Hurricane Ian places more strain on Florida’s insurance crisis

Hurricane Ian - A hurricane over Florida

Last week’s massive storm could prove to be among the most expensive in the country’s history. It remains too early to know precisely how much damage Hurricane Ian left behind as measured in dollars, but experts from Enki Research expect that the massive storm will likely have caused between $30 billion and $60 billion in damages and economic losses. The storm struck the west coast of Florida at 150 miles per hour and smashed its way through the state. The insurance industry currently predicts that it will face losses of…

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Private insurance companies to begin participating in Louisiana’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp

Private insurers are getting ready to start taking over Louisiana’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. The state-run insurance agency has fared well in the past four years, experiencing periods of growth throughout 2007 and 2008. The state’s Department of Insurance is looking to “depopulate” the program, however, in an attempt to lower insurance rates for the majority of policyholders. To this end, regulators are inviting private insurance companies to begin selling policies through Citizens. Regulators believe that these policies will bring higher quality service to consumers. Part of the success behind…

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Florida to build an independent insurance exchange exclusively for small business

Amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the federal health care laws, Florida has opted to take its own approach on a mandated insurance marketplace. The law requires that all states have a working health insurance exchange in place by 2014. The exchanges are meant to be an online insurance marketplace where consumers can find affordable policies. Florida stood in opposition for the federal health care law since it was passed in 2010, and state legislators have expressed their discontent for the exchange initiative in the past. Now, the state is attempting to…

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Study shows employer-sponsored health insurance is becoming more costly, maybe due to federal insurance mandate

A new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit health care organization, has uncovered a startling trend concerning the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance. The study shows that the cost of health insurance for employers has been rising at a rapid pace this year, which runs contrary to reports citing moderate increases to insurance rates. Exactly why rates are currently soaring to new heights is unknown, but researchers from the foundation speculate that it may be due to the federal insurance mandate which requires all people to have health…

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Oregon Senate approves board nominees to oversee the state’s health insurance exchange

Oregon has advanced closer to establishing its own health insurance exchange as the state’s Senate approves of nine people to serve as board members for the exchange. The nine were chosen by Governor John Kitzhaber based upon their backgrounds in the health care, insurance and legislative fields. The state Senate unanimously approved the Governor’s nominees showing that the state’s Legislature is well on its way to forming an exchange that will help residents find affordable health insurance coverage. Governor Kitzhaber believes that part of what will make the exchange successful…

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