Florida HB 577: Spaceport Territory

Bill Text

HB 577 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb577-00
Page 1 of 8
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

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb577-00
Page 2 of 8
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

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb577-00
Page 3 of 8
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

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb577-00
Page 4 of 8
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,