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HB 577 2026
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hb577-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to continuity of care in health 2
insurance contracts; amending s. 627.6474, F.S.; 3
requiring that contracts between an individual health 4
insurer and a contracted health care practitioner 5
require a specified notice to affected policyholders 6
before cancellation or termination of the contracts; 7
specifying requirements for such notice; authorizing 8
the Financial Services Commission to adopt rules; 9
providing administrative penalties; requiring a health 10
insurer and a health care practitioner to allow 11
certain policyholders to continue coverage and care 12
for a specified timeframe; requiring the insurer and 13
the health care practitioner to be bound by the 14
terminated contract under certain circumstances; 15
specifying that changes to the contract made within a 16
specified timeframe are effective only under certain 17
circumstances; creating s. 627.65713, F.S.; requiring 18
that contracts between a group, blanket, and franchise 19
health insurer and a contracted health care 20
practitioner require a specified notice to affected 21
policyholders before cancellation or termination of 22
the contracts; specifying requirements for such 23
notice; authorizing the commission to adopt rules; 24
providing administrative penalties; requiring a group, 25
HB 577 2026
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hb577-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
blanket, and health insurer and a health care 26
practitioner to allow certain policyholders to 27
continue coverage and care for a specified timeframe; 28
requiring the insurer and the health care practitioner 29
to be bound by the terminated contract under certain 30
circumstances; specifying that changes to the contract 31
made within a specified timeframe are effective only 32
under certain circumstances; amending s. 641.315, 33
F.S.; requiring that certain health maintenance 34
contracts between a health maintenance organization 35
and a provider require a specified notice to affected 36
subscribers before cancellation or termination of the 37
contracts; specifying requirements for such notice; 38
authorizing the commission to adopt rules; providing 39
administrative penalties; amending s. 641.51, F.S.; 40
requiring a health maintenance organization and a 41
treating provider to allow certain subscribers to 42
continue coverage and care for a specified timeframe; 43
deleting construction; providing an effective date. 44
45
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 46
47
Section 1. Subsections (4) and (5) are added to section 48
627.6474, Florida Statutes, to read: 49
627.6474 Provider contracts.— 50
HB 577 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(4)(a) A contract between a health insurer and a 51
contracted health care practitioner as defined in s. 456.001 52
must require the health insurer and the contracted health care 53
practitioner to issue a joint written notice to each affected 54
policyholder at least 60 days before the effective date of the 55
cancellation or termination of the contract. The notice must be 56
written in plain language and include all of the following: 57
1. An explanation of the policyholder's rights regarding 58
continuation of care and coverage. 59
2. Applicable timelines for transition of care. 60
3. Contact information for the insurer, the practitioner, 61
and the office for questions or complaints. 62
(b) The commission may adopt rules to administer paragraph 63
(a). The office may impose an administrative fine of up to 64
$5,000 for each violation to a health insurer or contracted 65
health care practitioner that fails to comply with paragraph 66
(a). 67
(5) When a contract between an insurer and a treating 68
health care practitioner as defined in s. 456.001 is terminated 69
for any reason, the insurer and the health care practitioner 70
must allow policyholders for whom treatment was active to 71
continue coverage and care, through completion of treatment of a 72
condition for which the policyholder was receiving care at the 73
time of the termination, until the policyholder selects another 74
treating health care practitioner, or during the next open 75
HB 577 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
enrollment period offered by the insurer, whichever is longer, 76
but not longer than 6 months after termination of the contract. 77
The insurer and the health care practitioner shall allow a 78
policyholder who has initiated a course of prenatal care, 79
regardless of the trimester in which care was initiated, to 80
continue care and coverage until completion of postpartum care. 81
For care continued under this subsection, the insurer and the 82
health care practitioner shall continue to be bound by the terms 83
of the terminated contract. Changes made within 30 days before 84
termination of a contract are effective only if agreed to by 85
both the insurer and the practitioner. 86
Section 2. Section 627.65713, Florida Statutes, is created 87
to read: 88
627.65713 Provider contracts.— 89
(1) A contract between a group, blanket, or franchise 90
health insurer and a contracted health care practitioner as 91
defined in s. 456.001 must require the health insurer and the 92
contracted health care practitioner to issue a joint written 93
notice to each affected policyholder at least 60 days before the 94
effective date of the cancellation or termination of the 95
contract. The notice must be written in plain language and 96
include all of the following: 97
(a) An explanation of the policyholder's rights regarding 98
continuation of care and coverage. 99
(b) Applicable timelines for transition of care. 100
HB 577 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(c) Contact information for the insurer, the practitioner, 101
and the office for questions or complaints. 102
(2) The commission may adopt rules to administer 103
subsection (1). The office may impose an administrative fine of 104
up to $5,000 for each violation to a health insurer or 105
contracted health care practitioner that fails to comply with 106
subsection (1). 107
(3) When a contract between a group, blanket, or franchise 108
health insurer and a treating health care practitioner as 109
defined in s. 456.001 is terminated for any reason, the insurer 110
and the health care practitioner must allow policyholders for 111
whom treatment was active to continue coverage and care, through 112
completion of treatment of a condition for which the 113
policyholder was receiving care at the time of the termination, 114
until the policyholder selects another treating health care 115
practitioner, or during the next open enrollment period offered 116
by the insurer, whichever is longer, but not longer than 6 117
months after termination of the contract. The insurer and the 118
health care practitioner shall allow a policyholder who has 119
initiated a course of prenatal care, regardless of the trimester 120
in which care was initiated, to continue care and coverage until 121
completion of postpartum care. For care continued under this 122
subsection, the insurer and the health care practitioner shall 123
continue to be bound by the terms of the terminated contract. 124
Changes made within 30 days before termination of a contract are 125
HB 577 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
effective only if agreed to by both the insurer and the 126
practitioner. 127
Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 128
641.315, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 129
641.315 Provider contracts.— 130
(2)(a) For all provider contracts executed after October 131
1, 1991, and within 180 days after October 1, 1991, for 132
contracts in existence as of October 1, 1991: 133
1. The contracts must require the provider to give 60 134
days' advance written notice to the health maintenance 135
organization and the office before canceling the contract with 136
the health maintenance organization for any reason.; and 137
2. The contracts contract must also provide that 138
nonpayment for goods or services rendered by the provider to the 139
health maintenance organization is not a valid reason for 140
avoiding the 60-day advance notice of cancellation. 141
3. The contracts must require the health maintenance 142
organization and the provider to issue a joint written notice to 143
each affected subscriber at least 60 days before the effective 144
date of the cancellation or termination of the provider 145
contract. The notice must be written in plain language and 146
include all of the following: 147
a. An explanation of the subscriber's rights regarding 148
continuation of care and coverage. 149
b. Applicable timelines for transition of care. 150
HB 577 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
c. Contact information for the health maintenance 151
organization, the provider, and the Office of Insurance 152
Regulation for questions or complaints. 153
4. The commission may adopt rules to administer 154
subparagraph 3. A health maintenance organization or provider 155
that fails to comply with subparagraph 3. is subject to an 156
administrative fine by the office of up to $5,000 for each 157
violation. 158
Section 4. Subsection (8) of section 641.51, Florida 159
Statutes, is amended to read: 160
641.51 Quality assurance program; second medical opinion 161
requirement.— 162
(8) When a contract between an organization and a treating 163
provider is terminated for any reason other than for cause, each 164
party shall allow subscribers for whom treatment was active to 165
continue coverage and care when medically necessary, through 166
completion of treatment of a condition for which the subscriber 167
was receiving care at the time of the termination, until the 168
subscriber selects another treating provider, or during the next 169
open enrollment period offered by the organization, whichever is 170
longer, but not longer than 6 months after termination of the 171
contract. Each party to the terminated contract shall allow a 172
subscriber who has initiated a course of prenatal care, 173
regardless of the trimester in which care was initiated, to 174
continue care and coverage until completion of postpartum care. 175
HB 577 2026
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hb577-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
This does not prevent a provider from refusing to continue to 176
provide care to a subscriber who is abusive, noncompliant, or in 177
arrears in payments for services provided. For care continued 178
under this subsection, the organization and the provider shall 179
continue to be bound by the terms of the terminated contract. 180
Changes made within 30 days before termination of a contract are 181
effective only if agreed to by both parties. 182
Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 183