ORLANDO, Fla. — New laws now in effect in Florida will have an impact on health care costs, animal welfare, and other major issues throughout the state.
Public employee health plans can no longer charge out-of-pocket fees for breast cancer screenings, while a new statewide animal cruelty database aims to track perpetrators.
These legislative changes follow bills passed during the 2025 session aimed at improving public health and animal treatment across Florida.
Starting Thursday, the new laws will allow public employees, such as teachers and state workers, to save money on critical health screenings and they establish a framework for monitoring animal abusers.
Under the new health care law, public employee health plans cannot impose co-pays or deductibles for breast cancer screenings, which includes ultrasounds and MRIs necessary for follow-up care.
This legislation is anticipated to ease the financial burden for public employees, potentially saving them hundreds of dollars.
In parallel, Florida has initiated a statewide animal cruelty offender database.
This registry is modeled after existing sex offender databases and aims to prevent individuals convicted of severe animal abuse from owning pets in the future.
The implementation details are still forthcoming, but the state plans to roll out the database as part of its commitment to animal welfare.
Additionally, a new law is focused on enhancing transparency in pet insurance policies, providing pet owners with clearer information about coverage options and costs.
While some of these laws, such as the animal cruelty database, will take time to fully implement, the health care changes are already affecting insurance claims as they are processed under the new rules.
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