News & Updates

Travis Miller

Consumer Advocate Asks About Surplus Note Program

Consumer Advocate Asks About Surplus Note Program

Insurance Consumer Advocate Robin Westcott sent a letter to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation seeking additional information about several aspects of Citizens’ proposed surplus note program.  Her letter encourages Citizens to fully analyze the proposal to ensure that a cost-benefit analysis justifies the commitment of up to $350 million in surplus notes. The letter asks how Citizens […]

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PIP Filing Deadline Arrives

PIP Filing Deadline Arrives

Today marks the date auto insurers must submit their rate filings reflecting savings associated with reforms to Florida’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) laws.  The legislature enacted a series of changes to Florida’s PIP laws based upon concerns that fraudulent and inflated claims were leading to unsustainable rate increases for the coverage.  The legislation also tasked […]

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Citizens Sees Increased Demand for Policies

Citizens Sees Increased Demand for Policies

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has approved an additional 60,000 policies to be removed from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation in November 2012.  This is in addition to 150,000 policies previously approved for November assumption, and adds to the 84,339 policies already assumed during this calendar year. “One of the Office’s goals continues to be to support a […]

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Rate Hearing Provides Forum for Discussion of Citizens Rates

Rate Hearing Provides Forum for Discussion of Citizens Rates

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation held a public hearing today in Miami to seek additional information about Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s recommended rate filings and to allow interested parties to comment.  Florida law specifies that Citizens will submit actuarially sound rates, provided that no policyholders’ rates will go up by more than 10% (with […]

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Public Hearing on Citizens Rate Filings Today

Public Hearing on Citizens Rate Filings Today

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation  holds a public hearing today to discuss and receive input on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s proposed rate changs for its Coastal Account and Personal Lines Account (PLA).  The proposed statewide average rate increase for homeowners’ policies, including sinkhole coverage, are 11.1 percent for the Coastal Account and 12 percent for the Personal Lines Account. Sinkhole prone […]

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SBA Updates Status of FHCF

SBA Updates Status of FHCF

Speaking at this morning’s meeting of the Florida Cabinet, SBA Executive Director Ash Williams provided an update on the status of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.  Mr. Williams noted that the FHCF has $8.5 billion in cash on hand.  Nonetheless, the FHCF seeks to move forward with pre-event bond financing because, as pointed out by […]

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Citizens Eyeing Builders Risk

Citizens Eyeing Builders Risk

Citizens Property Insurance Corporation will take a look at the merits  of writing builders risk insurance certain coastal areas.  However,  advisors recommend that if Citizens resumes writing business risk, it should do so only where the coverage is unavailable from the private market “at any price.”  As a competing consideration, Citizens recognizes that if it is the only market for […]

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OIR Moving Forward with Penalty Rule Repeal

OIR Moving Forward with Penalty Rule Repeal

The Office of Insurance Regulation has decided to move forward with repealing the so-called “penalty rule” (69O-142.011 “Insurer Conduct Penalty Guidelines”) despite uniform support among industry representatives for keeping the rule, with appropriate revisions.  The existing rule categories many types of violations of the insurance code, informing the public and the insurance industry about the […]

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Citizens Weighs Important Decisions

Citizens Weighs Important Decisions

The coming weeks will be important ones for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation as it receives public feedback and considers both its 2013 rate levels and ideas for reducing its size.  This week the Office of Insurance Regulation will hold a public forum in Miami to allow interested parties to comment on Citizens’ recommended rates for […]

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OIR to Hold Hearing on Citizens Rates

OIR to Hold Hearing on Citizens Rates

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will hold a public hearing September 20 to discuss and receive input on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s proposed rate changs for its Coastal Account and Personal Lines Account (PLA).  These accounts include policies for personal residential insurance policies such as homeowners and mobile home owners’ policies. The proposed statewide average rate increase for homeowners’ policies, […]

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