Insurance

An Inside Climate News analysis shows the state’s insurance crisis is hitting hardest in the disadvantaged counties of Florida’s agricultural heartland. Residents here, in large part, are bearing the burden themselves.

New census data show Florida children are becoming more uninsured. Many lost their insurance and still need it for chronic illnesses.

Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky last week signed orders that would allow five private insurers to assume up to 87,925 policies from Citizens in November and December.

On "The Florida Roundup," Pinellas County's Jeff Brandes said he believes growth and competition in the property insurance market will help drive down costs.

While wealthy coastal counties bear the brunt of landfalling storms, poor residents in inland counties are navigating an even bleaker insurance market that leaves them at risk of no coverage.

The Legislature in 2022 set up two programs to help property insurers set up critical backup programs. A measure signed into law last week essentially put money back in the state’s coffers.

Cumulatively, the last 10 quarterly reports show rate increases of about 30% statewide and 40% in Central Florida since 2022.

The measure includes issues that are similar to those in human health care. For example, insurers will be required to disclose whether policies exclude coverage for such things as chronic and preexisting conditions.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we featured two reports from the podcast Sea Change, from WWNO/WRKF in Louisiana. WLRN's Jenny Staletovich explored how hotter oceans are affecting the mahi. Then, WUSF's Jessica Meszaros examined the rising cost of climate risk on Florida's home insurance market. After, we spoke with Jenny and Jessica about their reporting.

People coming to Florida from up north must also deal with the effects of recent storms and increasing insurance costs.

More than 10 years of catastrophic hurricanes in the United States has led to an insurance crisis of sorts, especially in hurricane prone states. Florida Storms digital meteorologist Leslie Hudson has more.

The hospital system's report to the SEC estimates the cost of damage at facilities due to hurricanes Helene and Milton in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.