Task Force Formed to Improve Citizens’ Services in Fla.

A 13-member joint task force has been created in Florida to recommend improvements in the operation of the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation which would improve customer service and returning policies to the private-sector insurance market. It will also address commission payments for agents placing business with Citizens.

The Task Force on Policyholder Services and Relations to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, will meet for the first time on Dec. 8, in Tallahassee. It is made up of representatives from the Florida Department of Financial Services, the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, the Florida Bankers Association, the Florida Association of Realtors, the Florida Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, the Professional Insurance Agents of Florida and the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies.

The goal of the task force, according to Tom Gallagher, Florida Chief Financial Officer, is to create a task force of stakeholders with the goal of making recommendations to Citizens that would improve its operations. Citizens is the state’s insurer of last-resort for homeowners who have been refused a policy from other insurance companies.

“Thousands of consumers have contacted the Department of Financial Services upset over delays in processing their insurance claims,” Gallagher said. “Though Citizens has made tremendous efforts during the storm recovery process, more is needed to eliminate delays and ensure claims are processed fairly and efficiently.”

Gallagher anticipates the task force will recommend ways to improve adjuster response times and reduce backlogs in damage assessments. He supports Citizens’ efforts to encourage private insurance companies to take policies out of the state’s insurer of last resort.

“Consumers deserve more choices when purchasing insurance and the key to greater availability of coverage is encouraging more companies to do business in Florida,” Gallagher said. “With more than 1,000 new residents coming to Florida every day, we must continue to search for ways to improve Floridians’ access to more affordable homeowners insurance.”

Task force members include: Pete Dunbar, chairman, Florida Department of Financial Services; Daniel Baptista, Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies; Skip Boylan, Florida Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors; Steve Burgess, Insurance Consumer Advocate; Karen Chandler, Florida Department of Financial Services; Carol Everhart, Professional Insurance Agents of Florida; John Fleming, Florida Association of Insurance Agents; Scott Johnson, Florida Association of Insurance Agents; Frank Kowalski, Florida Realtors Association; Ed London, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation; Susanne Murphy, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation; Ken Ritzenthaler, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation; and Hal Roberts, Florida Bankers Association.

Topics Florida Agencies A.J. Gallagher