Pet insurance is considered property insurance, and pet coverage and pet wellness programs will soon face new regulations and discl
osure requirements under a bill signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
House Bill 655, approved with no opposition in the Florida Legislature thi
s month, takes effect Jan. 1, bringing a number of new rules to the rapidly growing pet insurance market in Florida. Among other ch
anges, the new law clarifies that homeowners’ insurance policies may in
clude coverage for pet medical care, and that the coverage is not subject to statutes governing health or life insurance.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Kaylee Tuck, also aims to limit deceptive practices that have been reported in pet wellness programs: P
et insurance agents will be barred from marketing wellness programs as pet in
surance, and they cannot make a wellness program a prerequisite to the purchase of insurance.
Policies must also disclose coverage exclusions and insurers must provide inf
ormation about how claims payments are determined. Policies will have to allow a 30-day period for pet owners to return policies if the
y are unsatisfied, a legislative analysis explains. Insurance companies must train agents on coverage and conditions.
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The 15-page bill can be seen here. The legislative staff analysis is here.
As pet insurance policies and wellness programs have grown in popularity nationwide, so have concerns, according to news an
d legislative accounts. HB 655 did not directly address recent reports that have rais
ed alarms about some pet wellness programs that promote raw meat for p
ets, which have been linked to bird flu in animals and could lead to a rise in pet insurance claims.