Florida House Subcommittee Passes Insurance Reform Attempt

A House subcommittee has voted up a measure that would help reduce the fraud rampant in the state’s personal injury protection, or PIP, coverage.

The bill (HB 119) was approved 10-5 by the Florida House Banking and Insurance Subcommittee on Wednesday. It requires accident victims to go to a hospital emergency room within 72 hours of a wreck for PIP coverage to kick in.

PIP coverage provides that a driver’s insurance company pay up to $10,000 to cover medical bills and lost wages after an accident – no matter who is at fault. All Florida drivers are required to carry no-fault insurance.

But fraudsters have turned Florida into a top state for staged accidents. Some racketeers have even turned it into a profit center.