Florida’s Insurance Crisis: How DeSantis, Patronis, and Yaworsky Sold Out Policyholders to Big Insurance
For the past eight years, Florida’s homeowners, businesses, and policyholders have endured an escalating insurance crisis—one that has only worsened under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis, and Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky. Instead of standing up for Floridians and ensuring that insurance carriers are held accountable, these officials have prioritized the interests of powerful insurance companies, leaving the public to suffer. Skyrocketing premiums, denied claims, and financial devastation have become the new normal in Florida’s broken insurance market, and the very officials tasked with protecting consumers have done little to stop it.
The Role of CFO Jimmy Patronis: Failing Florida’s Policyholders
As the head of the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS), CFO Jimmy Patronis was entrusted with the duty of regulating the insurance industry and ensuring that policyholders were treated fairly. Instead of using his position to enforce consumer protections and hold insurers accountable, Patronis has consistently chosen to shield big insurance companies from scrutiny.
Under his watch, insurers have been allowed to delay, deny, and underpay claims without meaningful consequences.
Rather than implementing policies to stabilize rates and protect homeowners, he has allowed the market to spiral out of control, forcing Floridians to pay some of the highest insurance premiums in the country.
Patronis has pushed legislation that benefits insurance companies at the expense of consumers, limiting policyholders' ability to challenge unfair denials in court.
Now, instead of taking responsibility for the financial hardship his policies have created, Patronis is seeking a seat in Congress—eyeing a promotion while Florida’s residents struggle with unrelenting rate hikes and insurance company failures. His ambition knows no bounds, but unfortunately, his commitment to Florida’s policyholders has been nonexistent.
A Crisis Fueled by Corporate Favoritism
The collusion between DeSantis, Patronis, and Yaworsky has ushered in an era of unchecked corporate favoritism, where major insurance companies are given free rein to rake in profits while everyday Floridians are forced to pay the price. The result? A disaster for homeowners and businesses alike.
Skyrocketing Premiums: Florida’s homeowners now pay three to four times the national average for property insurance. Many have seen their premiums double or triple in just a few years.
Insurer Insolvencies: Despite rate hikes, multiple insurance companies have collapsed, leaving policyholders stranded without coverage and forcing the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to absorb more risk.
Denial of Claims: Insurers have increasingly denied legitimate claims, delaying payments or offering settlements that don’t come close to covering policyholders' losses.
Depopulation of the Market: Major insurance companies have pulled out of Florida, citing profitability concerns, further limiting consumer choice and making affordable coverage nearly impossible to find.
While Floridians struggle, insurance executives and lobbyists have flourished under this administration. The industry has seen record profits, bolstered by policies that limit their liability and weaken consumer protections. Meanwhile, families across the state are being forced to make impossible choices between maintaining coverage and affording other essential expenses.
DeSantis and Yaworsky: Enablers of a Broken System
Governor Ron DeSantis has had multiple opportunities to step in and push for reforms that would stabilize Florida’s insurance market and protect homeowners. Instead, he has backed measures that benefit insurance companies at the expense of consumers.
The 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions resulted in laws that severely restricted policyholders’ ability to sue insurers for bad-faith claim handling.
Roof replacement coverage protections were slashed, leaving many homeowners on the hook for expensive repairs after storm damage.
The burden of insurance fraud was shifted onto policyholders and contractors, while insurers faced little accountability for their own deceptive practices.
Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky, appointed by DeSantis, has followed the same playbook—rubber-stamping rate increases, failing to enforce meaningful oversight, and allowing insurers to walk away from their obligations to policyholders with little consequence. Rather than addressing the systemic issues within Florida’s insurance market, Yaworsky has prioritized maintaining a regulatory environment that favors the insurance industry at every turn.
The Cost to Floridians: Homeowners and Businesses Left to Suffer
The failure of Florida’s leaders to rein in the insurance industry has had devastating effects:
Homeowners are losing their homes because they cannot afford rising insurance premiums, leading to increased foreclosures and financial instability.
Businesses are struggling to operate due to soaring commercial insurance costs, making it harder for small businesses to thrive.
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the state-run insurer of last resort, has ballooned in size, placing all Floridians at financial risk should a major hurricane strike.
The real estate market is feeling the impact, with potential homebuyers hesitant to purchase properties due to unsustainable insurance costs.
Florida Deserves Better: Time for Accountability
Floridians should not have to suffer so that insurance executives and politicians can prosper. The state needs leaders who will:
✅ Enforce strict accountability measures on insurance companies to ensure fair claim handling and prevent unjustified rate hikes.
✅ Implement real consumer protections that restore homeowners’ ability to challenge unfair claim denials.
✅ Encourage competition in the market by making Florida a viable place for responsible insurers to do business without relying on predatory practices.
✅ Prioritize Floridians over corporate donors and reject legislation designed to benefit big insurance companies at the expense of policyholders.
As Jimmy Patronis campaigns for a seat in Congress, Floridians must remember his failure to protect consumers and his complicity in the insurance crisis. Likewise, DeSantis and Yaworsky must be held accountable for their roles in creating one of the most volatile insurance markets in the country.
The people of Florida deserve leaders who will put their needs first—not politicians who use their offices to serve corporate interests and advance their own careers. It’s time to demand real leadership, real accountability, and real solutions. Floridians cannot afford to be ignored any longer.
