Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier today hosted a conference call with insurance company executives to confirm that companies are prepared to meet Floridians’ needs following Hurricane Irma.
CFO Patronis said, “Florida’s decade-long hurricane-free streak offered the insurance industry years to prepare, to build reserves, and to update technology. Florida’s policyholders fully expect that the insurance companies they entrust to protect their homes will be there during their time of need, and we’ll do everything possible to protect Florida’s policyholders throughout the entire post-storm process.”
Insurance Commissioner Altmaier said, “Consumer protection is our number one priority as Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida. The Office is dedicated to constantly monitoring the financial health of insurers, and in the coming days, we will be available around the clock to address any insurer issues.”
Nearly 50 insurance company representatives were invited to participate in today’s call. Topics included: post-storm claims reporting, the availability of insurance adjusters, and homeowners’ abilities to file claims when traditional communication lines are down.
CFO Patronis confirmed that there are nearly 200,000 individuals currently licensed to adjust hurricane damage claims in Florida. Insurance companies can appoint (contract with) these adjusters to ensure adequate post-storm availability. CFO Patronis today stressed that insurance companies must be prepared and have an appropriate number of adjusters on staff to meet consumers’ post-storm needs.
Following the full impact of Hurricane Irma, insurance companies will be required to report daily claims information.
To help consumers with the filing of insurance claims when traditional telephone and Internet lines may be down, the Department of Financial Services has engaged in initial conversations to host an on-site insurance village following the storm’s landfall. Date and location will be determined by the future track and ultimate landfall of the storm.
Consumers who have questions about policy coverages or need help filing a claim can call Florida’s free Insurance Consumer Helpline, run by the Department of Financial Services, at 1-877-693-5236.
Commissioner David Altmaier
Commissioner Altmaier Welcomes New Chief of Staff to the Office of Insurance Regulation
Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Yaworsky as the new Chief of Staff for the Office of Insurance Regulation (Office) effective Monday, July 24, 2017.
“Mr. Yaworsky has a wide range of experience serving in state government positions both in Florida and Georgia. This public service background combined with his exceptional leadership abilities will be a tremendous asset to the Office. I look forward to his counsel and on working with him to implement strategies to bolster the administrative and operational functions of the Office,” stated Commissioner Altmaier.
Since 2015, Mr. Yaworsky served as Legal Counsel for the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, where he was responsible for advising the Commissioner and senior staff on policy decisions and performing administrative, regulatory and litigation duties associated with the legal unit. He also served as General Counsel for the Office of President Pro Tempore in the Georgia Senate from 2013 – 2015.
Mr. Yaworsky has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Florida State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. He has been a member of the Georgia Bar since 2014.
Statement from Commissioner David Altmaier on passage of HB 1421
Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier issued the following statement:
“I applaud the Florida House of Representatives for their favorable vote on HB 1421 today, and I am especially grateful to Representative James Grant, the bill sponsor, and Representative Rene Plasencia, the prime co-sponsor. This legislation makes significant progress in protecting Florida consumers from homeowners insurance rate increases fueled by rising litigation costs associated with an Assignment of Benefits (AOB). We appreciate the support and efforts of the entire Florida Legislature as they considered this legislative priority of the Office of Insurance Regulation during the 2017 Session.”
For more information about this issue, visit the Office’s “Assignment of Benefits Resources” webpage.
Office of Insurance Regulation Consumer Alert
Florida NFIP Policyholders Have 60 More Days to File A
Proof of Loss Associated with Hurricane Matthew Claims;
Proof of Loss Extension Associated with Hurricane Hermine Claims Has Expired
At the request of Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted another extension giving National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders in Florida an additional 60 days to file a complete, signed, and sworn proof of loss in support of their insurance claim for flooding damages associated with Hurricane Matthew. Typically, NFIP policyholders have 60 days to file a proof of loss with their insurance company following the initial date of loss. With this latest extension, Florida NFIP policyholders will have received a total of 180 days to file a proof of loss for damage caused by Hurricane Matthew.
On Tuesday, January 31, 2017, the proof of loss extension for claims associated with Hurricane Hermine officially expired. However, policyholders who experienced flood damage from this storm should continue working with their flood insurance company. As soon as possible, these policyholders should also take action to complete the proof of loss with all supporting documentation related to their flood claim and submit it to their flood insurance company.
For more information and resources about filing a flood insurance claim with the NFIP, visit www.floodsmart.gov or the Office’s “Hurricane Season Resources” webpage. A copy of the FEMA bulletin for this extension can be accessed here.
About the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has primary responsibility for regulation, compliance and enforcement of statutes related to the business of insurance and the monitoring of industry markets. For more information about the Office, please visit www.floir.com or follow us on Twitter @FLOIR_comm and Facebook.
