Pet insurance in Mississippi

The law in force since 1 July 2023, the rule since 1 January 2024

Mississippi’s pet insurance law was enacted as Senate Bill 2228 of the 2023 session. The Governor approved it on 10 March 2023, and it took effect on 1 July 2023, as the bill record and Section 6 of the act state. NAIC lists it in the code as Miss. Code Ann. §§83-87-1 to 83-87-9. The act itself does not name code sections, and we did not open the official code text. The Legislature’s code-section index shows no bill amending §§83-87 in the 2024–2026 sessions.

The act is shorter than the NAIC model. It has five substantive sections: scope, definitions, disclosures, producers and the Commissioner’s rulemaking power. It sets no waiting-period limits, no exam waiver, no ban on waiting periods or examinations at renewal, no burden of proof, no separate disclosure document, no right to return the policy and no rules on selling wellness programs. Those come from the Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) rule 19 Miss. Admin. Code, Part 5, Chapter 6, the Pet Insurance Regulation, Rules 6.01–6.08. Under Rule 6.08 it applies on and after 1 January 2024; MID’s list of regulations gives the date 08/02/2023.

The law applies to policies issued to a Mississippi resident and sold or offered in the state, and to policies delivered or issued for delivery in the state. The rest of the insurance law still applies — Section 1 of the act. Pet insurance is property insurance: Section 2(d) of the act and Rule 6.02(E). A violation of the act or the rule carries a fine under §83-5-17 of up to $5,000 per violation (Rule 6.07).

Waiting periods: none for accidents, up to 30 days for illness

These limits exist only in the rule, Rule 6.04(B):

If a policy has a waiting period, coverage must take effect by 12:01 a.m. on the second calendar day after purchase. The exceptions are individualized underwriting of a pet (the clock then runs from the insurer’s decision), setting up premium payment, and coverage bought through an employer or organization. If there is no waiting period for illness or orthopedic conditions, the insurer may set a start date up to 15 calendar days after purchase, provided it is clearly disclosed and no premium is charged before coverage begins.

The contract must allow the waiting periods to be waived upon completion of a medical examination — Rule 6.04(B)(2). The insurer may require a licensed veterinarian to perform the examination after purchase and may specify what it includes. Those specifications may not unreasonably restrict the waiver. The policyholder pays unless the policy says otherwise. Waiting periods and their requirements must be disclosed before purchase. No veterinary examination may be required for renewal — Rule 6.04(C).

The examination has a downside. If one is required to start coverage, the insurer must warn that its records may lead to a pre-existing-condition exclusion — Rule 6.03(F).

Pre-existing conditions and renewal

The definition is in the act itself, Section 2(e). A condition is pre-existing if, before the policy took effect or during a waiting period, a veterinarian gave medical advice about it, the pet was treated for it, or verifiable sources show signs or symptoms directly related to the condition claimed. No diagnosis is needed. There is no limit on how far back the insurer can look.

The same definition carries renewal protection: a condition the policy covered cannot become pre-existing on renewal. Under Section 2(f), a renewal is a new policy at the end of the period from the same or an affiliated insurer with substantially similar types and limits of coverage. Switching to another company does not carry the history over.

The insurer must prove that the exclusion applies. That requirement is only in the rule — Rule 6.04(A). The rule does not limit the types of exclusions — Rule 6.02.

A separate disclosure document and 30 days to return the policy

Section 3 of the act requires five disclosures:

1. whether the policy excludes pre-existing, hereditary, congenital and chronic conditions;
2. the statement “Other exclusions may apply…” if there are other exclusions;
3. waiting periods, deductibles, coinsurance and annual or lifetime limits;
4. whether the insurer reduces coverage or increases premiums based on claims, the pet’s age or a move;
5. whether the underwriter differs from the brand.

Rule 6.03 adds the payment formula — in the policy, before issue and through a link on the website’s main page — any benefit schedules, the basis for usual and customary fees if the insurer uses it, and the terms of any required examination and of the waiting periods before purchase. A summary of all these provisions goes in a separate Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions document. It is linked from the main page of the website, and a copy in at least 12-point type comes with a new policy. MID’s contact details are also included at issue, in 12-point bold — Rule 6.03(K).

