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Florida Lawmakers Filing Bills to Tackle PIP Fraud: Will It Help?

Florida is the state that is well known for its auto insurance fraud problems. The problem is so large that is costs over one billion dollars each year. Politicians have finally become proactive and are filing bills in regards to the issue. Many Florida drivers are happy about this move but are skeptical that any of the changes will actually yield any positive results.
The problem with fighting auto insurance fraud is that every criminal can find a loophole so that they can get away with the crime. Staged accidents, fake medical treatments, and billing auto insurance companies for services never rendered have gone almost under the radar for years now. There is a lot of cleaning up that needs to be done. The economy is in bad straits and with the unemployment rate being so high, many people turn to illegal activities to get money.
As soon as one auto insurance fraud gets caught, another one ends up being able to take its place. Law enforcement officials have tried to crack down on it but the behavior is very lucrative for these individuals.
The new bill that has been filed will help to remedy some of the problems that are causing the fraud. The man behind this is named State Sen. Joe Negron . His bill is called SB 1860. The bill works to try to create a fee schedule that can be used for reimbursements for medical clinics who say that they have performed medical procedures on auto accident victims. It also works to try to have better licensing standards for clinics because clinics have been committing auto insurance claim fraud a lot.
Now hospitals will be given priority status when treating PIP victims. This will make it harder for clinics to bill auto insurance companies for services that were never performed.
Governor Scott stated a few months ago that he would like to see personal injury protection reforms put into place. It is important to do this so that drivers do not game the system. Many drivers such as those who live in Tampa are paying a lot more money for the car insurance premiums. This is not fair at all to them.
It seems as though the bill does not go far enough to actually diminish auto insurance fraud. The problem here is how are you going to teach an old dog new tricks? The answer is to have stricter punishments in place. Most people who are arrested for this type of fraud never see the inside of a jail cell. If you really want to send shock waves through the criminal community then you have to start raising the punishments. You cannot just say that a criminal has to pay back the money that they stole and then be placed on probation for a few years.
If people who commit insurance fraud are prosecuted and face serious jail time then maybe more criminals will not want to take a chance and test the waters with this type of insurance fraud. Florida residents can no longer afford to keep paying for the criminal acts of others. It is important for people to be curious and call the insurance commission if they think that someone is committing auto insurance fraud.
Times are tough and many drivers can barely make ends meet. No one should have to pay for the illegal acts of others. Insurance companies and law makers need to go back to the drawing board so that they can take care of this issue. Time is money and hopefully this bill can begin to do something to help reduce the costs of auto insurance fraud in the next few years.

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