Soon after taking the gavel as President of the Florida Senate, Ben Albritton, whose district includes parts of DeSoto County, put property insurance companies on notice.
“I want to make sure that impacted Floridians and insurance companies hear me loudly and clearly,” Albritton said in his opening remarks, “we are watching.”
In the wake of Hurricane Ian, the Florida legislature passed a series of reforms to try to stabilize Florida’s property insurance marketplace.
That included limits on customer’s ability to sue their insurance provider, along with transparency requirements for companies.
While he did not offer specific reforms, he did say it’s important to know the legislature is paying attention.
“I’m not going to sit idly by if legitimate claims get denied while rates continue to rise,” Albritton said.
Earlier this year, several insurance companies announced rate decreases.
Though, on average, Florida residents pay the highest premiums in the country.
On the House side, incoming speaker Danny Perez said he’s also looking to hold insurance companies accountable.
Consumer advocate Doug Quinn, President of the American Policyholder Association, says he welcomes the tough talk.
“We are cautiously optimistic about the remarks that were made,” Quinn said. “We hope they are truly going to hold the insurance industry accountable. It’s long overdue in Florida.”
