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Regulator and sponsor back bill barring cancellations over pet age or conditions
Summary
Substitute House Bill 1078 would prohibit pet insurers from canceling or refusing to renew policies based on the pet's age or conditions that develop during a policy term, and would protect consumers when an insured is moved among affiliated carriers; the Office of the Insurance Commissioner testified in strong support and said Washington has about 200,000 pet insurance policies.
Substitute House Bill 1078 would add consumer protections for pet owners by prohibiting a pet insurer from canceling or refusing to renew a policy because of the covered pet's age or if a condition develops during the policy period.
Staff told the committee the bill also limits how affiliated companies may move a policyholder from one affiliate to another: the existing policy must be honored through its expiration date, the replacement affiliate must offer a comparable policy and may not impose a waiting period or require a veterinary exam to renew. Staff noted prior fiscal estimates from earlier versions of the House bill and that a new fiscal note had been requested for the substitute.
David Fort of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner testified in strong support and said Washington has been a national leader in the pet-insurance market with roughly 200,000 individual policies; he said the bill would give pet parents more predictable coverage and "peace of mind." No opposition testimony appeared in the transcript and the committee concluded business and adjourned; no committee vote was recorded in the transcript.
