TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (November 30, 2021) – The Personal Insurance Federation of
Florida (PIFF) today released its policy priorities for 2022. PIFF’s focus remains on
addressing challenges in the insurance marketplace, in order to lower rates, expand
choices and foster competition.
“The greatest challenges in Florida are rising rates in the property market,” said Michael
Carlson, president and CEO of PIFF. “These increases are caused largely by roofing
claims and litigation. In addition, recent Personal Injury Protection (PIP) repeal
proposals would disrupt a largely healthy auto insurance market, raising rates for
millions of drivers. We need to protect insurance consumers from unnecessary and
harmful rate increases.”
PIFF’s 2022 priorities include working to ensure a healthy and competitive insurance
marketplace that can continue to help communities recover and rebuild after every
storm. The health of the marketplace means looking out for automobile drivers as well,
which is why keeping the brakes on PIP repeal is atop the organization’s policy agenda.
“Last Session, Governor Ron DeSantis was right to veto a PIP repeal bill that would have
increased the cost of auto insurance for millions of Florida motorists who can least
afford rate increases,” added Carlson. “This coming Session, we hope Florida leaders
stay the course. Forcing Floridians to buy more auto insurance will increase the number
of uninsured drivers on the road.”
PIFF’s 2022 Legislative Focus: Fighting for a consumer-friendly marketplace.
Keeping the Breaks on the Repeal of PIP (Florida’s No-Fault Motor Vehicle Law)
PIFF members opposed legislation filed in 2021 that would have repealed the PIP
law and imposed a more expensive bodily injury insurance requirement, creating
a new, costly PIP-like medical payments coverage requirement, and made
permanent trial lawyer-friendly case law for determining third-party bad faith.
This legislation might be making a comeback, and PIFF strongly opposes the
concept. According to a report commissioned by the Florida Office of Insurance
Regulation (OIR), rates could increase for millions of Florida drivers by up to 77
percent for low-limits drivers who do not opt out of medical payments and 48
percent for those who do opt out of med PIP repeal legislation that was vetoed
by Governor DeSantis.
A 2021 industry study estimates that more than 20 percent of drivers in Florida,
or one in five vehicles on the road, is currently uninsured. This is caused in-part
by a lack of affordability; Florida has the fourth-highest average premium of any
state due to well-known PIP fraud and litigation abuse.
OIR stated that rates will increase if Florida moves to the mandatory bodily injury
system proposed last Session — data points to significant rate increases for
millions of drivers who buy low limits.
Property Insurance
PIFF members support efforts to continue to reign in property claims cost
increases and litigation, largely driven by a cottage industry of unscrupulous
roofers and other vendors as well as a coterie of trial lawyers who profit from
questionable lawsuits.
Property rates are rising by double digits, insurers are withdrawing from parts of
the Florida market, and Citizens Property Insurance Corporation continues to
grow at a dramatic pace. These are troubling signs for consumers, who have
fewer options for insurance and are paying more. The single greatest driver of
these costs is unnecessary litigation.
Data Privacy
PIFF members oppose the creation of a private cause of action and statutory
damages for violations of the proposed data privacy law. Given the highly
regulated nature of the financial services industry, PIFF believes there should be
an exemption from any data privacy law for entities regulated under the
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, or in the alternative, that any data privacy law must be
carefully tailored to cover only those entities who are in the business of collecting
and selling personal data.
Insurance Regulatory Reform
PIFF members support legislative measures such as the insurance “omnibus”
bills that will ease unnecessary regulatory burdens, enhance the customer
experience and make the insurance market more efficient and competitive.
Tort Reform
PIFF members support efforts to eliminate “phantom damages” in personal injury
lawsuits, provide fairness and balance in the area of third-party auto bad faith,
and add transparency and consumer protection provisions to litigation finance
loans.
Auto Glass Harvesting
PIFF members support efforts to address ongoing auto glass claims and
litigation abuse. Meaningful attorney fee reform would resolve this problem by
removing the incentive for bad actors to engage in unscrupulous conduct.
This week, the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida will sponsor and participate in
the Florida Chamber Annual Insurance Summit, where attendees will hear from industry
leaders and government officials on the state of insurance in Florida. Michael Carlson is
set to moderate a panel titled “The View from Citizens Property Insurance: Growth &
Litigation Environment.”
To learn more about the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida, visit PIFF.net.
About PIFF
The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida, Inc. (PIFF), is a leading voice for the
personal lines property and casualty insurance industry in Florida. PIFF represents
national insurance carriers and their subsidiaries, including many of the state’s top
writers of private passenger auto and homeowners multiperil insurance. Together, PIFF
members write more than $13 billion in premium in the state. PIFF advocates for a
healthy and competitive insurance marketplace for the benefit of Florida consumers.
Follow us @PIFFNews. Visit PIFF.net to learn more.