Pet insurance in Nebraska

In force since 1 January 2024

Nebraska’s pet insurance law is Neb. Rev. Stat. §§44-6501–44-6510, the Pet Insurance Act. It was enacted by Senator Ballard’s LB296. The Legislature passed it on final reading on 18 April 2023 (46 votes for, none against), and the Governor approved the act on 21 April 2023. Under section 13 of the act, the pet insurance sections became operative on 1 January 2024. The other sections of LB296, on telehealth and hospital provider identifiers, have nothing to do with pets.

Section 44-6502 applies the act to policies issued to a Nebraska resident and sold or offered in the state, and to policies delivered or issued for delivery in the state. The rest of the insurance code also applies, but the act prevails in a conflict. Under §44-6504(5), a pet insurance policy is a property insurance policy that covers accidents and illnesses.

As of 11 November 2026, the source note of every section of the act cites only LB296: it has not been amended. The Department’s Title 210 index lists no rule under §44-6509. A violation of the act is an unfair trade practice under the Unfair Insurance Trade Practices Act — §44-6510.

Only a licensed producer who has completed training may sell these policies; the training covers pre-existing conditions, waiting periods and how insurance differs from wellness programs — §44-6508. In May 2023 the Department of Insurance (NDOI) created a separate pet insurance license; property and casualty producers can sell without it.

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

Section 44-6506(2) and §44-6504(10) set these rules:

An insurer that uses a waiting period must include a policy provision allowing it to be waived after a medical examination. The insurer may require the examination to be done by a veterinarian, to include certain elements and to be documented. Those elements may not unreasonably restrict the waiver. Unlike Delaware’s law, the Nebraska text does not say who pays for the examination or when it takes place. Waiting periods and their requirements must be disclosed before purchase. No veterinary examination may be required for renewal — §44-6506(3).

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 — §44-6505(6).

The law defines orthopedic conditions broadly: bones, skeletal muscle, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and joints, including elbow and hip dysplasia, intervertebral disc degeneration, patellar luxation and ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments — §44-6504(4).

Pre-existing conditions and renewal

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 — §44-6504(6)(a). No diagnosis is needed. There is no limit on how far back the insurer can look.

The insurer must prove that the exclusion applies — §44-6506(1). A condition the policy covered cannot become pre-existing on renewal — §44-6504(6)(b). Under §44-6504(7), 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 law has no “no break” requirement.

The law does not limit the types of exclusions — §44-6503(2). But an insurer that uses the act’s terms in a policy must use them as the act defines them, and link to the definitions from the main page of its website — §44-6503(1).

A separate disclosure document and 30 days to return the policy

Section 44-6505 requires disclosure of:

• whether the policy excludes pre-existing, hereditary, congenital and chronic conditions, with a statement that other exclusions may apply;
• waiting periods, deductibles, coinsurance and annual or lifetime limits;
• whether the insurer reduces coverage or raises premiums because of claims, the pet’s age or a move;
• whether the underwriter differs from the brand used to sell the policy;
• the claim payment formula, any benefit schedules, and the basis for usual and customary fees if payment is limited by them — in the policy and through a link on the website’s main page.

A summary of these provisions goes in a separate Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions document. The consumer receives a copy in at least 12-point bold type, and the website’s main page links to it — §44-6505(8). When the policy is issued, the insurer includes the Department’s mailing address, toll-free number and website and its own contact details, also in 12-point bold — §44-6505(9).

In the published samples, the body of the disclosure is set in regular type: 10 point for Pets Best and Figo, 11 for Trupanion, 12 for Healthy Paws, ASPCA and MetLife, with bold used mostly for headings. We did not check what owners receive with a policy.

The return right — §44-6505(2):

1. You may return the policy within 30 days of the date you receive it, without giving a reason, if no claim has been filed.
2. Notice of this right, with instructions, is printed on or attached to the first page of the policy.
3. 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.

Wellness programs may not be marketed as insurance, buying one may not be a condition of buying insurance, and they may not duplicate the policy’s coverage. The seller must state in writing, in 12-point bold, that wellness programs are not insurance — §44-6507. Wellness benefits inside the policy are insurance and subject to all insurance rules — §44-6506(4), §44-6507(3).

