• If you life in Florida, it's helpful to understand the laws on health insurance.healthcare concept image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
  
  Health insurance is a personal contract between you and a health insurer that pays for costs associated with medical care. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is the authority that monitors sales practices and sets standards for health insurance companies in the state. If you are a Florida resident, it's helpful to understand the laws governing health insurance, because they could have a significant impact on you and your family.
  
  

Pre-existing Conditions

• If you have been diagnosed with an illness two years prior to applying for health insurance in Florida, it can be considered a pre-existing condition and excluded from coverage. However, the 2010 federal health care law will eventually completely prohibit this exclusion, unless court challenges to the law succeed.
  
  

Guaranteed Renewability

• Florida law mandates that all health insurance policies have a guaranteed renewability provision. This means that if you've paid your premiums on time and have not provided false information on your application, you are guaranteed to be able to renew your policy the next year.
  
  

Right of Refusal

• While Florida lw provides for guaranteed renewability of insurance, health insurers do not have to issue you a policy on your initial application. It is only after you have health insurance that you are guaranteed the ability to renew. If you are young, and in good health, this provision encourages you to purchase health insurance, since you may not be able to get ir once you are ill.
  
  

Notice of Termination

• Florida law mandates that a 10-to-45-day notice must be given for terminating individual, group, or HMO health insurance. For policies that are about to expire or will be canceled for non-payment of premiums, a 45-day notice is generally required, so that the insured has time to find other insurance coverage.
  
  

Mandated Coverage

• Florida mandates that insurance plans include certain coverage for things like mammograms, diabetes care, birthing center care and midwife services, as well as child wellness, so that children can receive the immunizations, hearing tests, and other preventive care they need. Podiatrist and chiropractic care are generally included in health insurance plans also. Although acupuncture is not mandated, in policies where it is covered, it must be handled just like traditional physician care.