The return right — Rule 6.03(B):

1. You may return the policy within 30 days after receiving it, without giving a reason, if you have not filed a claim.
2. The insurer refunds the full premium within 30 days after it receives the returned policy, to whoever paid it. The policy is void as if never issued.

Notice of this right is printed on or attached to the first page of the policy.

Wellness programs may not be marketed as insurance, and buying one may not be a condition of buying insurance — Rule 6.05. “Wellness” coverage inside a policy is insurance.

Rates and forms are filed 30 days ahead

Rates fall under §83-2-7 as amended by HB 773 (2020). That is the last enacted amendment: according to the Legislature’s index, the only later bill touching the section was HB 1170 (2026), which died in a Senate committee. The rules:

• The insurer files rates, supplementary rate information, policy forms and endorsements at least 30 days before the proposed effective date.
• A filing is deemed approved unless the Commissioner disapproves it within 30 days. Within those 30 days he may give written notice that he needs more time, up to 60 days from the date of the notice. An incomplete filing is not complete until the information is furnished.
• No policy may be issued except in accordance with filings, where filings are required.

MID says its rating division reviews rates, rules and forms for prior approval before use. Rates may not be excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory — §83-2-3.

The exception: no filing is needed for inland marine risks that by custom are not written according to manual rules or rating plans. In a 2003 checklist, MID says companies with developed manual rates for a class of risk should make an informational filing. Its 1969 filing regulation lists Live Animal Floaters among inland marine risks. Whether the exception covers any pet insurance program has not been established. The law calls pet insurance property insurance.

A flexible rating rule (2021) allows rate changes of up to ±15% without approval. But it covers only earthquake, flood, commercial liability and cyber coverage — not pets.

MID’s rate filing instructions (revised 06/2026) ask for a summary of the overall changes and changes by territory, five years of Mississippi and countrywide experience, and an overall statewide rate indication. We did not open any individual pet filing.

Where to see filings

• SERFF. On its property and casualty page, MID says “certain” filings are available free through SERFF. We did not open SERFF.
• Monthly bulletin. MID publishes a Property/Casualty Rate Filing Bulletin listing filings. We read 35 issues from July 2023 to October 2026; February 2025 is missing — its link on the site leads to the January issue. They contain no pet insurance filing. MID does not say whether the bulletin lists every filing.
• Office files. According to the public access page, the rating division’s files are open during office hours. Two years plus the current year are kept. Copies are charged.
• Public records request. §25-61-5 gives the right to any person, with no residency condition. The response is due within 7 working days, or up to 14 with a written explanation. Under MID’s rule: searching costs $1.50 per quarter hour, $4 for supervisory staff, and copies $0.50 a page. A denial can be appealed to the Commissioner, who decides within 10 days, or taken straight to chancery court. Requests go to [email protected].

Trade secrets are released no later than 21 days after the company is notified, unless it asks a court for protection — §25-61-9. Whether the insurance code itself opens filed rates to inspection, we did not establish from an official text.

Cancellation, non-renewal and claims: general rules

§83-5-28 as amended by HB 1611 (2025), for policies issued or renewed on or after 1 July 2026:

• A renewal, cancellation, reduction in coverage or non-renewal is not effective without notice at least 45 days ahead (30 before).
• The section does not apply to non-payment unless there is a named creditor loss payee; then 10 days’ notice is required.
• If the insurer misses the notice, the insured may continue the policy at the existing premium for the rest of the notice period plus 45 days, in 45-day increments until notice is given.

But the section’s text speaks of liability, fire and single premium multiperil coverage. MID Bulletin 2025-5 describes it more broadly, as a rule for property and casualty insurance. It treats a higher deductible as a reduction in coverage, but not a higher premium. Whether the section reaches a veterinary expense policy has not been established. So the notice periods below come from the contracts.

MID’s Policyholder Bill of Rights applies only to homeowners insurance. In MID’s list of regulations we found no claim-handling deadlines for property policies: the claim payment regulation (Part 3, Chapter 2) is for health and accident insurance. Claim and payment deadlines come from the contracts.

