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Citizens Winning Over Doubters on Claim Handling

When the Florida legislature forms a task force to study any state-run organization, the target is often in for a grilling akin to being on the witness stand with a fierce prosecutor in their face.

By Phil Galewitz | Updated on June 30, 2007

When the Florida legislature forms a task force to study any state-run organization, the target is often in for a grilling akin to being on the witness stand with a fierce prosecutor in their face. That was the expectation when the legislature in January established a special task force to review how Citizens Property Insurance Corporation was handling claims left over from the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, and to look into how well the insurer is prepared for the current hurricane season. But a funny thing has happened as the hearings kicked off in May. Citizens is winning praise from lawmakers and the insurance industry for it’s recent moves to upgrade its customer service and act on the criticisms aimed at the insurer for its previous poor performance.

In the aftermath of the 2004 hurricane season, Citizens was a target for criticism due to a large number of complaints from consumers over its claim adjusting. At the time, Citizens’ officials acknowledged the insurer’s claim handling system “broke down.” Among other things, the insurer said it was too dependent on outside claim adjusting firms, which were busy working for other carriers. Citizens also only had two full-time positions devoted to responding to catastrophes and, as a result, the insurer was unable to access information about claims and follow their status. This resulted in lengthy delays in communicating with policyholders and settling their claims. Policyholders by the thousands complained to regulators and their representatives, triggering a number of task forces to scrutinize Citizens’ preparedness in the event of another major storm season.

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