Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
5th Earthquake This Month Strikes Near Alabama-Florida State Line
Mar 27 2019 // Another weak earthquake has struck near the Alabama-Florida state line. News outlets report it’s the fifth small quake in the area this month. There has been no damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said a...
MedMal Direct of Florida Appoints Dupre as VP of Claims
Mar 27 2019 // Jacksonville, Fla.-based MedMal Direct Insurance Co. has appointed Dan Dupre as vice president of Claims. Dupre succeeds Tim Bone, MedMal Direct’s co-founder and chief claims officer, who retired on Jan. 1, 2019....
Florida Insurtech HoneyQuote Rolls Out Real-Time Rating Engine, Adds Heritage to Platform
Mar 26 2019 // HoneyQuote.com has added a new carrier partner and launched its real-time rating engine, which lets Florida homeowners compare multiple home insurance quotes and purchase a policy online. The application is backed by...
BRP of Florida Appoints Galbraith as Chief Operating Officer
Mar 25 2019 // Baldwin Risk Partners (BRP), a Tampa-headquartered insurance distribution and consulting holding company, has appointed Dan Galbraith as chief operating officer. Galbraith joins BRP with more than 15 years’ of...
Florida CFO: More Than $40M Recovered for Insurance Consumers in 2018
Mar 22 2019 // More than $40.5 million was recovered for Florida insurance consumers in 2018, including $17.4 million recovered for Hurricane Michael victims, by the state’s Insurance Consumer Helpline, according to a statement...
9 Insurance Agency Start-Ups: Why and How They Set Out on Their Own
Mar 22 2019 // What motivates people to take a risk in an industry dedicated to managing risk? New independent agencies are born of various circumstances. Sometimes it’s about seizing an opportunity that comes along; other times,...
Main Street American Group Promotes Kusch, Listau in Florida
Mar 21 2019 // The Main Street America Group, a super-regional property/casualty insurance company, has announced the promotions of Jeff Kusch and Chris Listau to president roles of their respective divisions. Kusch, president of field...
Florida Insurance Agent Arrested in $16K Commission Fraud Scheme
Mar 20 2019 // A licensed insurance agent out of Orlando, Fla., was arrested this month for allegedly submitting fraudulent insurance applications to multiple carriers, according to a statement from Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis. Sheila De...
Researchers Aim to Spot a Liar Using Online Polygraph
Mar 19 2019 // Can you spot a liar? It’s tricky enough in face-to-face conversations that offer facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice because those physical cues add context. Spotting a liar gets even tougher in blind...
Commentary: How Florida AOB Crisis Is Impacting State’s Independent Agents
Mar 19 2019 // Florida’s “one-way attorney fee” statute enacted to protect Florida policyholders from large insurance companies has instead spawned a huge industry of assignment of benefits (AOB) predators who take...
Consumer Advocacy in an Age of Consumer, Insurer Options
Mar 18 2019 // Today’s Insurance Consumer Advocates Are Tackling Some New and Old Issues Years ago, insurance consumer advocates in the states were most often focused on getting consumers access to insurance at fair prices. They...
New Florida Anti-Fraud Initiative Seeks to Make State ‘Fraud Free’
Mar 18 2019 // Denouncing the state’s current ranking when it comes to consumer scams and insurance abuse, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis has announced a new initiative aimed at reducing fraud in the...
Florida Lawmakers Repeal Ban on Smokable Medical Marijuana
Mar 15 2019 // The Florida Legislature met Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ deadline to hand him a bill to repeal the state’s ban on smokable medical marijuana when the House passed the legislation Wednesday. While lawmakers...
Florida Governor Urges Lawmakers to Address AOB as Reforms Move Forward
Mar 15 2019 // Just over a week into the 2019 legislative session, insurance industry-supported bills aimed at reforming Florida assignment of benefits (AOB) abuse are making progress in the state legislature. Lawmakers in the Florida...
SPG Acquires Assets of Insurance Programs of America, Risk Advisors of America of Florida
Mar 15 2019 // Specialty Program Group LLC (SPG), an operator of specialty insurance brokerages and underwriting facilities, has acquired the assets of Insurance Programs of America, Inc. (IPOA), a boutique managing general underwriter,...
Industry Awaits Florida Supreme Court Decision on Post-Loss AOB Policy Language
Mar 14 2019 // As Florida lawmakers weigh reform for the state’s assignment of benefits crisis, the insurance industry and regulators are closely monitoring a case addressing post-loss policy language that is currently before the...
Insurance Office of America Hires 3 in Florida
Mar 14 2019 // Insurance Office of America (IOA) has added three new staff members to its offices in Florida. Michelle Newton joined the company’s office in Tampa. With nearly 20 years’ experience, Newton specializes in...
Florida Regulator to Hold Public Hearing on Citizens Rate Increase
Mar 13 2019 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) will conduct a rate hearing to receive public comment on the proposed rate changes from Citizens Property Insurance Corp. for its business in the Coastal Account (CA),...
Demotech: Expect 2018 Catastrophe Losses to Impact Florida-Based Insurers
Mar 12 2019 // After reviewing the year-end financial statements of the Florida-based carriers it rates, Ohio-based ratings agency Demotech is warning that many insurers could see underwriting and operating losses in their year-end...
Fix Assignments of Benefits Now
Mar 6 2019 // I recently received an email from a Florida “snow bird”. If you’re not familiar with the term, it refers to people who make their home in two places. In the warm months, they make their homes in northern...
