Senate and House PIP proposals could be on a collision course

The House and Senate are deeply divided on the breadth of changes that need to be made to the state’s personal injury protection program.

Guest column: Donovan Brown … Stop PIP fraud in Florida NOW

Stop PIP fraud in Florida NOW As Florida drivers’ insurance rates continue to rise due to the state’s current no-fault system running rampant with fraud across the Sunshine State, we applaud the Florida Legislature for recognizing the need to transform the no fault system now and making it a priority this session.

Special interests collide in battle to overhaul Florida’s no-fault auto insurance

TALLAHASSEE — We couldn’t set the holiday table for an early Florida legislative session without a heaping helping of interest-group squabbling. And one of the most cash-fueled battles to christen the New Year will be over your auto insurance.

Matt Reed: Auto-insurance reforms should target fraud

This being Florida, the locals were bound to find ways to exploit or defraud our system of no-fault auto insurance, launched in the 1970s to curb exploitation and fraud.

Time to crack down on auto insurance fraud

Auto insurance fraud continues to soar in Florida over an epidemic of staged vehicle accidents, fake injuries, needless medical treatment and questionable claims. Sunshine State drivers pay the bill, which will amount to an estimated $658 million this year in higher premiums, according to the Insurance Information Institute. That figure is a whopping 122 percent …
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Being No. 1 No Cause to Celebrate

Ten years ago, Florida faced some of the highest worker-­compensation insurance rates in the country. Lax policies in state law resulted in widespread and costly fraud that hit businesses squarely in their pocketbooks.

Florida leaders demand insurers fork over fraud data

Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate Robin Westcott told Florida Cabinet members today that the first thing required to address automobile insurance fraud is to get more information from the insurance industry on where money its spends on claims is going, what medical treatments are being provided and how much attorneys’ fees for disputed claims cost.

Scott grilled on auto and home insurance

Gov. Rick Scott was grilled at a Sun Sentinel editorial board meeting today on a range of issues, including home and automobile insurance.

Banking & Insurance Committee Completes PIP Open Government Review

The Florida Senate’s Banking & Insurance Committee recently released its open government review relating to an exemption from public records law for certain information related to auto insurance policies.  Florida has broad public records laws that make most information in the hands of state government available to interested members of the public.  However, the Florida …
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Gov. Rick Scott eyes car policy change

Efforts to revise or even scrap Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system could lower insurance premiums for well-insured drivers, but could drive up the cost of bare-bones policies, industry experts said.

Consumer Advocate to Convene PIP Group

Robin Westcott, Florida’s recently named Insurance Consumer Advocate, has indicated she will create a working group to develop policy recommendations to address concerns in the Personal Injury Protection market. PIP fraud has received considerable attention over the last year, but efforts to address problems in this area stalled in the 2011 legislative session. In announcing …
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Auto insurance rates just keep on climbing

State Farm, Geico, Progressive and Allstate — the big four auto insurers in Florida — have been aggressively battling for your business on the airwaves, with each promising lower rates than the other guy.

Putting the brakes on auto insurance fraud

State should target insurance lawyers’ ‘special bounty’

Even if they enjoy the seemingly endless variety of cutesy television commercials advertising it, few Floridians really like paying the quarterly auto insurance bills that will soon show up in their mailboxes. At about $1,200 a year, Florida drivers pay more than people anywhere else in the Southeast.