Florida insurers turn a profit after losing billions

By Thomas Frank | 06/02/2025 06:10 AM EDT

A new analysis credits the “pivotal transition” to substantial rate hikes and a state law restricting policyholder lawsuits against insurers.

Waves lap on the beach in front of empty house foundations surrounded by debris on Manasota Key in Englewood, Florida.

Waves lap on the beach in front of empty house foundations surrounded by debris on Manasota Key in Englewood, Florida, following the passage of Hurricane Milton, on Oct. 13, 2024. Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Florida’s property insurance industry, once the poster child of market failure, has staged a stunning turnaround and emerged as a potential model in an era of climate change.

After losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year since 2015, Florida-based insurers turned a collective profit in 2024 as new state laws restricted policyholder lawsuits and insurers sharply hiked rates, a new analysis shows.

The $207 million profit came even as insurers paid billions of dollars in claims following Hurricanes Helene and Milton last fall.

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“We’re seeing a pivotal transition in Florida’s personal property market,” said Josie Novak, a senior financial analyst at AM Best credit ratings, which published the analysis. AM Best called the 2024 profits “a significant milestone.”

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