The Florida Workers' Compensation Statute has had a long and storied history since it first appeared in 1935. Every decade or so, we can count on some major changes to the structure, process, or benefit components of this far-reaching and complicated statute. In 1979, changes abounded. One in particular — Florida Statute 627.215 — continues to frustrate many.

The statute, passed during the 1979 legislative session and effective July 1, 1979, addresses excessive profits for workers' compensation, employer's liability, commercial property and commercial casualty insurance, and says, in part, that each insurer group writing workers' compensation and employer's liability “shall file with the office prior to July 1st of each year…the following data:

Calendar-year earned premiums
Accident-year incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses
Administrative and selling expenses incurred in this state or allocated to this state for the calendar year
Policyholder dividends applicable to the calendar year.”