Florida Governor Scott Orders Freeze on Property and Casualty Rate Increases

On Tuesday, September 12th, Florida Governor Rick Scott directed Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier to “freeze any and all efforts” to increase property insurance rates.  In addition, Governor Scott stated that policyholders who had their coverage canceled or non-renewed in the days leading up to Hurricane Irma should receive a 90-day grace period to renew their policies or find new coverage, as well as requested that the Insurance Commissioner provide an additional 90 days for policyholders to file required claims information with insurance companies.  The Governor cited the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma and the displacement of a large number of Florida residents as the underlying rationale for his directives.