enforceable requirements — not suggestions. Under Florida Statutes 627.71545(6):
| Required Disclosure | What It Means for You | Where It Must Appear |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of claim payment bases or formulas | Insurer must explain exactly how they calculate what they pay on a claim — no more opaque reimbursement formulas | Website + policy document + “Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions” document (12-pt type) |
| Any waiting period terms and requirements | All waiting periods must be “clearly and prominently disclosed to applicants before the policy purchase” | Pre-purchase + policy document |
| Pre-existing condition exclusions | Must explicitly disclose what conditions are excluded and how pre-existing is defined | Pre-purchase disclosure |
| Whether premium increases with age, claims, or location | Must disclose if your premium will go up because your pet ages, you file claims, or you move | Pre-purchase |
| Whether underwriting company differs from brand | If “XYZ Pet Insurance” is actually underwritten by a different company, must disclose | Pre-purchase + policy |
| Contact info for Florida Division of Consumer Services | Every policy must include how to file a complaint with the state regulator | At policy issuance (written) |
📄 The “Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions” Document
HB 655 creates a specific required document that every Florida pet insurer must publish. Under Florida Statutes 627.71545(6)(d)-(e): insurers must create a summary of all policy disclosures in a separate document titled exactly “Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions,” post it on their website through a “clear and conspicuous link on the main page,” and provide a copy to every policyholder at the time the policy is issued or delivered, in at least 12-point type. This document is your Florida-specific consumer protection baseline — if your insurer has not provided it, they are not complying with state law.
🔄 30-Day Free-Look Period: Try It, Return It
Florida Statutes 627.71545(7) gives Florida pet insurance buyers a meaningful consumer protection: unless you have filed a claim, you may return any policy or rider within 30 days of receipt and receive a full premium refund.
This is not a grace period or a cancellation right with fees — it is a full refund return window. If you enroll in a Florida pet insurance policy, receive it, review it, and decide it does not meet your needs within 30 days (without having filed a claim), you get your money back. Most U.S. pet insurance policies offer 10–14 day free-look periods; Florida’s HB 655 mandates 30 days.
Practical use of the 30-day window: Use it to compare the policy document against the marketing materials, check the claim payment formula disclosure, review the pre-existing condition language, and confirm the waiting period waiver provision is present. If anything does not match what you were told during sale, return the policy within 30 days for a full refund.
⚖️ Burden of Proof Shifts to the Insurer on Pre-Existing Conditions
This is the most legally significant provision of HB 655 for Florida pet owners who have experienced claim denials. Florida Statutes 627.71545(9)(a) states: “The pet insurer has the burden of proving that the preexisting condition exclusion applies to the condition for which a claim is being made.”
⚖️ Pre-Existing Condition Burden of Proof — Before vs. After HB 655
This does not eliminate pre-existing condition exclusions — HB 655 still authorizes insurers to exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions. But it changes who has to prove it. If your insurer denies a claim as pre-existing under a Florida policy issued or renewed after January 1, 2026, they must demonstrate the evidentiary basis for that exclusion. This is a meaningful protection for Florida pet owners appealing denials.
🏋️ Wellness Program Participation Cannot Affect Eligibility
HB 655 addresses a practice that had begun emerging in the pet insurance market: conditioning policy eligibility or pricing on participation in wellness programs. Florida Statutes 627.71545 prohibits pet insurers from requiring wellness program participation as a condition of eligibility for pet insurance. Pet wellness programs and pet insurance are distinct products — HB 655 draws a clear line between them to prevent bundling that confuses consumers or coerces participation.
🏥 No Medical Exam Required at Renewal
HB 655 also protects existing policyholders at renewal: pet insurers cannot require a veterinary medical examination as a condition of renewing an existing policy. Insurers can require an exam after the initial purchase of a new policy (to establish baseline health status), but once your pet is insured, the insurer cannot demand a new exam every renewal cycle to potentially reclassify conditions as pre-existing. This protects long-term policyholders from having their coverage disrupted at renewal.
