Florida’s Insurance System Is Broken. Here’s How I’ll Fix It
Florida’s property insurance system is failing the very people it was meant to protect. Premiums are skyrocketing. Claims are being denied, delayed, or drastically underpaid. Homeowners are being forced into contractor networks they never agreed to, and regulatory agencies are either overwhelmed, disjointed, or too slow to respond. As a licensed public adjuster, a former state investigator, and a veteran, I’ve seen this crisis from the inside. And what’s clear is that the current regulatory structure—split between the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR)—has become too fragmented and too compromised to respond effectively. It’s time to fix what’s broken and rebuild the system from the ground up.
One of the most urgent problems we must address is the abuse of managed repair programs. These provisions - often buried deep in the fine print of policies - allow insurance companies to override the homeowner’s right to choose who performs repairs after a loss. Instead of issuing a check or allowing the policyholder to hire a licensed contractor, the insurer steps in and assigns the work to a vendor of their choosing. The problem isn’t just with the vendor - it’s with the insurer itself. In these situations, the insurance carrier is effectively acting as a general contractor, directing, assigning, and overseeing construction activities without holding a contractor’s license. This raises a serious legal conflict under Florida Statute 489.127, which clearly prohibits engaging in contracting without proper licensure. By coordinating repairs in this manner, insurers are not simply recommending vendors - they are managing construction projects, a role that Florida law reserves for licensed professionals. This bypasses the state’s construction licensing system, removes liability from the contractor, and strips the homeowner of recourse when things go wrong. It’s not just a loophole - it’s a systematic exploitation of regulatory gaps that leaves consumers vulnerable and the law unenforced.
As your next Chief Financial Officer, I will ban managed repair programs outright. Homeowners - not insurance companies - should decide who enters their home, who does the work, and who is held accountable. I will support legislation that explicitly prohibits the use of managed repair clauses in property insurance policies. I will require insurers to disclose vendor relationships and enforce compliance with Florida’s licensing laws. And I will return full control of post-loss repairs to the people who paid the premiums - the policyholders.
But banning managed repair is only the first step. To bring long-term reform and accountability, I will establish the Florida Insurance Oversight & Licensing Commission (FIOLC), a new independent board that will centralize licensing, discipline, education oversight, and public transparency for all insurance professionals in Florida. The FIOLC will be composed of two public adjusters, two insurance adjusters, two lay citizens, two attorneys (one neutral and one representing policyholders), and a chair appointed by the CFO who has no ties to the industry. This board will have real power, not just to license and discipline adjusters and agents, but to audit continuing education providers, investigate consumer complaints, and publish public-facing reports that expose misconduct and recommend reform.
The creation of the FIOLC is not about growing government - it’s about reorganizing it to function effectively. Under my leadership, we will consolidate overlapping divisions within DFS, eliminate bureaucratic red tape, and create a streamlined portal for license verification, CEU tracking, and real-time complaint submission. We will also restore clarity to Florida’s regulatory jurisdictions. Today, DFS often becomes entangled in contractor-related disputes, even though it has no authority to regulate contractors. That role belongs to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). By eliminating managed repair programs and re-establishing the boundary between insurance and construction regulation, we will empower each agency to do its job, without overlap, confusion, or legal gray areas.
A common question I hear is whether this new oversight board would make the Office of Insurance Regulation obsolete. The answer is no. The FIOLC is not a replacement for the Insurance Commissioner; it is a complement. The Insurance Commissioner, through OIR, will continue to oversee carrier operations, approve rates, and monitor solvency. The FIOLC will oversee individuals, adjusters, agents, appraisers, CEU providers, and ensure that the people consumers interact with every day are held to ethical and professional standards. Together, they create a more complete and accountable regulatory system. Additionally, we will create a formal structure for collaboration between DFS investigators and the FIOLC. DFS will continue to lead criminal investigations into fraud, theft, impersonation, and forgery, while FIOLC will handle administrative violations such as ethics breaches, CEU fraud, and unlicensed activity. Cases will be referred between the two when appropriate, ensuring coordinated enforcement without duplication or confusion.
Finally, as CFO, I will champion a legislative agenda that brings lasting change to Florida’s insurance system. This includes a statutory ban on managed repair programs, mandatory licensing and transparency requirements for all insurance-side vendors, the reinstatement of attorney fee entitlements for policyholders, public disclosure of insurer-to-affiliate financial transfers, and a full prohibition on campaign donations from regulated insurance entities. We cannot clean up the system if we allow it to keep buying influence. Floridians deserve an insurance system that protects them, not punishes them. They deserve a CFO who works for people, not carriers. I will lead with independence, act with integrity, and put policyholders first, every single time. This is not a campaign of convenience. It’s a campaign of necessity. The stakes are too high, and the time for timid half-measures is over. It’s time to fix Florida insurance, once and for all.
