STATE OF EMERGENCY HURRICANE
Request an early refill of an existing prescription
Eligible insured residents can request an existing refill early without the usual too-soon restriction during a qualifying emergency window.
Read insurer refill guidance (opens in a new tab)The benefit
Refill before the storm disrupts access.
- At least, when eligible
- 30-day supply
- Authorization must remain
- Existing refill
- Covered prescription benefits
- Your plan
Provided by
Your pharmacy processes the refill and your health plan authorizes covered payment. The Office of Insurance Regulation oversees the requirement for plans it regulates.
How to get it
Ask for an emergency early refill
- Ask your pharmacy to confirm authorized refills remain on the prescription.
- Request an emergency early refill and have the pharmacy check your plan and the current emergency window.
- If rejected as too soon, ask about resubmitting under section 252.358 or contact your insurer.
This does not create a prescription. Residency, plan coverage and remaining refills matter; copays and other policy terms still apply. Qualifying county triggers can include a hurricane warning or an activated emergency operations center and plan.
Requirements, declaration & official sources
Declared Florida counties · confirm your county and personal eligibility
For OIR-regulated health insurers and managed-care plans, the law requires coverage for at least a 30-day supply when authorized refills remain, regardless of the last refill date. Other policy terms and copays still apply.
Eligibility concerns the insured person's residence, prescription and plan. A saved property address does not prove that the member lives there or that their plan is covered.
An emergency order is one trigger; a National Weather Service hurricane warning or an activated county emergency operations center and emergency plan can also trigger the law.
Ask your pharmacy now; the window depends on the emergency trigger and current OIR orders. The October 7 OIR notice says the mandate remains until the executive order is rescinded or expires; check later notices for extensions or changes.
This covers an early fill of an existing prescription. It does not create a new prescription or a cash benefit.
EO 26-202 · amended by EO 26-211 · Initial expiration: December 5, 2026 · a renewal or rescission can change this
Declared counties
- Baker
- Bay
- Calhoun
- Citrus
- Columbia
- Dixie
- Escambia
- Franklin
- Gadsden
- Gilchrist
- Gulf
- Hamilton
- Holmes
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Lafayette
- Leon
- Levy
- Liberty
- Madison
- Okaloosa
- Santa Rosa
- Suwannee
- Taylor
- Wakulla
- Walton
- Washington