📊 What HB 655 Changes vs. What It Does Not Change
| Issue | HB 655 Impact | Still Applies? |
|---|---|---|
| Accident waiting periods | Eliminated — prohibited by law | No more accident waiting periods in FL |
| Illness/orthopedic waiting periods | Capped at 30 days maximum | Still exist; max 30 days |
| Pre-existing condition exclusions | Still allowed; but insurer bears burden of proof | Yes — can still be excluded |
| Claim payment formula opacity | Eliminated — full disclosure required | Disclosure now mandatory |
| Free-look cancellation window | 30-day full refund window mandatory | 30 days in FL (vs. 10-14 days elsewhere) |
| Wellness program bundling | Cannot condition eligibility on wellness participation | Programs still sold; just can't affect eligibility |
| Medical exam at renewal | Cannot be required for renewal | No renewal exams in FL |
| Premium increases with age/claims | Still allowed; but must be disclosed upfront | Yes — must be disclosed at purchase |
✅ What Florida Pet Owners Should Do Right Now
📋 Your HB 655 Action Plan
- Request the “Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions” document from your insurer if you did not receive it at policy issuance. Under Florida law, they must provide it. If they cannot, contact the Florida Division of Consumer Services.
- If you have an existing policy: Ask your insurer whether your policy has been updated to comply with HB 655 on renewal. Waiting period terms, burden of proof provisions, and free-look rights apply to policies issued or renewed after January 1, 2026.
- If you are shopping for new Florida pet insurance: Confirm that no accident waiting period is imposed. Confirm the illness/orthopedic waiting period is 30 days or less. Request the full sample policy document before purchasing — compare it against the disclosure document.
- Submit a vet exam promptly after enrollment to access the waiting period waiver. HB 655 requires insurers to include a waiver provision — use it. A clean vet exam submitted after policy purchase may eliminate or shorten your waiting period.
- Use the 30-day free-look period strategically: Review the full policy document within 30 days of receipt. If the claim payment formula is opaque, the pre-existing condition language is broader than disclosed, or waiting period terms changed from what you were told, return the policy for a full refund.
- If a claim is denied as pre-existing: Under HB 655, request in writing that the insurer demonstrate the evidentiary basis for the pre-existing condition finding. They bear the burden of proof. If they cannot substantiate it, escalate to the Florida Division of Consumer Services at floir.com.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Does HB 655 apply to pet insurance policies I already have in Florida?
Yes — at renewal. HB 655 applies to policies issued or renewed after January 1, 2026. If your existing policy renews after that date, your insurer must comply with HB 655’s disclosure, waiting period, and burden-of-proof requirements on the renewed policy. Contact your insurer to confirm compliance at your next renewal date.
❓ My Florida pet insurance still has a 6-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions. Is that legal under HB 655?
No, if the policy was issued or renewed after January 1, 2026. Florida Statutes 627.71545 caps illness and orthopedic waiting periods at 30 days for new policies issued after the effective date. If your renewed or newly issued policy still shows a 6-month orthopedic waiting period, that provision may be unenforceable under Florida law. File a complaint with the Florida Division of Consumer Services at myfloridacfo.com or floir.com.
❓ The insurer is denying my claim as a pre-existing condition. What do I do under HB 655?
Request the insurer’s specific evidentiary basis for the pre-existing condition finding in writing. Under Florida Statutes 627.71545(9)(a), the insurer bears the burden of proof. If they cannot produce documentation showing the condition existed before your coverage started, the denial may be improper under Florida law. File a complaint with the Florida Division of Consumer Services and, if needed, consult a Florida insurance attorney. The Florida Department of Financial Services handles insurance consumer complaints.
❓ Can a Florida pet insurer still exclude pre-existing conditions entirely?
Yes. HB 655 does not eliminate pre-existing condition exclusions — it shifts the burden of proof to the insurer and requires clear upfront disclosure of what conditions are excluded and how pre-existing is defined. Your insurer can still refuse to cover a condition that genuinely existed before your coverage started. The law simply requires them to prove it, not just assert it.
❓ What is the Florida Division of Consumer Services and how do I file a complaint?
The Florida Division of Consumer Services is part of the Florida Department of Financial Services and handles insurance consumer complaints including pet insurance. Contact them at myfloridacfo.com or call 1-877-693-5236. Under HB 655, every Florida pet insurance policy must include the contact information for the Division at the time of policy issuance.
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