Florida Governor Scott Talks Insurance Fraud in State of State Speech

In the annual State of the State address opening Florida legislative session, Gov. Rick Scott highlighted automobile insurance while remaining mum on the future of the state’s property insurance underwriter, Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

In a half-hour speech before the legislature, Scott said he is “open to any idea from whatever source that is likely to improve the lives of Floridian.” He even went as far as saying he listens to “my close friends in the media.”

On the insurance front, Scott confined his remarks to reforming automobile personal injury protection insurance, where he said fraud and abuse are estimated to cost Floridians $900 million.

“These costs are being driven up every day all along around the state by scams that are ultimately paid for by Florida’s workers’ families,” said Scott. “It is the consumers in our state that we must protect, not trial lawyers or those involved in these schemes. Floridians cannot afford another year of this fraud and abuse or the cost that will come with it.”

Absent from Scott’s comments was any mention of Citizens, which has been a central topic over the past year. The governor has floated proposals calling for the privatizing of the state-run insurer and has been seeking ways to make it less competitive with the private market.

Find this article here:  http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2012/01/11/230715.htm