Gov. Ron DeSantis is claiming we’re at a turning point in Florida’s property insurance crisis.After years of double-digit hikes, the governor says the state’s massive legislative overhaul of the insurance industry is finally addressing the one thing residents have been begging for: lower bills.”I think we have the right to insist that citizens is doing all it can to bring relief to its customers. They weren’t in a position to do that, admittedly, a couple years ago. I mean, we were in a much more difficult environment, but since these reforms have really stabilized things, man, pass on the savings to these folks,” DeSantis said.Florida’s Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky explained that the Office of Insurance Regulation has approved several new companies to enter the Florida market.Yaworsky said that increased competition is expected to provide more options and lower premiums for a market that was recently on the brink of collapse.The governor and his team highlighted that the reforms could also lead to reduced car insurance rates. However, consumer advocates emphasize that Florida homeowners still face the highest premiums in the country, averaging four times the national rate.For families whose insurance costs have doubled in the past two years, a one- or two-percent reduction is a positive step, but it is insufficient to offset previous increases.To illustrate the impact of these changes, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the insurer of last resort, began 2026 with fewer than 400,000 policies, a significant decrease from nearly one million the previous year. DeSantis argues this reduction is evidence that the private market is now robust enough to accommodate these customers.
Florida, USA —
Gov. Ron DeSantis is claiming we’re at a turning point in Florida’s property insurance crisis.
After years of double-digit hikes, the governor says the state’s massive legislative overhaul of the insurance industry is finally addressing the one thing residents have been begging for: lower bills.
“I think we have the right to insist that citizens is doing all it can to bring relief to its customers. They weren’t in a position to do that, admittedly, a couple years ago. I mean, we were in a much more difficult environment, but since these reforms have really stabilized things, man, pass on the savings to these folks,” DeSantis said.
Florida’s Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky explained that the Office of Insurance Regulation has approved several new companies to enter the Florida market.
Yaworsky said that increased competition is expected to provide more options and lower premiums for a market that was recently on the brink of collapse.
The governor and his team highlighted that the reforms could also lead to reduced car insurance rates.
However, consumer advocates emphasize that Florida homeowners still face the highest premiums in the country, averaging four times the national rate.
For families whose insurance costs have doubled in the past two years, a one- or two-percent reduction is a positive step, but it is insufficient to offset previous increases.
To illustrate the impact of these changes, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the insurer of last resort, began 2026 with fewer than 400,000 policies, a significant decrease from nearly one million the previous year.
DeSantis argues this reduction is evidence that the private market is now robust enough to accommodate these customers.