|
H.A.C. (Having
Affordable Coverage) Florida,
Inc. is a non-partisan, grassroots organizations of concerned
people fighting against the skyrocketing insurance premiums in Florida.
Our Mission is to return affordable property insurance without the loss
of additional coverage to the homeowners of Florida. Property insurance
in the state of Florida has become so expensive in the last three years
that many homeowners are losing their homes because they can't afford
their ever-increasing insurance premiums.
HAC was originally known as "Homeowners Against Citizens" because at the
time Citizens Insurance headed the race for the highest insurance
premiums. After our group grew we started to realize that not only were
policyholders of Citizens Insurance feeling the pain of their premiums
but so were most homeowners in Florida. We chose to change our name to
"Having Affordable Coverage" (HAC) to reflect the fact that "ALL"
Floridians deserve to have affordable homeowners insurance...continued.
HAC's Points and Goals to make meaningful reductions and
changes in Florida's homeowners insurance.
HAC's Goals that passed
in Special Session in early 2007.
ACT NOW OR
PAY LATER!
March 26, 2008
Okay
folks it is time to act. Our lawmakers in Tallahassee are proposing
laws that will affect your insurance bills again next year. There
are some good pro-consumer bills and some not so good bills that
will lead to higher premiums.
It is apparent that it will be a fight to the finish line between
the House and the Senate this year. The Senate bill (SB 2860) will
extend the freeze on Citizens rates for another year and also cap
the increases at 10% until 2012. This means you insurance premiums
will not rise next year and they will not be able to give you those
HUGE increases like in the past. It will increase fines they can
impose on insurance companies that violate insurance code. The
practice of the insurance companies giving rate increases before
approval from the state will be permanently abolished. If you and I
can’t give ourselves a raise without asking for one what makes the
insurance industry think they can! Another great part of this bill
is it will require insurance companies to use state-approved
hurricane-loss models when setting rates. Remember those “black
boxes” that we often talk about that insurance companies use secret
formulas to calculate our rates with, well now we can get some
needed transparency and authenticity to these models by making them
get approval by the state before they can use them. Another great
aspect of this bill is to allow Citizens to expand and cover homes
with replacement costs of $1-million or more. This is good because
if Citizens can expand and spread the risk like other insurance
companies it will reflect in lowering premiums in the future.
These are not huge gains in Tallahassee but as I have said before
the insurance crisis will not be solved overnight. We need to keep
the changes we fought so hard for last year and add whatever small
changes we can to keep your insurance premiums down.
It is imperative that all Floridians come together and fight for
pro-consumer legislation to be passed this year.
Our call to action is for each and every person in Florida to write,
e-mail, or call Representative Ron Reagan and ask for him to support
consumer friendly legislation. He is the key to the House with
respect to insurance, without his support we will loose in the
House. Also call, write, or e-mail Governor Crist and for him to
support and push this bill. (see below)
If this session ends in a deadlock, the pro-consumer gains of last
year will expire at the end of this year and we will be back at
square one next year and likely with higher insurance bills to deal
with.
Governor Charlie Crist:
charlie.crist@myflorida.com
Phone: (850) 488-7146
Representative Ron Reagan:
ron.reagan@myfloridahouse.gov
Phone: (941) 727-6447
Also contact your local legislators and have them get involved.
The Florida Senate
Addresses
The Florida House Addresses
HAC PUBLIC MEETING
Saturday,
June 14, 2008
NPR Public
Library
5939 Main Street, New Port Richey, FL 34652
Map of 5939 Main St, New Port Richey, FL 34652
Ph. (727) 853-1279
Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Another Good Year For The Florida Property Insurance Industry!
Initial reports show the
industry had profits in Florida of at least $3.4 billion in 2007.
National Insurance Fund Could
Lower Premiums
Backers of a National Catastrophic Insurance Fund believe the time has
come for the self-insurance concept for states to supplement the private
market...read more.
Sinkhole
Workshop
WOW! What a
successful and productive workshop we had at New Port Richey's
Spartan Manor! Thank you to all who attended and for the work
you did on the problematic sinkhole legislation in Pasco and
Hernando Counties. And a special thank you to the geologists,
sinkhole engineer and the other industry experts for giving us
even more insight into the sinkhole problem.
