Peter Schorsch
The Florida Chamber of Commerce is releasing an ad this week targeting a senate bill it says will cause auto insurance rates to skyrocket.
“Caution alert: Florida state senators want to pass a new law making you pay more for your car insurance,” the ad states. “The bill will force you to pay more for higher mandatory coverage whether you need it or not. Worse, the bill will force you to buy even more coverage over the next five years.”
“That means one thing: Higher car insurance cost for you.”
The ad closes by urging viewers to call their senators and tell them to “put the brakes on higher auto insurance rates” by voting no on the bill.
SB 150 by Thonotosassa Republican Sen. Tom Lee would repeal no-fault, which requires drivers to carry $10,000 in personal-injury protection, or PIP, coverage to help pay medical expenses after an accident.
The bill would require motorists to carry $5,000 in what is known as medical payments coverage, or MedPay, and minimum amounts of bodily-injury coverage that would increase over time.
Opponents say the measure would lead to higher rates for motorists who carry basic PIP policies.
In an email announcing the ad, the Florida Chamber said “SB 150 would eliminate cost containment measures and result in consumers paying more for a new, mandatory set of coverages that escalate over time.”
Anitere Flores, chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and the subcommittee on Health and Human Services subcommittee, despaired last week of reaching a compromise. In fact, she didn’t agenda the legislation for the subcommittee’s last scheduled meeting on February 21.
However, the bill is one of three on the agenda of a subcommittee meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
The Florida Chamber’s ad is below.
26 comments
Fed Up
February 26, 2018 at 7:54 am
So, it’s OK to force what is essentially health care insurance on drivers to protect car insurance companies from health care costs while it is not OK to force health care insurance on individuals to save the nation from absorbing the costs of the uninsured?
One guess who is behind this bill…
Chris
February 26, 2018 at 10:16 am
Increasing insurance premiums and litigation does not benefit the consumer. This is exactly what will happen if PIP is repealed.
Andrew Godfrey
February 26, 2018 at 9:29 am
Hey Fed Up, you might want to educate yourself on what this bill is about. Florida is one of a few states that does not require bodily injury liability coverage. That means if you get hit by one of these people, you are out of luck unless you buy uninsured motorist coverage. Believe me, you are paying through the nose for all the uninsured drivers in Florida. Last time I checked, if someone doesn’t have health insurance, that presents no risk to my family. However if you get injured by one of the hundreds of thousands in Florida with minimal insurance, you stand to lose a great deal.
Fed Up
February 26, 2018 at 12:48 pm
Thanks Andrew for pointing that out. I did some additional research and now understand the issue. I stand corrected.
Bill Giddens
February 26, 2018 at 3:09 pm
UM is about 20.00 a year, your new rates under this disastrous bill will be way more than buying UM!
Paul
February 27, 2018 at 7:34 am
Andrew. Insurance is the same in PA. I have coverage as well for uninsured or underinsured drivers who may hit me. In my state they offer a type of bare minimum coverage but I will not get it.
Rob
February 26, 2018 at 9:30 am
We need to keep PIP in Florida to help b able to cover medical cost for those in car accidents because health insurance might not cover or deductibles are so outragius
Marco Dubio
February 26, 2018 at 12:03 pm
Andrew,
Getting Rid of the pip laws only serves to increase the fees lawyers make. If the law would be changed so that lawyers cannot make money on the first $10,000 that would be a good help.
Jon
February 26, 2018 at 10:11 am
This bill hurts all of the residents in Florida now and in the future .
Barry Birkenholz
February 26, 2018 at 11:16 am
I am STRONGLY OPPOSED to passing SB150.It would further cause more UNINSURED drivers on the Road because premiums would be UNAFFORDABLE!Hospitals would be flooded with people in MVAs with no insurance period-this is a DISASTROUS PROPASAL!!!
Marco Dubio
February 26, 2018 at 11:58 am
No way do I want me insurance premiums increased. I pay enough. PIP is cheap good insurance. I have UM to protect myself against those without insurance and that insurance is cheap.
Patti
February 26, 2018 at 12:38 pm
If insurance
companies want the law to change, its for one reason only. To put more money in their pockets. And notice how it gradually goes up over time. Thats called bait and switch. Beware.
