Florida Office of Insurance Regulation calls for transparency in hurricane claim denials, rejects Weiss claim

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has announced enhanced reporting requirements for hurricane claim denials, countering allegations by Weiss Financial Ratings that insurers have refused to pay valid claims. This announcement was made in a public statement.

According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Commissioner Mike Yaworsky has expanded the scope of insurer reporting to provide detailed reasons for claims closed without payment. For Hurricane Helene, 33% of denials were due to damages below deductibles and 20% were tied to uncovered flood damage, while Hurricane Milton saw 41% of denials due to deductible thresholds. The office said that making this data public allows consumers to better understand outcomes and provides regulators with leverage to act against suspicious practices.

As reported by Insurance Journal, most residential homeowner policies exclude flood damage, which is instead covered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Many homeowners must provide a denial letter from their insurer before NFIP coverage applies, creating higher counts of "claims closed without payment" in OIR reporting. The agency also emphasized compliance with Florida’s concurrent causation law, requiring insurers to properly evaluate combined wind and water damage or face administrative enforcement and restitution obligations.

Weiss Financial Ratings asserted that 14 insurers refused to pay more than half of homeowners’ claims. However, Yaworsky said its enhanced data shows otherwise, with most denials explained by deductibles or lack of flood coverage. News outlets noted that Weiss could not provide proof of its claim data, undermining the credibility of its report. Broader credibility issues have surfaced as well: the Banking Policy Institute filed concerns with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over Weiss’s methodology in bank ratings, and the FCC paused Weiss’s ratings rollout after complaints from industry groups.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is the state agency charged with regulating insurance markets and ensuring policyholders are treated fairly. Led by Commissioner Mike Yaworsky, the OIR investigates consumer complaints, enforces compliance with Florida law, and mandates restitution when insurers mishandle claims. Its mission is to protect Floridians through transparency, accountability, and oversight of insurers, particularly in the wake of natural disasters.