It is imperative for your voices to be heard and
that you are
involved in
changes, not just told about the changes. HAC and
FCAN
look forward to working together in the future and possibly
doing more workshops.
Read the
final summary of the Sinkhole Workshop.
Sinkholes: Living on the Edge
An 8
on your side Investigation...view
the clip
Ways to Save on Homeowners Insurance
HAC went to 14 different insurance
agents for quotes for 2 different homes, a single story block home and an
elevated 2-story home. With the elevated 2-story home the different quotes
were dramatic, ranging from $130,600 to $234,000...see
how you can save.
 This
4 room home built in 1915 which is located in West Pasco has a County
assessment value of $6387. Citizens says its replacement cost is
$217,600. Could it be because tin roofs are more expensive then shingle,
or is it the Italian marble tile in the foyer?
Shop and Compare Rates
State regulators unveiled a new website June
26th that should allow homeowners to shop and
compare rates on home policies in all 67 Florida
counties.
www.ShopandCompareRates.com
Be aware that
the numbers are simplified averages and don't reflect different
territories within a county or many other factors that can affect the
rates.
 See
Who's Going
Without Coverage
Click on the map to see the
number of single-family homes that are going without windstorm
insurance.
Property/Casualty Insurance in 2007:
Overpriced Insurance, Underpaid Claims, Declining Losses and Unjustified
Profits
By
Robert Hunter Director of Insurance Consumer Federation of America
In 2006, with no major
hurricane activity coupled with premium increases, the industry set yet
another profit record, estimated to be $68.1 billion...read
the 28 page report (pdf).
Need
for National Catastrophic Fund
Time Magazine reported June 4, 2007: 153 million people live within 50
miles of the coastline, this is more than half of the US population.
Home Insurance Hell
Why your rates are out of
control
Read the article that appears in the July AARP Bulletin
Non-Regulated Insurance Companies
Here is a list Non-Regulated Insurance Companies that are allowed to sell
Homeowners Insurance in Florida.
Caution: some of these companies do not give a
refund if you cancel.
View the list...
Regular Session Ends In Tallahassee
May
4, 2007
Thanks
to everyone for their support and efforts with the "E-mail Campaign" to
the Legislators during these last crucial days of the Regular Session.
Below are the results with links to Cyber
Citizen for Justice website.
HB 1267/SB 2498 --
Relating to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation -- Ordered
Enrolled
HB 1223/SB 2366 --
Relating to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation/Task Force Died
in Committee
HB 1307 -- PUPs,
Cherry-Picking, Delete "Use&File" etc. -- Not Considered
SB
1884 -- Giving More Power to Consumer Advocate --
Died in Messages -- HOUSE
HB 7077 --
Hurricane Preparedness & Insurance
-- Ordered Enrolled
HAC would like to thank
all the Coalition members for all their hard work and for keeping us well informed
during the Regular Session.
THE FIRST DAY OF THE SPECIAL SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 16th.
HAC along with other coalition members
joined together on the steps of the Old Capital Building.
Read a synopsis about the
rally from HAC President, Ginny Stevans.
Contact your Legislators and ask for their support for meaningful rate
reduction.
Type in your zip code
below to find your State Representative.
|
|
 |
|
| Enter your zip code to
find your legislators.
|
|
|
|
You can also find your legislators below:
The Florida Senate
Addresses
The Florida House Addresses
Also send emails to:
Governor Charlie Crist:
charlie.crist@myflorida.com and
Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp:
Jeff.Kottkamp@myflorida.com, thanking them for taking a stand for
Florida's citizens and ask them to use their influence to keep all the
consumer-friendly provisions alive!
Florida Insurance Consumer
Advocate:
General Bob Milligan
Tel. (850) 413-5980
Email: bob.milligan@fldfs.com
Write a letter
to the editor
Links to forms or to
actual email addresses from some of Florida's major newspapers.
Visit the St.
Petersburg Times SPECIAL REPORT Website:
THE
INSURANCE CRISIS
Visit the FloridaToday SPECIAL REPORT Website:
INSURANCE STORM 2007
 HAC
Is a Member of the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
January 9, 2007
Consumer Coalition Calls
for
Insurance Solutions
Tallahassee, Fla.
–
Grassroots consumer
groups joined together today to ask the Legislature to solve Florida’s
insurance crisis. The groups reacted to insurance company proposals and
made their own recommendations. Several of the group’s leaders testified
at a hearing of the Senate Insurance Committee today.