Mississippi sample policies

On 11 November 2026 we checked the documents of eight brands. We did not check Spot, Trupanion, Nationwide, Lemonade, Odie or accident-only policies. A sample does not prove that such a policy is issued today or that new enrollment is open.

Healthy Paws. The amendment removes waiting periods for accident-related conditions. Illness and orthopedic conditions other than hip dysplasia wait 15 days; hip dysplasia waits 30. A complete clinical examination waives them. But the amendment leaves item II.5.b of the general form unchanged: if the pet is 6 or older at enrollment, illness related to hip dysplasia is not covered at all. The required enrollment examination becomes a recommendation; under the general form, missing it may void the policy. The policy can also be cancelled verbally. Three things stay unchanged: the return period counted from the policy effective date; claim disputes decided by a veterinarian the insurer appoints, whose decision is final and binding on all parties; and the insurer’s right to cancel on 90 days’ notice without giving a reason.

Pets Best. In the middle of the booklet, the general form still states a 3-day waiting period for injuries, 6 months for cruciate ligaments and a 30-day trial period from the effective date. The amendment at the end sets 0 and 30 days and deletes the trial period. The right to return the policy within 30 days of receipt is given in a separate notice at the front of the booklet. Read the policy together with the amendment. Claims must be submitted within 180 days of treatment.

ASPCA. A 14-day waiting period for illness. The examination to waive it must take place between 3 days before and 7 days after the policy starts, and the form must arrive within 30 days of the examination. The waiting period ends no earlier than the day after the examination. Claims must be submitted within 270 days of the date of service, and a lawsuit brought within 24 months after the claim settlement date.

Figo. 14 days for illness and 30 days for orthopedic illness, none for injuries. The examination must take place within 7 days of the start date, and the veterinarian’s form must arrive within 7 days of the policy effective date; the insurer gives its decision within 30 days. Non-renewal notice with a reason: 60 days. Payment is due within 30 days after all documents are received.

The market

NAIC 2025 Market Share Report, section 09.2 Pet Insurance: Mississippi pet premium written was $8.037 million, premium earned $7.726 million, and the loss ratio 50.83%, against 68.07% for the industry total in the same report (states, territories, Canada and aggregate other alien; 68.10% for states and territories). NAIC notes that loss ratios are calendar-year results, not measures of profitability. Groups are not brands.

The three largest groups hold 63.08% of the market. We found no pet market data published by MID itself.

