Property insurance should be a priority for lawmakers – Orlando Sentinel

When evaluating the performance of their elected officials, many voters look up their positions on the issues Floridians care about most, and track politicians’ votes. There are other measures, however, that aren’t as easy to track but at least as important: Are leaders just saying what they think Floridians want to hear, or do they really  care? Have they made the effort to talk to experts, study the numbers, gather testimony and file legislation? How willing are they to buck against their own party’s leadership when a significant problem is crying out for a solution?

Because it’s easy for a politician to say they support clean water, or consumer protection, or public safety, or government integrity. It’s just as easy to vote “yes” on bills that pretend to solve a problem — even if they would actually make it worse.

That’s why it was so disappointing to hearthis session — despite the fact that Florida’s average homeowner or business policy costs roughly three times the national average. This is the most expensive state in the nation for property insurance.

This is Florida, so things can always get worse. For those premiums — which can top $10,000 for a relatively modest house in a coastal county — Floridians usually have less coverage and higher deductibles. As a bonus, everyone has fewer rights.

The state Legislature last took this on in 2021 and 2022, crafting “reforms” they claimed would bring down rates. Instead, they went up, and up, and up.

Albritton said last week that the 2021-22 laws need more time to work, comparing insurance to other market forces that control consumer goods, food and other necessities. “Why would I tinker with that? Why would I advocate tinkering with that?” Albritton said.

Here’s the problem with that line of thinking: There’s plenty of evidence that the reforms are working exactly as planned. Those “new” laws make it far more difficult to find attorneys who can navigate the allowable restrictions on the average insurance policy. They have less time to file claims — while the deadlines for insurance companies to respond have increased. The deck is now so stacked against consumers that 47% of all homeowners’ claims were closed with no payout at all in 2024, when hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton raked the state. That’s a dramatic increase in, denials from 2023.

Policy holders can appeal those denials — but under the most recent laws, insurance companies don’t have to repay attorney’s fees even when they are found to have wrongly denied a claim. That might explain why 90% of denial appeals in Florida are turned down.

Albritton also points out that Florida law puts limits on insurance companies’ profitability. But insurance companies have many ways to hide cash while justifying higher rates.

This is a problem. Bigger than a problem, really: This is a genuine crisis, one that is already forcing Floridians to walk away from homes where they planned to raise their families, or thought of as their eternal retirement haven. It’s leaving small business owners with their dreams in splinters, ruined inventory they can’t replace or damaged premises they can’t afford to repair.

What are lawmakers doing instead? They’re looking at bills that would make it illegal to treat teenagers for sexually transmitted diseases without parental consent. They’re considering measures that would make it easier for developers to bulldoze over local government officials. And some legislative leaders are intent on rushing through reckless property-tax reductions that would gut the flow of funding to cities and counties.

When is the last time you heard one of your friends and neighbors describing any of these issues as something the state needs to address?

Here’s the other thing, President Albritton: There are bills available that might help. But two of the best, both sponsored by Orlando Democrats, haven’t even been assigned to any committees. SB 128, sponsored by Sen. LaVon Bracy-Davis, would give property owners the right to have a qualified inspector evaluate their roof before a claim is denied. Sen. Carlos Guillermo-Smith has offered SB 320, which would let the public see some of the financial data that insurance companies use to support their requests for rate increases.

It may be that the Senate president made his declaration after realizing that there was no appetite among legislators for passing meaningful property insurance reform. Here’s the problem with that logic: Without hearings and news coverage, those legislators are unlikely to hear from their constituents — who usually think of insurance rates as an issue between them and their insurance carrier, never considering the degree of scale-thumbing Florida law allows insurers to get away with. A little more exposure would probably have amplified the calls for help.

Over the session and a half of his presidency, Albritton has provided steady leadership that emphasizes collegiality. And he should be praised for occasionally using the Senate s a brake against some of the wilder, more harmful ideas swirling around Tallahassee. But there are times when the only thing left to do is take a stand. Too many Floridians are being driven to desperation by skyrocketing premiums. They need help. That should be a priority for any politician.

 

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Executive Editor Roger Simmons and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Use insight@orlandosentinel.com to contact us.