Will Florida’s Reported Drop in PIP Fraud Continue?

Florida, one of 12 states with no-fault auto insurance, has reported its fair share of insurance fraud, mostly through scams involving Personal Injury Protection. PIP insurance provides personal injury protection up to $10,000 in immediate medical coverage without having to establish fault in the court system.

As industry insiders know, this monetary level is often seen as an easy target by fraudsters. Even though PIP premiums have represented only about 2 percent of all of Florida’s collected insurance premiums, they account for nearly half of all auto insurance fraud referrals, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FOIR) has established.

But all of that may be changing, the National Insurance Crime Bureau believes, as auto insurance fraud has actually dropped in Florida since a 2012 law reformed PIP. As we posted on our FL PIP Guide this past March, tighter legislation, enhanced public awareness, and coordinated law enforcement efforts appear to be having a positive effect on PIP fraud in Florida.

These changes specifically include stronger penalties for medical providers who commit PIP fraud, a 14-day window for accident victims to seek medical treatment, and reduced benefits and treatments.

In line with projections made when HB119 was passed, FOIR expects PIP coverage rates to decrease by an average of 13.2 percent, reducing auto insurance rates 1.2 percent overall, according to figures based on a review of data from 20 insurers that provide auto insurance to more than 75 percent of the Florida market.

However, because PIP coverage savings will still be relatively small in comparison to the overall total cost of a typical auto insurance policy, and because fraud is at times difficult to detect, the next few years may be a better indication of whether these changes have produced a statistical blip in the numbers or a longer-term trend.