Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
One of Florida’s Worst Red Tides Finally Clears
Mar 6 2019 // Experts say the red tide that plagued Florida’s coastline for 15 months is one of the five worst toxic algae events in the state’s recorded history. State lawmakers from southwest Florida met with scientists on...
Death Toll Climbs After Tornadoes Strike Southeast
Mar 5 2019 // This photo shows debris in Lee County, Ala., after what appeared to be a tornado struck in the area Sunday, March 3, 2019. Severe storms destroyed mobile homes, snapped trees and left a trail of destruction amid weather...
AmWINS Completes Acquisition of The Flood Insurance Agency of Florida
Mar 5 2019 // AmWINS Group, Inc., a global distributor of specialty insurance products and services, has completed the acquisition of The Flood Insurance Agency (TFIA), a Florida-based managing general agency that specializes in private...
Florida CFO Launches ‘Fraud Free Florida’ Anti-Fraud Initiative
Mar 5 2019 // Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis has announced a new initiative aimed at reducing fraud in the state. According to a statement from the Florida Department of Financial Services, the “Fraud Free...
Aon Partners with Claim Central; Opens New Claims Center in Florida
Mar 4 2019 // Aon plc has established a strategic alliance with global insurtech firm Claim Central to digitize and streamline claim management capabilities and improve the customer experience through technology and services developed...
2 Fatal Tesla Crashes in Florida Trigger Federal Safety Investigations
Mar 4 2019 // U.S. authorities are investigating a fatal Tesla Inc. Model S crash in Florida last Sunday that killed the driver and caused a massive fire, the second fatal Tesla crash in the state this week being probed, the National...
Florida CFO Asks Public for Help in Catching Serial Arsonist
Mar 1 2019 // Florida officials are looking for assistance from residents of Lake County, Fla., in catching a suspected serial arsonist who is believed to be connected to multiple fires in the Umatilla area, according to a statement...
Will 7th Time Be the Charm? Industry Makes Big Push for AOB Reform in 2019
Feb 28 2019 // The push for assignment of benefits (AOB) reform in the 2019 Florida legislative session is in full swing, and the insurance industry and consumer advocates have pulled out all the stops to emphasize their contention that...
