As Florida’s legislators consider what to do with auto insurance requirements in a “post” No-Fault/Personal Insurance Protection (PIP) world, there is talk of mandating rate rollbacks or passing new laws with “recommended” rate savings. This would be a mistake. To read the entire op-ed, visit the Palm Beach Post.
PIP
Exploring Personal Injury Protection Reforms
Before 1972, if you suffered bodily injury in a car crash, you might need to show that you could pay your medical costs before treatment was given. You might hire an attorney to sue the culprit for damages and after your eventual victory; you would split the damages award one-third to the attorney and two-thirds […]
Judge Denies Attempt to Block Florida Anti-Fraud Bill
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Lazzara in Tampa has denied the motion filed by chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists to impose an injunction blocking Florida’s new PIP law from moving to full implementation, writing: “At this stage of the proceedings, the Plaintiffs have utterly failed to sustain this burden based on their submissions. It follows, […]
Insurance is Founded on Actuarial, not Magical Thinking
Florida’s new personal injury protection (PIP) law, aimed at reducing automobile insurance claim fraud, was signed into law in May 2012. The new law had to vault a high political hurdle erected by the tort attorney and medical scammer opposition. Fortunately for consumers, there was plenty of legislative energy and revulsion over fraud-riddled scams following automobile […]
American Consumer Institute Statement Regarding Florida’s PIP Rate Filings
American Consumer Institute Statement Regarding Today’s PIP Rate Filings Today, insurance companies filed new rates to cover personal injury protection (PIP), as required by Florida law. The following is a statement by Steve Pociask, president of the Institute: “We expect mixed news about today’s PIP rate filings, since the major provisions in the new law will […]
New Pinnacle Report Confirms the Obvious – Lower Fraud Costs Could Lead to Lower Florida Auto Insurance Prices in 2013, Maybe
As required by law, a new study was provided to the Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation on the feasibility of lower automobile insurance prices. The study by Pinnacle Actuaries found that lower prices should eventually materialize as a result of anti-fraud measures. However, the report’s findings are a bit optimistic, given the recent disturbing signs that […]
Tallahassee Democrat — What Goes Up Must Come Down
Florida’s mandatory automobile insurance no-fault law is beset by runaway personal injury protection (PIP) costs — including the nation’s highest incidence of staged accidents and nearly $1 billion in automobile insurance fraud. On March 9, 2012, a bill was passed in the Florida House and Senate to reform PIP and reduce fraud. The bill is […]
Miami Herald: ACI Op-ed on PIP Insurance Fraud
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 — Miami Herald published an op-ed written by Steve Pociask, president of the American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research. The Op-ed discusses new legislation designed to reduce the high levels of PIP insurance fraud in the state. The article can be downloaded by visiting the Miami Herald’s website.
$910 Million to the Wrong People
Florida’s consumers face a robbery in progress with $910 million stolen so far. That’s the premium hit for “staged accidents” made profitable by the state’s “no-fault” automobile personal injury law. We visited this abomination before, asked the legislature to fix it, and watched as the brazen cabal of intentional crash victims, fraudulent treatment clinics and […]
Tallahassee Democrat: Florida’s Personal Injury Protection System Is Broken and Costing Consumers
Steve Pociask (link here) discusses how Floridians are paying $1 billion annually in insurance fraud. Published in the Tallhassee Democrat, April 26, 2011.