I have personally benefited from Personal
Injury Insurance. It was my fault and I had no primary insurance. My pip insurance covered my care for a herniated disc I had as a result of the accident. I was thankful to have the insurance. Now Obamacare subsidies are a thing of the past AND they want to take away this form of health insurance. When will corporate American quit trying to take things away from us and start addressing the needs of the average person?
John
February 27, 2018 at 1:12 pm
Your saying beware of the wrong side. The attorneys are behind this bill and they love it. It means more profit for them. Higher forced limits means more they can go after, which lines there pockets even more.
When will people figure it out. The insurance industry is just a pass though, they have a set profit they want to make and when they don’t make that number they raise rates. The bottom line is, YOU are the insurance company, it’s your money they use to pay claims. When attorneys when big cases it was your money that was used to pay for it and if there was a shortage they just file for a rate increase and take more of your money so they can continue to pay claims. The more the attorneys get the more your rates go up.
This law, like many that get passed, is being pushed by the plaintiff bar to benefit themselves not consumers. Corporate America might be part of the problem but attorney’s are costing you more on everything you do. If you want to pay more next year in insurance rates support the bill. If you don’t, contact your senator and tell them not to support it because the attorney’s are telling them to pass it.
Jim FLADER
February 26, 2018 at 2:02 pm
Do not take away PIP
Makenzie Leon
February 26, 2018 at 2:31 pm
Do not repeal PIP!! I want my PIP benefits. There is no public outcry to repeal PIP. KEEP PIP BENEFITS!!
Lisa Leon
February 26, 2018 at 2:33 pm
Do not repeal PIP!! I want my PIP benefits. There is no public outcry to repeal PIP. KEEP PIP BENEFITS!!
Blake
February 26, 2018 at 2:38 pm
Do not repeal PIP!! I want my PIP benefits. There is no public outcry to repeal PIP. KEEP PIP BENEFITS!!
Whizdbiz2
February 28, 2018 at 7:29 am
Here in Ohio we don’t have PIP and we get along just fine, and pay some of the lowest auto insurance rates in the country. Get on board Florida.
Randi Evans
February 26, 2018 at 3:28 pm
Do not get rid of PIP. This is the worst idea and will be awful for us Florida drivers! Keep pip!!!
Dan & Becky Pavlik
February 26, 2018 at 4:31 pm
Do not repeal PIP. Anybody that cares enough to understand the impact of a repeal of PIP should immediately stand up and say NO as loud as they can. What exactly are pour legislatures THINKING!
Dan Pavlik
February 26, 2018 at 4:33 pm
Do not repeal PIP. Anybody that cares enough to understand the impact of a repeal of PIP should immediately stand up and say NO as loud as they can. What exactly are our legislators THINKING!
Edwin Henriquez
February 26, 2018 at 11:25 pm
They are NOT thinking, they ARE getting PAID!!
Russel El-Amin
February 27, 2018 at 4:30 pm
Another effort by the greedy lawyers wanting more money for themselves for handling car crash claims. If you get rid of pip you will increase my premiums, health insurance and possibly my taxes.
Laurie Caruso
February 27, 2018 at 7:04 pm
Please do not drop the PIP coverage in Florida. The aftermath will be devastating to Consumers. According to the property Casualty Insurance Association of America the premiums will increase $67 to $340 when switching to mandatory BI. The only ones that will make out from this deal is the trial attorneys and the insurance companies. The biggest losers will be the residents of Florida. Fraud protection is in place and is doing its job and the most important change that could be made is enforcing the laws of non-insured drivers.
Barbara
February 27, 2018 at 7:32 pm
I don’t want to have to pay higher premiums. The only person that’s going to make out from this are trial attorneys and insurance companies… not fair
Matthew
March 1, 2018 at 5:46 pm
Getting rid of PIP coverage is not the solution. This leaves more risk for the individual paying for coverage for their own coverage, key part of this comment. Situations are bound to happen or one is at fault and the sleeves and without coverage. Being at fault does not always necessarily meme you did something wrong. By passing this bill you would lose the human element in auto insurance.
Comments are closed.