Rates and forms: file and use, 30 days to disapprove

The Property and Casualty Insurance Rate and Form Act, §§44-7501–44-7535, covers property insurance — §44-7505, §44-201(5). The Pet Insurance Act has no filing rules of its own.

Rates. Under §44-7506, all rating systems are filed under §44-7508:

• a filing’s effective date may not be earlier than the day the Director receives it;
• the Director may disapprove it within 30 days, extended by another 30 with written notice; otherwise it is deemed to meet the section’s requirements;
• after that, disapproval requires a hearing, and the order does not affect policies issued before the date it sets;
• no policy may be issued except under filings in effect.

The exception is inland marine risks that by industry custom are not written according to manual rates or rating plans — §44-7508(1)(c). In its guidance IGD-C9 of 20 October 2022, the Department writes that new classes are not automatically exempted. The list of classes it points to now returns a 404 at the old address. We found no exemption order under §44-7508(7).

Prior approval applies to listed categories, including insurance on personal risks written for a business when individuals pay for it — §44-7506(1)(g). Whether this reaches employer pet insurance programs has not been established.

Forms. The default route is §44-7508.02: forms are filed before use, and the Director reviews forms for personal, family or household needs within 30 days. A disapproved form is withdrawn as soon as practical, but policies already issued stand.

In IGD-C9, the Department calls Nebraska file and use for rates and forms in most personal and commercial lines. Its personal inland marine checklist (January 2023) also says File & Use. Neither document mentions pets, and which line the Department assigns pet policies to has not been established.

Two provisions help owners:

• Section 44-7517: an insured affected by a rate may ask the insurer in writing for all pertinent information, for a reasonable charge, and ask to be heard. If the insurer does not act within 30 days, the insured can appeal to the Director.
• Sections 44-7508(14) and 44-7508.02(13): an insured aggrieved by a filing may apply in writing for a hearing.

Who can get filings

The Department says company filings are available to the public through SERFF; we did not open SERFF ourselves. IGD-C9 says filings and supporting documentation are open to public inspection under the public records law, except consent-to-rate filings for individual policyholders, credit scoring plans and material found confidential. A rate filing stays closed until review is complete — §44-7508(8). Under the Department’s confidentiality guidelines, a company must prove a trade secret or a specific advantage to named competitors.

The public records law, §84-712, gives the right to all residents of this state and all other persons interested. A non-resident may request records but can be charged more:

A resident is a person domiciled in the state, and news media regardless of domicile. If copies will cost more than $50, a deposit may be required. A record already on the custodian’s website need not be copied; pointing to it is enough. Fees may be reduced when disclosure serves the public interest rather than the requester’s commercial interest. The section was last amended in 2024, by LB43.

Claims: general deadlines

Title 210, Chapter 60 sets claim-handling standards for property and casualty insurance. Its days are working days:

A denial is given in writing and must cite the specific policy provision. If the owner objects to a denial, the insurer must say in writing that the Department can review the matter and give its address and phone number — 008.08. A violation requires a general business practice or flagrant disregard; the rule creates no right to sue.

The rule limits recovery of overpayments — 011. An insurer may withhold money from a new payment, or demand a refund, to correct an overpayment on an earlier claim under the same policy in two cases only:

1. It has documented evidence of the overpayment and the owner’s written authorization.
2. The payment clearly contradicted the policy and is not disputed on the facts, the error was not a mistake of law, the insurer notified the owner within six months of the error, stating its nature, the amount and the three-year limit (within 15 days of discovery if the error came from the owner’s representations or nondisclosures), and the claim used for the adjustment is made no later than three years after the error.

Three provisions of the insurance code matter in a dispute:

• Section 44-359: an owner who wins a judgment on any type of insurance policy is awarded a reasonable attorney’s fee. Not if the judgment is no more than the insurer offered under §25-901. We did not check whether courts have applied this to pet policies.
• Section 44-357: a policy may not shorten the time to sue below the state’s statute of limitations, unless the insurance chapter provides otherwise. For written contracts that is five years — §25-205.
• Section 44-358: a misstatement in an application does not void the policy unless it deceived the insurer to its injury. Breach of a policy condition does not release the insurer unless it existed at the time of the loss and contributed to it.

