One investigative journalist, Brianna Sacks, of the Washington Submit, has uncovered and uncovered extra corruption by Florida insurance coverage corporations than all of the state paid for insurance coverage investigators and regulators whose job it’s to guard Floridians from such conduct. The article, Insurers Slashed Hurricane Ian Payouts Far Beneath Harm Estimates, Paperwork and Insiders Reveal, might trigger many to say, “have a look at all of the claims corruption by Florida insurance coverage corporations. That is outrageous!” The unhappy query raised by the article is:
Why are Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican politicians behind and supporting each legislation desired and written by these corrupt insurance coverage corporations ripping off Floridians?
The article particularly famous that Florida Republican politicians are doing nothing after getting the surprising details about insurance coverage corporations committing fraud towards their very own prospects:
Asking lawmakers to take motion
Over the previous 12 months, Florida Republicans referred to as two particular legislative classes centered on the state’s insurance coverage trade and handed extra legal guidelines that additional defend and insulate property insurance coverage carriers, largely on the expense of householders. Two main trade wins embody funneling $1 billion in taxpayer cash right into a reinsurance fund and stopping carriers from having to pay policyholders’ attorneys’ charges after they sue.
On the December session, Lee, Mandell, Vinson and different adjusters joined residents in talking out towards the laws. Their testimony was coated by Insurance coverage Journal.
After Mandell accused insurance coverage carriers of fraudulent habits that’s ‘extra widespread than any of us may have imagined,’ state Rep. Bob Rommel (R), the chair of the Commerce Committee, requested the group of adjusters to return to his workplace later with that data ‘to ensure the legal professional common and [Office of Insurance Regulation] takes care of that.’
They did. And in accordance with 4 individuals current, Rommel requested to see proof and advised the group, ‘If that is actually occurring, this must be taken care of,’ Lee recalled. Vinson had introduced a flash drive with dozens of information to point out, however the consultant stated it was not secure for a authorities pc.
The subsequent day, Dec. 14, Mandell emailed Rommel’s workplace with the proof the lawmaker requested, together with a file of 4 paperwork displaying how his estimate of $40,468.54 of injury was revised to point out $2,658. ‘You’ll be aware that they left my title on this bogus estimate,’ the adjuster wrote within the e mail, obtained by The Washington Submit.
In an e mail, Rommel advised The Submit that the adjusters got here to his workplace with ‘no proof. Informed them the door was open if they may produce the proof.’ After a number of emails from The Submit, Rommel’s workplace stated that it had forwarded the adjuster’s e mail to the state’s chief monetary officer, Jimmy Patronis, and that Patronis’s workplace will contact Mandell.
‘We have now requested the CFO’s workplace to maintain us within the loop,’ a spokesperson for Rommel stated. The CFO’s workplace stated in a press release that it has obtained the knowledge from Rommel, met with the property house owners from the report and that ‘an investigation is at the moment open and ongoing.’
After all, nothing was carried out.
This isn’t a brand new drawback that the Washington Submit uncovered. I’ve famous many cases of those corrupt claims practices, corresponding to in Why Are Property Insurance coverage Claims Being Underpaid and Impartial Disaster Adjusters Leaving the Subject?, and Do Impartial Property Claims Adjusters Want Extra Authorized Safety From Unethical Managers. So, why isn’t one thing being carried out to cease it?
Florida’s insurance coverage trade apparently controls Florida’s Republican management. Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, dictates what the Republican management is to do. He has and is at the moment supporting insurance coverage corporations and new legal guidelines that take away protections for atypical people who’re abused by the wrongful claims practices of their insurance coverage firm.
To me, this can be a unhappy state of affairs. For readers not acquainted with my politics, I’m a registered Republican and was a member of the Republican Governor’s Affiliation. Holding wrongdoers accountable for his or her illegal actions and abuse is a core conservative worth that appears to be forgotten in the case of the intense quantities of lobbying cash which will be raised by the insurance coverage trade. Florida Republican management is misplaced and misguided on these points involving insurance coverage firm misconduct. Nothing is being carried out to cease the abuse as a result of Florida’s Republican leaders are on the incorrect aspect. They’re supporting legal guidelines making it simpler and extra worthwhile for insurance coverage corporations to do that.
I shall be on the Win The Storm convention this week. One of many panels I shall be on options Republican Florida Legal professional Common Ashley Moody. I’m sure that the subject of prosecuting insurance coverage firm claims managers and corporations for one of these conduct shall be raised. Hope to see you there. We will study what her ideas are about this abuse and what she intends to do about it.
Thought For The Day
Journalism is the safety between individuals and any type of totalitarian rule. That’s why my hero, admittedly a flawed one, is a journalist.
—Andrew Vachss
