Property insurance rules approved
Even as lawmakers put the last touches on solutions to address the crumbling property insurance market during this week's special legislative session, industry analysts and experts questioned whether the reforms will go far enough to convey immediate and meaningful benefits for consumers.
Some of the doubts were voiced from within the ruling
Homeowners shouldn't expect any relief to their premiums until at least 2023, state Sen.
The package of measures pushed through by the Legislature include an attempt to demystify insurance industry data while setting aside money for reinsurance for insurers as well as incentives for homeowners to make storm-related improvements.
Yet Boyd could not guarantee that the measures would reduce rates – or increase them. He did single out improvements in provisions within the legislation to limit attorney fees in certain circumstances and mandate that roof contractors who solicit homeowners to notify them about deductible requirements.
"We absolutely believe that with the solicitation reform, the legal fee reform and the other components in this bill, there will be relief. I can't tell you what that is," Boyd said Tuesday. "Sadly, it's going to take ... probably a year to 18 months to filter through the rate-making process for the balance of the relief that this bill will bring."
Other measures to freeze rates or offer homeowners relief left out
Attempts by other lawmakers to freeze rates or enact more swift relief for homeowners did not pass, however.
"It's not going to end the crisis we're facing," he said.
A major part of the proposal includes a
"Even if you were holding on by your fingernails, if you wanted to participate in the program, you have to go back and show the benefit to the consumer," said Caple Howden, who runs an
Friedlander was not convinced that the proposal will ultimately restore a diverse field of insurers offering lower-cost coverage, although it will keep companies in the marketplace and not further drive competition down.
"The intent is to keep some companies viable so they won't lose their ratings and be liquidated," Friedlander said. "This is not intended as a savings program."
Separate roof deduction
on insurance policies greeted
with skepticism
Another proposal sought to offer homeowners another avenue to reduce their rates, by giving them the option of a separate roof deductible of up to 2% or 50% of the cost to replace their roof. But this alternative offered only the appearance of a rate reduction by trading in a lower premium for less coverage and a higher deductible, said
"It's not a good idea to reduce coverage and make it more difficult to enforce the policy in exchange for lower rates," Boggs said.
One reform that could be viewed as a step in the right direction may have unintended impacts, others said.
In the package of changes being sent to Gov.
"That's a significant benefit for our clients across the state," Howden said.
That much seems like a win for consumers.
But Friedlander said this part of the legislation may prove to be a "double-edged sword." While this would keep homeowners from losing their insurance solely over roof age, he said, insurance companies could consider this requirement as an increase in risk, and in turn raise premiums to offset exposure.
"When you mandate insurers to write coverage that they consider high risk, it could lead to two outcomes: broad rate increases or the decision to stop writing business in the state," Friedlander said. "Either scenario leads to higher costs of home insurance for Floridians.
Crackdown on insurance litigation gets support from lawmakers
There are mixed reviews of how the changes will affect insurance-related litigation across
The limits placed on attorneys fees will hurt the consumer because it will make it more difficult for the homeowners to find a lawyer willing to take on their claim case, Boggs said. Plus, a rule that requires a homeowner to establish that an insurer has breached the contract in order to make a bad faith claim puts the consumer at "a significant disadvantage," she said.
"In any other context, when you're looking at an industry with a high instance of litigation, you would say there's something wrong there," Boggs said.
Boggs added it "feels like we're in a dystopia" since the blame for the industry's woes is placed on the consumer, and that the bad faith measure is "incentivizing bad behavior."
On the other hand, Howden said the court-related measures benefit the consumer because insurance companies won't be on the hook for unanticipated attorneys fees.
"If companies are faced with these astronomic cost drivers, they would not be able to operate," he said. That in turn causes premiums to increase.
What's else is missing in insurance legislative reforms?
Some experts say certain measures weren't addressed in the package, besides rate freezes that would have immediately injected stability in costs for homeowners.
The state's Chief Financial Officer
Plus, there was no specific legislation focused on
Nor did the Legislature include any proposals that targeted the number of claims filed or discourage lawsuits over unpaid claims.
Even so, Patronis and other state officials and insurance industry leaders applauded the legislation and the governor in news release sent out Monday by the
"I applaud the Legislature for proposing to expand and bolster the Home Hardening priority through the
Howden said more could have been done to address fraud. While the legislation requires that homeowners are explicitly notified that they must pay the deductible for claims on roof damage and can't have contractors reimburse the deductible, it does not stop the door-to-door solicitation.
The insurance industry also has sought to target roof contractors who scour neighborhoods for clients, offer to take over their clients' claims and, if not paid out, sue the insurance company.
"That has to stop. We need to make sure that gets done in a very expedient manner," Howden said.
Florida will extend Medicaid coverage for new mothers to a full year following childbirth [Miami Herald]
Fears mount that many insurers might not be financially prepared for hurricane season, despite reforms [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
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