assignment of benefits (AOB) News

First Florida Bill Addressing AOB Introduced for 2017 Session

Florida now has legislation backed by the top Florida insurance regulator and the industry that promises to curtail homeowners insurance abuse under the assignment of benefits (AOB) feature. Senate Bill 1038, filed Feb. 17 by State Sen. Dorothy Hukill and …

Heat Is on Florida Lawmakers to Fix Assignment of Benefits Crisis

Florida’s insurance industry will apply significant pressure on lawmakers to pass assignments of benefit (AOB) reform in the upcoming legislative session as consumers face rate increases and a looming coverage availability crisis due to serious and costly abuse of the …

Florida’s AOB Abuse by the Numbers: ‘Alarming Trend’ Reaches Crisis Point

Assignment of benefits abuse has escalated over the last five years to the point where it is now a serious disruption to Florida’s insurance market. The abuse, which is especially rampant in South Florida, stems from unscrupulous contractors and attorneys …

Demotech Suspends Florida Insurer Rating Criteria; Says Downgrades Coming

Recent Florida Supreme Court decisions and ongoing abuse in Florida’s insurance market have led a ratings company to change the criteria it uses when rating insurers in the state. The announcement comes as insurers get ready to announce their 2016 …

Top Florida Stories of 2016: The AOB ‘Insurance Crisis’

Assignment of benefits abuse has become such a well-known problem in the state of Florida this year that it now just goes by the nickname “AOB.” The issue with AOB comes from when a policyholder suffers a loss, such as …

Florida’s Citizens to Lawmakers: AOB Reform Must be Passed in 2017

Florida lawmakers can expect substantial pressure to tackle the assignment of benefits (AOB) and water loss claims crisis from the state’s insurer of last resort when Florida’s legislative session begins early next year. At a governing board meeting Wednesday, leaders …

Hurricane Matthew May Be Gone, But Insurance Industry’s Work is Just Starting

It’s been nearly a week since Hurricane Matthew ravaged the Southeast coast but the insurance industry’s job of responding to the devastation and assessing the total cost of damage from the storm is just beginning. With flood waters still rising …

Citizens Warns Florida Policyholders of AOB Scams in Wake of Hurricane Matthew

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is urging its policyholders to call Citizens first to report losses following Hurricane Matthew in order to protect themselves from assignment of benefit (AOB) scams, according to a statement from the company. “Citizens is ready to …

Hurricane Matthew More Hype Than Bite So Far But Insurers, Agents Remain on Alert

While Hurricane Matthew rages along Florida’s coast, with the end potentially still hours away, the insurance industry seems to be breathing a sigh of relief, thus far. As of Friday morning, Matthew seemed to have spared South Florida major damage …

Florida Regulators Approve Rate Increase for Citizens Policyholders

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approved a 6.4 percent overall rate increase for 2017 for Citizens Property Insurance Corp. homeowners’ multiperil policyholders across the state. According to Citizens, the increase is necessary to address what it calls a disturbing …