Pet insurance in Ohio

A pet-specific law is already in force

S.B. 175 of the 135th General Assembly enacted Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 3970 in 2024. Its pet-insurance provisions took effect on 22 January 2025; other sections of the bill, such as §3935.04, took effect on 24 October 2024.

§3970.01(E) classifies pet insurance as property insurance. §3970.02 covers policies issued to Ohio residents; sold, solicited or negotiated in Ohio; or delivered or issued for delivery there. Other applicable insurance law continues to apply, with these specific provisions prevailing where they conflict.

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

§3970.05(C) prohibits an accident waiting period. For illness and orthopedic conditions not resulting from an accident, the maximum is 30 days. A policy can provide a shorter period.

The contract must allow a medical examination to waive the wait. The insurer may require an examination by a licensed veterinarian after purchase, specify its elements and require documentation, without unreasonably restricting access to the waiver. The policyholder pays unless the contract says the insurer will. Waiting periods cannot be reapplied to renewal of existing coverage.

Renewal protects a covered condition, with limits on portability

§3970.05(A–B) permits a disclosed pre-existing-condition exclusion and puts the burden on the insurer to prove it applies to the claimed condition. A condition covered under a policy cannot become pre-existing at renewal.

The renewal definition in §3970.01(G) includes a replacement policy from the same or an affiliated insurer with substantially similar types and limits of coverage. It does not automatically carry coverage history to an unrelated company. Pre-existing conditions include previous treatment, veterinary advice and verifiable related signs or symptoms before the policy’s effective date or during a waiting period.

These provisions do not establish lifetime guaranteed renewal or freeze premiums. §3970.03(B) also preserves other exclusions. Before switching contracts, check what the new insurer will treat as pre-existing.

Disclosures and the right to cancel

§3970.04 requires disclosure of exclusions, waiting periods, deductibles, coinsurance and limits, and whether age, claim history or moving can affect price or coverage. It also requires disclosure of whether the underwriting company differs from the brand used to sell the policy; the text does not expressly require the underwriter to be named. A separate Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions must be linked from the main website page and supplied with the policy. Disclosure of a possible increase does not prohibit that increase.

You may cancel within 30 days after first receiving the policy, rider or certificate. Provided no claim has been made or filed, the insurer must refund the full premium within 30 days after receiving timely cancellation notice. The law requires only notice to the insurer or through the agent; it says nothing about returning the policy document. The refund clock starts when the insurer receives that notice.

A separate wellness program cannot be a condition of buying insurance, and §3970.06 prohibits marketing it as insurance.

Claim-handling deadlines

The general property/casualty rule, OAC 3901-1-54(F–G), provides:

• Acknowledgment within 15 days after receiving claim notification. Supplying necessary forms and complete instructions, or paying within that period, can satisfy this requirement.
• A decision within 21 days after receiving properly executed proof of loss. If investigation needs longer, the insurer must explain within those 21 days and provide written status updates at least every 45 days.
• Issue payment to the policyholder within 10 days after acceptance, if the amount is determined and undisputed, subject to the rule’s exceptions, including documented extraordinary circumstances. This concerns issuing payment, not the date it clears in your bank account.

Days are calendar days, with a last day falling on a weekend or holiday extended to the next business day. A denial relying on a policy term or exclusion must identify it. The rule itself creates no private cause of action. It does not promise unconditional payment 21 days after the first email.

Rates, notice rules and remaining gaps

§3935.04 requires applicable property forms and rating materials to be filed and generally provides a 30-day period before use, with earlier effectiveness and other exceptions available. Its inland-marine exception concerns risks customarily written without manual rules or rating plans; the class name alone does not establish an exemption for a pet product. Filings and supporting information become public after effectiveness, while trade secrets remain protected.

We have not read an individual Ohio filing or verified its procedure, prices or percentage increases. The regulator has an accessible public-records request form; we inspected it without submitting a request.

The cancellation deadlines in §3937.25 concern commercial property and other specified commercial policies. We have not established their application to an ordinary household-pet policy. A general mandatory notice deadline for that policy and a currently issued insurer contract remain unverified here. Before buying, obtain the policy, all endorsements and Ohio disclosure, and check cancellation, nonrenewal and premium-change terms separately.