Cancellation and non-renewal: 60 days

Section 44-522 covers any policy of property, marine or liability insurance:

• the insurer gives 60 days’ written notice of cancellation or non-renewal and states the reason;
• 10 days for non-payment, and for a policy with a term of 60 days or less that has not been renewed before; the 60-day notice of non-renewal does not apply to such a policy either;
• once a policy has been in effect for more than 60 days, the insurer may cancel it only for one of seven reasons: non-payment, material misrepresentation in obtaining it, a fraudulent claim, violation of policy terms, a substantial increase in the risk, loss of reinsurance, or a determination by the Director;
• a substitution at renewal with substantially equivalent coverage is not a cancellation or non-renewal, and a transfer to another insurer in the same group counts as one only if coverage or rates become substantially less favorable;
• all policy forms issued in the state must conform to the section.

A pet policy is property insurance under the act, and the rest of the code applies to it. On our reading, §44-522 covers it. The Nebraska documents of Healthy Paws, ASPCA and Figo copy its list of reasons. The Department’s personal inland marine checklist also cites §44-522 and 60 days. IGD-C9 names 30 days’ notice where the law requires 60 as a common error in filings.

Nebraska sample policies

On 11 November 2026 we checked the documents of seven brands. We did not check Nationwide, Lemonade, Spot, Pumpkin, Fetch 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 and sets 15 days for illness and orthopedic conditions other than hip dysplasia, and 30 days for hip dysplasia. A complete clinical examination waives them; the waiver clause itself sets no window. But the amendment leaves item II.5.b of the general form unchanged: if the pet was enrolled at six or older, illness related to hip dysplasia is not covered at all. The required enrollment examination becomes a recommendation — within 12 months before or 15 days after the start; for a pet aged six or older, within 30 days before or 15 days after — and the sentence that missing it may void the policy is gone. At a claim, Healthy Paws may still ask for the record of the examination you represented in the application. You can also cancel the policy verbally. After 60 days the insurer may cancel only for the §44-522 reasons and must state the reason. The amendment leaves three things 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 one-year limit for lawsuits.

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 14 days for illness, 0 for injuries and 30 for cruciate ligaments, 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. Claims must be submitted within 180 days of treatment.

ASPCA. A 14-day waiting period for illness, including congenital, hereditary and orthopedic 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; the waiting period ends no earlier than the day after the examination. The Nebraska amendment replaces the insurer’s cancellation clause: 60 days and the §44-522 reasons. Claims must be submitted within 270 days.

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, at the owner’s cost, and the veterinarian’s form must arrive within 7 days of the policy effective date; the insurer gives its decision within 30 days. The first page carries the statutory return right. Cancellation by the insurer and non-renewal: 60 days’ notice, and after 60 days only for the §44-522 reasons. Claims must be submitted within 180 calendar days of treatment, or as soon as reasonably practicable, and are payable within 30 days after all documentation is received.

MetLife. A 14-day waiting period for illness, none for injuries. It is waived in full if the examination is within 7 days before the start, in part if within 5 days after; the records go in with the first illness claim.

Trupanion. The disclosure says There are no waiting periods, but without an Exam Day Offer there is a delay between enrollment and the policy start; its length is not given. Claims must be submitted within 365 days of treatment; later only if the delay did not prejudice the insurer, and never after 1,095 days. The insurer may change the premium at any time with 30 days’ notice.

The market

NAIC 2025 Market Share Report, section 09.2 Pet Insurance: Nebraska pet premium written was $13.112 million, premium earned $12.428 million. That is 0.24% of the total for states and territories. The loss ratio was 52.80%, against 68.10% for all states and territories (68.07% including Canada and other alien). NAIC warns that this is a single calendar-year result, not a measure of profitability. Groups are not brands.

The three largest groups hold 60.43% of the market. NAIC is an association of regulators; these are not the Department’s figures.

The Department has its own figure. Its 2024 summary shows $10,494,513 of Pet Insurance Plans premium written in Nebraska in 2024. The year and the method differ, so we do not compute growth between the two figures.

