Need property insurer? Get free referral help
Published: Friday, August 21, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 4:36 p.m.
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is encouraging its policyholders, as well as anyone having difficulty finding property insurance, to shop wisely for the best policy to meet their needs. The Florida Market Assistance Plan is a free referral service designed to match consumers with licensed agents and insurers who are actually writing new business in Florida.
FMAP’s online service uses a computer application that stores property characteristics and contact information about consumers looking for coverage for their property in Florida. The application matches those seeking coverage with participating licensed Florida agents who have indicated they have private market carriers who can write a policy.
The matching agent(s) or insurer(s) then call the consumer to determine eligibility and provide an offer. FMAP has more than 1,000 registered agents to review requests and offer coverage if available.
Historically, FMAP has been very successful in placing customers in the private market. In 2008, more than 4,100 policies representing $771.2 million of exposure were placed in the private market through FMAP, and we expect even better results for the current year.
For more information, consumers should visit www.FMAP.org.
Joe Bouthillier
Tallahassee
The author is Director of Agent Services & Personal Lines Underwriting at state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp.