Florida Citizens Property Insurance Committees Meet

 

Two Florida Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“Citizens”) Committees met this week.  Following are summaries of the Information Systems Advisory Committee (“ISAC”), which met via teleconference on December 2, 2014, and the Consumer Services Committee (“CSC”), which met December 3.

 

Information Systems Advisory Committee

Citizens’ ISAC meeting was called to order by Committee Chairman James Holton.  Following approval of the prior Committee meeting’s minutes, Citizens’ Chief of Systems and Operations Kelly Booten provided an update on Citizens’ CORE program, an ongoing project designed to hone the State-run insurer’s operations into a single platform.

Ms. Booten reported that the CORE will go live on December 8, 2014 for policies effective February 1, 2015 for all lines.  So far, the implementation has gone very well, she added.

To view the CORE update, which includes information about Citizens’ Personal Lines Account policy billing status to be implemented on December 8, click here.

Next, the Committee approved the following two action/consent items:

• Maintenance Support and Advisory Services for Citizens Insurance Suite
• Guidewire Contingent Support Services

The ISAC also was updated on Citizens’ Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”), a competitive solicitiation also relating to Citizens operations that was awarded to the Gartner Group in August 2014.  On-site workshops with Gartner are slated to conclude in early January 2015. 

Citizens’ Chief Information Officer Curt Overpeck provided an Information Technology (“IT”) update, after which the Committee approved two additional action/consent items:

• IT Technology Infrastructure, Software and Professional Services
• IT Technology Staff Augmentation Services

The meeting concluded with no new business discussed. 

To view the complete meeting materials, click here.

 

Consumer Services Committee

As part of the Consumer Services Committee agenda, Citizens’ ‎Vice President of Consumer and Agent Services Steve Bitar and Director of Market Services Adam Marmelstein provided an update on Citizens’ Clearinghouse, which was activated in January 2014 for new HO-3 business and recently phased in policies renewing in November 2014. 

They reported that 14 insurance companies currently participate in the Clearinghouse.  Meanwhile, Citizens has enhanced the offer letters that insurers are sending to Citizens policyholders to include an estimate of what their future premiums would be. 

Mr. Bitar also noted that an “encouragement letter” is now being sent out subsequent to the offer letter.  Beginning in February 2015, the encouragement letter will be sent prior to the offer letter. 

It was announced that Citizens will convene a Depopulation Working Group in January 2015 to review Clearinghouse concerns and assist in further implementation of the Clearinghouse.  Mr. Bitar stated that this Working Group will comprise various stakeholders, including the Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate, representatives from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (“OIR”), insurance agents and insurers.

In his discussion on depopulation, Mr. Marmelstein advised that the OIR has approved 1,032,388 takeouts and 286,947 policies have been assumed through November 18, 2014.

Citizens’ Vice President of Communications, Legislative and External Affairs Christine Ashburn reviewed Citizens’ social media efforts, which have grown since their initial rollout in January 2014.

To view the CSC meeting materials, click here.

 

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