The groups are meeting with Legislators, regulators, and industry
representatives this week in Tallahassee and one of the groups plans a
massive rally at the opening of next week’s special session on insurance.
Ginny Stevans, President of HAC, Having Affordable Coverage, said, “People
have come together from all over the state because we are being forced out
of our homes by high insurance rates. It has to stop.” Together the
groups represents more than 100,000 Floridians...read
more.
(Since
January 9th we have join forces with even more groups and now are more
than 500,000 strong).
See latest
press release.
HAC NEEDS YOUR STORY!
HAC
is compiling personal stories
of how the ever increasing insurance rates in Florida have effected
peoples lives
for our "Book of Tears". We want
everyone to know the tragedies that are
taking place here in the State of Florida.
Do you feel the increases have caused you undue
financial hardship?
Are you retired and have had to go back to work?
Are you afraid you may go into or are in foreclosure?
Have
you gone without food or medicine?
Have
you taken out loans or gotten cash from your
credit cards just to pay your insurance?
Are you concerned you may lose your small business?
Have your rates gone up 300% to 500% or even higher in
the past three years?
PLEASE TELL US YOUR PERSONAL
STORY.
Email:
bookoftears@hacfl.org
Mail: H.A.C., P.O. Box 395, Port Richey, FL 34673
Fax: 727-863-7073
HAC has meet with Governor Charlie Crist and other Legislators and
has given them your
personal stories.
Please continue to send in your stories, they are
helping to make a difference.
Florida exodus? Statistics
show residents starting to leave for less costly locales
The nation's largest moving company
reported 16,212 inbound shipments to Florida last year and 17,019 outbound
shipments. United moved more people to Florida in each year from 1999 to
2004, but the number of inbound moves fell in 2005, spokeswoman Jennifer
Bonham said.
Read more...
Press Release from:
Consumer Federation of America
Insurers
Increase Profits to Record Levels by Overpricing Policies and Shifting
Costs to Consumers and Taxpayers, 01/08/07
COMMERCIAL INSURANCE RATES CONTINUE TO FALL WHILE INSURER
PROFITS SKYROCKET TO RECORD LEVELS...view
chart.
From
Americans for Insurance Reform
HURRICANE INSURANCE COSTS ARE HITTING
SMALL BUSINESS
How could an $18,000
insurance premium jump to $441,000 a year...read
more.
IT'S HARD TO SELL A HOUSE IN THESE
INSURANCE CONDITIONS
In the past seven years, we have
seen our homeowners insurance go from $500 a year to our most recent bill
of $5,400 per year. Our home is in New Port Richey in an area that has
never had sinkhole problems...read
more.
 STATE FARM
INSURANCE FRAUD
In a 20/20 Brian Ross
investigation, insiders say State Farm cheated Katrina victims.
Watch
the video clip.
The "EXODUS" has begun!!
While homeowners and
condo owners are selling their homes (if that is possible for them to do),
or losing them to foreclosure, businesses are suffering and considering
leaving Florida also, this is not good for the economy of Florida...read
more.
BOYCOTT CALLED FOR ON AUTO
INSURERS!!
State Farm isn't "Like a good neighbor" and isn't "there"
for many homeowners any longer; Nationwide isn't "on your side", and we
are not "in good hands" with Allstate...read more.
A question was
faxed to HAC:
Dear HAC, Please
call/fax me!! I am a builder that can't get a straight answer to a simple
question: "Why if I'm building at $60-$65 sq/ft. does
Gov. run Citizens
FORCE you to insure at $120 sq/ft??"...
Charlie
Places to post your opinions
and comments.
Post your
comments on the St. Petersburg Times forum:
"Insurance Crisis and Solutions"
Post your
comments on the the Tampa Bay Online Blog:
"The Insurance Crisis"
You can also join
the HAC Yahoo Blog and post there:
The HAC Yahoo
Blog
"The world is a
dangerous place to live...not because of the people who are evil, but
because of the people who don't do anything about it." Albert
Einstein
This site was
last updated April 25, 2008
For more
information or to join/donate to
H.A.C. Florida, Inc.,
contact us at:
H.A.C., P.O. Box 395, Port Richey, FL 34673
Tel: 727-967-8220 ~
Email: hac@hacfl.org
|
