Pet insurance in Hawaii

The law took effect in 2026

Hawaii enacted its pet insurance law in 2025: Haw. Rev. Stat. §§431:33-101 to 431:33-109, Act 79. It took effect on 1 January 2026. The insurance regulator’s 17 July 2026 memorandum confirms the date and that, under Act 79, pet insurance is classified as property insurance.

Waiting periods and veterinary examinations

Section 431:33-105(c) establishes these rules:

An insurer imposing a wait must provide a contractual way to waive it following a medical examination. It may require a veterinarian to perform the examination after purchase and specify examination elements and documentation. Those requirements cannot unreasonably restrict access to the waiver. The policyholder pays unless the contract says the insurer will pay.

Under §431:33-105(d), an examination cannot be required for renewal itself. No waiting period does not remove exclusions, deductibles or other coverage conditions.

Pre-existing conditions and renewal

Under §431:33-103, a condition can be pre-existing if, before policy effectiveness or during a wait, a veterinarian provided medical advice, the pet received treatment, or verifiable sources establish signs or symptoms directly related to the condition being claimed. The definition does not require a diagnosis.

Section 431:33-105(b) permits such exclusions with appropriate disclosure, but the insurer must prove that the exclusion applies to the claimed condition. A condition covered by the policy cannot become pre-existing on renewal.

Section 431:33-103 defines renewal as a replacement at the end of the policy period by the same or an affiliated insurer, with substantially similar types and limits of coverage. Switching to an unrelated company does not automatically transfer coverage history. This protection also does not promise lifetime renewal, fixed prices or unchanged terms.

Separate disclosures and a 30-day return right

Section 431:33-104 requires disclosure of exclusions, waiting periods, deductibles, coinsurance, limits and whether age, claim history or moving can affect price or coverage. The company must explain the payment formula, any benefit schedules or prevailing-fee reimbursement limits, and identify an underwriter different from the marketing brand.

The summary must be a separate Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions document, prominently linked from the main website page. A copy in at least 12-point type must accompany delivery of a new policy — §431:33-104(h)–(j).

If no claim has been filed, §431:33-104(b) allows the applicant to:

1. Return the policy, certificate or rider to the insurer or its agent within 30 days after receiving it, without giving a reason.
2. Receive a full premium refund within 30 days after the insurer receives the returned document. The money goes to its payer, and the contract is void as if never issued.

Return instructions must be prominent on or attached to the first page. The two deadlines start from different events. This subsection contains no express renewal exception.

Rates, forms and access to records

The regulator’s filing-requirements page provides the current Hawaii General Requirements and Filing Instructions v1.3 (4/1/2026). Worksheets RF10 and RF11 specify prior approval for rates and rating rules and a general 30-day waiting period, subject to stated exceptions. Forms must comply with applicable requirements; this is not a blanket prior-approval rule for every form. RF13 certification is required, but qualifying forms meeting the code and readability requirements need not be submitted where the instructions permit. Changes restricting or expanding coverage require filing with analysis of their effect on coverage and rates.

Memorandum 2026-1PC moved the revised instructions’ effective date to 1 April 2026. Earlier submissions, including pending filings, need not be resubmitted solely to conform to those revised instructions.

For pet insurance, Memorandum 2026-5PC explains the transition from the former inland marine classification to property insurance:

• Programs filed and accepted before 1 January 2026 need not be refiled solely for reclassification.
• Subsequent filings revising such programs, including rate, rule and form changes, should be submitted under the Property type of insurance, code 01.0003 Pet Insurance.
• Insurers that previously did not file programs based on an inland marine exemption must file them by 31 December 2026. The memorandum says pet insurance is no longer classified as inland marine for regulatory purposes and insurers should not rely on inland-marine exemptions.

RF11 provides for public access by default at submission. Confidentiality requires a specific legal basis. The regulator directs readers to SERFF Filing Access. Another route is a written request to the agency holding the record: OIP explains the process and the usual 10-business-day response period, with written acknowledgment of extra time for extenuating circumstances, usually no more than 10 additional business days.

Example: Healthy Paws’ Hawaii bundle

On 1 November 2026, the Healthy Paws Hawaii documents page linked three documents:

The amendment provides no wait for conditions resulting from an accident, 15 days for other illnesses, injuries and orthopedic conditions except hip dysplasia, and 30 days for hip dysplasia not resulting from an accident. A complete clinical examination allows the waits to be waived. The base policy must be read with its amendment.

In base section II.5, the amendment replaces only subparagraph a, the examination provision. Base II.5.b stays: if the pet was six or older at enrollment, illness related to hip dysplasia is not covered. The disclosure does not mention this exclusion.

Base-policy page 5 counts the return period from policy effectiveness. The notice on page 8 of the same PDF and page 2 of the separate disclosure use receipt, as does the statute. Compare these provisions in the issued bundle.

Amendment page 2 and disclosure page 3 show the reimbursement order: apply the reimbursement percentage first, then subtract the remaining annual deductible. The example is $1,200 × 90% − $100 = $980. This illustrates a claim payment, not an insurance price.

The disclosure permits changes to premiums, coinsurance, deductibles and coverage based on regional program experience, location, breed and age. Premiums are not based on the pet’s individual claims experience. Check the legal insurer on the declarations: the disclosure lists several Chubb companies.

Publishing these samples does not establish that new policies use these editions or that enrollment is available to a particular applicant.