In Ron DeSantis’s Florida, Insurers Are Making Millions While Policyholders Languish
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has received major campaign support from the insurance industry. No wonder — under his watch, legislation has made it harder for policyholders to sue exploitative insurance companies in the climate change–ravaged state.
The remains of a heavily damaged beachfront home are seen in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, a month after Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28 as a Category 4 hurricane. (Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)
In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Florida’s teetering property insurance market has emerged as a late campaign issue in the state’s closely watched gubernatorial race, as Republican governor Ron DeSantis tests the waters for a 2024 presidential bid.
Property insurance costs have nearly doubled under DeSantis, a major recipient of industry cash — and a little-noticed change to the state law governing “bad faith” insurance lawsuits pushed through by the governor and the GOP-controlled legislature this spring could make it harder than ever for homeowners now facing record levels of property damage to get a fair shake from their insurers.
Consumer advocates and attorneys say the recent property insurance overhaul, billed by DeSantis as a fix for skyrocketing premiums and unreliable coverage, instead amounted to an industry bailout — and that not only did the legislation fail to help homeowners, it will also effectively hamper their ability to sue insurers that wrongfully deny, delay, or underpay claims.
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