In an effort to make Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. more sustainable in the future, lawmakers are now considering opening up the state-run insurance program to surplus carriers. Legislators believe that by allowing surplus insurers to participate, the program will go through a depopulation period as consumers take advantage of the wider variety in policies they have access to. Currently, the state-run program covers more than 1.5 million policyholders. With the program being so large, Governor Rick Scott believes that the only two solutions for sustainability lie in depopulating or…
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Citizens Property Insurance rate increase struck down by Florida’s Insurance Commissioner
Florida’s Insurance Commissioner has taken a bold stand against the state-run insurance company Citizens Property Insurance Corp. The insurer has been facing staunch opposition lately for a rate increase that will raise the rates of sinkhole coverage throughout the state by an average of 400%. Commissioner Kevin McCarty has ruled against the rate increase and now demands that the insurer make dramatic changes to their rate proposal. McCarty is keen to see the insurer propose new rates that are friendlier toward consumers. The insurer’s rate increase has been under investigation…
Read MoreMassive rate increases from Florida’s insurance program approved
Early this week, Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance proposed massive rate increases for sinkhole coverage. On average, policies would be impacted by an increase of 428% throughout the state. The proposal was seen as excessive by many consumer advocacy groups, but the insurers that make up the state-run program argue that higher rates are needed to combat fraud. Despite the best efforts of opponents, the proposals were passed as part of Senate Bill 408. Now that the new rates have been approved, Florida residents can expect to pay a lot more…
Read MoreCitizens Property Insurance of Florida proposes rate increases averaging 428% for sinkhole policies
Sinkholes have been quite troublesome in Florida recently. Earlier in the year, the state was inundated with insurance claims regarding damages caused by sinkholes. The majority of these claims, however, were fraudulent, as regulators discovered little to no evidence of sinkholes when investigating properties claiming to have suffered damage. The overwhelming number of falsified claims coming from property owners has caused many insurers to limit the extent of their coverage or otherwise raise the premiums associated with sinkhole insurance. Citizens Property Insurance, the state-funded insurance program, too will be raising…
Read MoreNew limitations on Florida sinkhole insurance imposed
Florida Governor Rick Scott has signed off on a bill that will change the state’s property insurance regulations. The bill was proposed several months ago and has been the subject of controversy since its introduction. Opponents of the bill call its provisions “anti-consumer.” State officials, however, say that the bill is a necessary measure to combat fraud. The Governor approved the law only six days after it arrived on his desk, drawing the ire of a number of consumer advocacy groups who stood in opposition of it. The new law…
Read MoreFlorida sinkhole damage is cause for change
Florida legislators have been struggling with property insurance reform for some time now. With insurers raising prices and the widespread accusations of fraud, specifically involving instances of sinkhole damage, the state has never been in such dire need of change, according to lawmakers. Fortunately, change is on the way as the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill that will address factors that are contributing to higher insurance costs as well as revitalize the state’s insurance market. The bill passed with an 85 to 33 vote. Lawmakers are representing the…
Read MoreFlorida Property Insurance Reform Underway
In Tallahassee Florida, the fight for the insurance reform could mean an expensive cost of millions of dollars to the concerned customers during the legislative session. According to the private insurance industry, Citizens Property Insurance – a government run company, should raise its rates to its customers as well as reduce the coverage for them since they cannot possibly compete with these. The state lawmakers are now considering this and it could lead to a rapid increase of payments for the residents of Tallahassee. Similar changes have been noted, such as…
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