DAVIE, Fla. (CBS12) — Governor Ron DeSantis touted falling insurance rates and what he called “real savings” for Florida homeowners and drivers at a news conference Monday.

DeSantis said Florida’s insurance system had become unsustainable before lawmakers intervened, noting that the state accounted for just 8% of homeowners’ insurance claims nationwide but nearly 80% of all related litigation costs.

He said Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties generated the most claims, even in years without a major hurricane strike.

“Those litigation abuses were driving up costs for everyone,” DeSantis said.

Homeowners insurance reforms

Since the state overhauled homeowners, condo, and auto insurance laws in 2025, DeSantis said competition has returned to the market:

• 17 new homeowners’ insurance companies have entered Florida
• 83 rate-decrease filings are scheduled to take effect in January 2026
• 100 filings requested no rate increase, including major insurer Florida Peninsula
• The average 30-day rate request is down 2.3%, while rates continue to rise nationally, according to the governor

Several insurers are already showing notable reductions:

• Florida Peninsula: 8.2% average decrease
• Security First (62,000 homes): 8% average decrease
• Universal Property & Casualty: 5.1% average decrease

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Auto insurance savings and refunds

DeSantis also highlighted declines in auto insurance premiums:

• The top five auto insurers have cut premiums by an average of 6.5%
• Over the past year, 42 auto insurers filed for rate decreases, with most coming in the last six months

Examples cited at the news conference include:

• USAA: 7% average decrease for 268,000 drivers
• Florida Farm Bureau: 8.7% average decrease
• Progressive: 8% average decrease for nearly 1 million drivers
• State Farm: 10.1% average decrease — its third reduction in two years
• AAA: Three reductions over the past year totaling 15%
• Allstate: Average $5 decrease for about 13,000 drivers

Impact beyond insurance

DeSantis said lower insurance costs are also affecting rideshare drivers. According to the governor, Uber’s costs in Florida are now lower than in the rest of the country, with fares averaging 6% less than in 49 other states. Since March 2025, he said, Floridians have saved tens of millions of dollars, while drivers are taking home more money.

Citizens Insurance sees historic drop

Calling it the “biggest news of the day,” DeSantis pointed to dramatic changes at Citizens Property Insurance, the state-run insurer of last resort.

• At its peak, Citizens insured 1.3 million policies
• That number is now below 400,000, the lowest in 14 years

Citizens policyholders statewide are expected to see an average 8.7% rate reduction, with even larger savings in South Florida:

• Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties: 13.4% average reduction
• Palm Beach County: 26,000 homeowners averaging an 11.9% decrease

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky stated that Florida’s insurance environment had become the most challenging in the world due to excessive litigation.

“When you talk about suing your insurer, the money spent on those claims and lawsuits comes out of the pockets of policyholders,” Yaworsky said. “It was an expense Florida could not afford.”

State officials added that by the end of 2025, about $40 million had been returned to policyholders in cases where regulators determined customers were owed more than they initially received.

DeSantis said the reforms are working but stressed the state will continue monitoring the market to ensure insurers pass savings along to consumers, particularly in South Florida, where rates were once among the highest in the nation.