Traps

• A return right narrower than the rule. The rule gives 30 days from receipt, with the refund going to whoever paid. Healthy Paws counts 30 days from the policy effective date; the attached notice repeats the rule’s wording but says the policy prevails in a conflict. ASPCA refunds the premium only if you cancel within 30 days of the first effective date and nothing has been applied to the deductible or reimbursed. Fetch’s disclosure gives 30 days from the effective date and only with no claims submitted. Embrace’s general V6 terms, where the Mississippi choice leads, give 15 days. MetLife gives the return right only for the first one-year policy and sends the refund to “You” rather than to the payer. Note the date you received the policy. See policy papers that contradict state law and refund lost after an early claim.
• A disclosure that omits the return right. The Healthy Paws, ASPCA and Pumpkin Mississippi disclosures do not mention it. Rule 6.03(H) requires a summary of every provision in items (A)–(G), and item (B) is the return right.
• Claims can raise the price. The law only requires the insurer to say whether it does this; it does not forbid it. Figo: Premiums may increase or decrease due to claims history. Pumpkin: Insurance plan premiums may increase or decrease due to claims history. Fetch: Premiums may be increased and coverage may be reduced based on your pet’s individual claim history. Healthy Paws says premiums, coinsurance, deductibles or coverage may change with the program’s claims experience in your region, your location and your pet’s age; premiums are not based on your own pet’s claims. See claims cost you later and dropped after claims.
• A narrow window to waive the waiting period. ASPCA and Pumpkin: an examination from 3 days before the start to 7 days after; Figo: 7 days; MetLife: within 7 days before the start for a full waiver and 5 days after for a partial one. Pets Best and Figo waive it if the examination meets our review criteria. Pets Best, Figo and MetLife warn that anything found at the examination may become pre-existing. In Embrace’s V6 terms we found no right to waive the waiting period by examination, although Rule 6.04(B)(2) requires one; whether the set issued in Mississippi differs has not been established.
• Embrace and Fetch: 180 days for orthopedic conditions. Under V6, cruciate ligament disease, intervertebral disc disease, patellar luxation and hip dysplasia in dogs that appear in the first 180 days are excluded for the life of the policy. Fetch’s Mississippi notice also excludes orthopedic conditions that occur in the first 180 days for the life of the policy, except knee conditions if a vet examines the pet within those 180 days and the record notes no pre-existing knee conditions; orthopedic conditions resulting from an accident are not affected. The rule limits orthopedic waiting periods to 30 days. Whether the Embrace set issued in Mississippi includes an amendment has not been established. V6 also turns the policy into accident-only cover if the pet was not examined in the 12 months before the start or within 14 days after. See lifetime orthopedic and spine exclusions.
• Fetch: an injury from normal activity waits 15 days. The waiting period covers any injury resulting from normal activity; only accidents or injuries resulting from an unexpected event are exempt. The rule prohibits waiting periods for accidents. Whether such an injury counts as an accident is a question of interpretation that we do not resolve. Fetch also has a 12-month exclusion for curable conditions noted in the 12 months before the policy started, during the waiting period or at the first exam.
• Change the plan, get a new policy. Pets Best: to raise the limit or add a benefit, the policy is cancelled and a new one issued, with new waiting periods and a new pre-existing check. ASPCA: some changes are a new enrollment. Figo: after a coverage increase the waiting period runs again from the date of the change. Embrace: a coverage increase brings back the waiting period and the pre-existing check. See change the plan and start over.
• The order of the calculation changes the payout. For a $1,200 bill, a $100 deductible and 90%, Healthy Paws pays $980: percentage first, then deductible. ASPCA and Pumpkin describe the reverse order: $990 by our arithmetic. MetLife gives the formula (Total Treatment Cost - Deductible) x Covered Percentage. With Figo the order depends on the plan. See the payout shrinks.
• The insurer’s vet decides the dispute. Healthy Paws sends a dispute to its own veterinarian and then to an independent one it appoints itself; that decision binds everyone. The Mississippi amendment does not change this. At Pets Best the decision binds only the insurer, but disputes about exclusions, timing and wording are not reviewed. See disputes decided by a vet the insurer picks.
• Cancellation and non-renewal by contract. Healthy Paws may cancel on 90 days’ notice without a reason. ASPCA may decline to renew at the end of any policy period in accordance with your state’s requirements. Whether the general notice periods of §83-5-28 apply to pet policies has not been established. See cancelled for any reason.
• Claim and lawsuit deadlines come from the contract. Healthy Paws pays within 60 days after the claim form is completed unless state law requires less; a lawsuit must be brought within one year after the loss unless state law allows longer. ASPCA: claims within 270 days, a lawsuit within 24 months after settlement. Pets Best and Figo: claims within 180 days. Fetch: claims within 90 days of treatment. We found no MID rule setting deadlines for property claims. See claim deadlines and suit limits.
• Figo: exclusions broader than the definition. Allergies are excluded if earlier signs were consistent with an allergy, not directly related to it as in the statutory definition. Cancer of the same type is excluded if it was diagnosed at any time before the start or before the waiting period ended. Figo reserves the right to dispute charges above those typical in your area and to recover payments made in error.
• Wrong contact details. The contact block of Pets Best’s Mississippi disclosure still has a “Home (la.gov)” line left from Louisiana and gives MID’s phone as 800-562-3582, a number we did not find in MID’s documents. MID’s letterhead and the Healthy Paws, ASPCA, Figo and Fetch documents give 1-800-562-2957. MetLife gives the address mid.state.ms.us instead of mid.ms.gov. Rule 6.03(K) requires MID’s toll-free number and website at issue.
• Filings are hard to see. The 35 MID bulletins from 2023–2026 list no pet filing at all. The office keeps files only for two years plus the current year.