There鈥檚 a new kind of 鈥減roperty insurance鈥� being sold in Florida starting today, Jan 1.
And it鈥檚 for your pets.
The Florida Legislature passed unanimously last spring and it was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on April 22. The bill amends the definition of property insurance to explicitly include insurance coverage for accidents and illnesses or diseases in pets and establishes a regulatory framework for pet insurance policies sold in Florida.
The bill also regulates the marketing and sale of pet wellness programs to prevent them from being misrepresented as insurance. If sold alongside pet insurance, wellness programs must be optional, clearly separated, and independently priced.
Florida is the 14th state to put such regulations into place, .
shows that 7.03 million pets were insured in North America at the end of 2024. Total premium volume in the U.S. reached $4.7 billion at year end 2024. Florida is a lucrative market, the analysis shows, with the more than 6% of the gross written premium nationwide coming from the state.
Specifically, HB 655 amends the Florida Insurance Code to include definitions for pet insurance and wellness programs. The former is defined as coverage for accidents, illnesses, and diseases of pets and reimburses a policyholder for expenses associated with medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment provided by a veterinarian.
Pet wellness, meanwhile, is defined as a subscription- or reimbursement-based program separate from an insurance policy and that provides goods and services to promote the general health, safety, or well-being of the covered pet.
Laws can take effect immediately upon being signed, on with the start of the state鈥檚 fiscal year, on , or even on Jan. 1, which generally is the start date for insurance related bills because that鈥檚 often when insurance policies take effect.
Many of the laws that take effect today change the state鈥檚 criminal or civil statutes
HB 655 is one of two insurance-related bills that take effect Jan.1. The other, , prohibits the state group health insurance program from imposing any cost-sharing requirements with respect to coverage for diagnostic breast examinations and supplemental breast examinations.
A legislative staff analysis notes that while the state group health insurance plan provides diagnostic breast examinations without cost sharing requirements, 鈥渃ost sharing for supplemental examinations among the current plans vary. 鈥�
The bill provides parameters for what constitutes supplemental breast examinations, prohibiting cost sharing for examinations that are medically necessary and appropriate breast imaging examinations; used when no abnormality is seen or suspected; and based on personal or family medical history or other increased risk factors.
The Division of State Group Insurance within the Department of Management Services said the ban on cost sharing requirements could increase claims costs in the state group health insurance program by $3.6 million annually.
Bill sponsor and nine-year breast cancer survivor Sen.Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, said eliminating the cost sharing requirements will help save lives.
鈥淭he reason why we鈥檙e doing it is because people often can鈥檛 afford the next step. When you do need the supplemental testing, an MRI 鈥� or an ultrasound can cost as much as $1,000, so people delay,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we know that when breast cancer diagnoses are delayed it leads to worse outcomes.鈥�
The new law only applies to the state group health insurance plan.
is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