Traps

• 15 days to return instead of 30, and other departures. The law gives 30 days from receipt. Embrace’s general V6 terms, where the Nebraska choice leads, say 15. Healthy Paws counts 30 days from the policy effective date; the attached notice repeats the statutory wording but says the policy prevails in a conflict. The ASPCA sample 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. MetLife gives the return right only for the first one-year policy: This provision only applies to the initial policy that We issue to You with a one year policy period. The Healthy Paws and ASPCA disclosures do not mention the return right, although §44-6505(8) requires a summary of every provision in subsections (1)–(7), and subsection (2) is the return right. Note the date you received the policy. See policy papers that contradict state law and refund lost after an early claim.
• Cancellation on 10 or 30 days’ notice. On our reading, §44-522 requires 60 days and a reason, and after 60 days one of seven reasons. Embrace’s general V6 terms allow cancellation in the first 60 days on 10 days’ notice, later on 30, and non-renewal on 30, and add reasons that are not on the statutory list. Whether the set issued in Nebraska includes an amendment has not been established. See cancelled for any reason.
• A suit deadline shorter than the statute of limitations. Healthy Paws: a lawsuit within one year after the loss; ASPCA: within 24 months after the claim settlement date. Both clauses yield to state law if it allows longer. Under §44-357, a policy may not shorten the statute of limitations, which is five years for a written contract. See claim deadlines and suit limits.
• A narrow window to waive the waiting period. In the samples the window is days: ASPCA, from 3 days before the policy starts to 7 days after; Figo, 7 days; MetLife, 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. The law forbids requirements that unreasonably restrict the waiver; the regulator has not said where the line is. Pets Best, Figo and MetLife warn that anything found at the examination may become pre-existing.
• Embrace: 180 days for four 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. Nebraska law limits orthopedic waiting periods to 30 days. 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.
• Hip dysplasia in an older dog. The Healthy Paws amendment states a 30-day waiting period for hip dysplasia. But if the dog was enrolled at six or older, item II.5.b excludes illness related to hip dysplasia altogether, and the amendment does not change it.
• Changing the plan wipes out the protection. Pets Best requires cancelling the policy and taking a new one to raise the limit or add a benefit: new waiting periods, and the whole history becomes pre-existing. With Figo and Embrace a coverage increase restarts the waiting period, and ASPCA may treat a change as a new enrollment. The law protects only a renewal with similar coverage. See change the plan and start over.
• Broader than the statutory definition. ASPCA treats a condition as having occurred when its signs would have been detectable by a routine physical veterinary exam, and excludes conditions that occur during a waiting period. Healthy Paws excludes abnormalities detectable by a routine physical exam, and the Nebraska amendment does not change that. Figo excludes allergies after signs consistent with an allergy, and cancer of the same type diagnosed at any time before the start. Trupanion counts as pre-existing conditions with signs or evidence of their potential manifestation and those masked or controlled by treatment. The law allows any exclusion but requires its terms to be used as it defines them. Where the line falls is, on our reading, an open question. See pre-existing can mean anything a vet “would have” found and the same cancer type may not be covered again.
• A payment may be clawed back. ASPCA and Figo reserve the right to recover claims paid in error. Rule 210 NAC 60-011 allows withholding or demanding back an overpayment on an earlier claim only with your written authorization or for a clear error notified within six months, and no later than three years after the error. See claims paid “in error” taken back.
• 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 Nebraska amendment does not change this. At Pets Best the decision binds only the insurer, but disputes about exclusions, timing and wording are not reviewed. If you object to a denial, the insurer must tell you the Department can review it. See disputes decided by a vet the insurer picks.
• 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 MetLife describe the reverse order: $990 by our arithmetic. With Figo the order depends on the plan. See the payout shrinks.
• “Typical” charges. Figo reserves the right to dispute charges above those typical in your area. If payment is limited by usual and customary fees, §44-6505(5) requires the basis to be described in the policy and on the website. We did not find it in Figo’s Nebraska disclosure.
• “No waiting periods”, but not right away. Trupanion says there are no waiting periods, yet the policy does not start on the day of enrollment unless you take an Exam Day Offer. The disclosure does not say how much later.