Florida's Latest News

Falling Citizens Insurance rates can’t stop premiums from rising

Citizens Insurance customers who renew their policies after June 1 shouldn’t expect their premiums to fall despite what the governor said last week. During a news conference to highlight positive developments that have occurred in the insurance market since the Legislature enacted tort reforms in 2022 and 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that rates would decline by 5.6% on average for about 20% of Citizens’ customers across Florida.

In Broward County, 52% of homeowners would see average decreases of 4.5% while 73% of Miami-Dade customers would see rates fall by an average of 6.3%, DeSantis said. But according to a chart released by the state-owned “insurer of last resort,” Miami-Dade is the only county where average premiums will go down — with average savings of $123 — after those lower renewal rates take effect on June 1.

Citizens produced the chart to show how average premiums in each county would be affected if the rate changes took place at one time, Citizens spokesman Michael Peltier said. The calculations do not consider effects of individual coverage changes or anticipate how the total insured value of properties might change when policies come up for renewal, he said.

If the rate increases took effect immediately, Broward County residents would pay an average of $54 more than they’re currently paying while Palm Beach County customers would pay $390 more. Average increases elsewhere range from $15 for 86 Citizens customers who live in Suwannee County to $640 for the 140 Citizens customers in Franklin County.

USDA lowers projections for Florida citrus harvest this year

After 2 powerful hurricanes, Sunshine State citrus growers initially thought recovery would be better. What initially appeared to be a solid recovery for Florida’s citrus industry in the aftermath of two wild hurricanes in 2024 got a bit more challenging as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised its projection for this year’s harvest.

After a few months of fairly stable forecasts for the 2024-25 growing season, the revised USDA February projection brought down expectations. USDA officials now see Florida producing 11.5 million boxes of oranges this season and 1.1 million boxes of grapefruit. Another 350,000 boxes of tangerines and tangelos are expected to be harvested this season.

Tuesday’s figures are down from the January prognostication that called for 12 million boxes of oranges to be harvested by the end of this year’s growing season and 1.2 million boxes of grapefruit. Tangerine and tangelo harvests actually ticked up a bit for this month’s forecast compared to January’s projection of 300,000 boxes being picked. But the downturn of expected orange and grapefruit harvesting was unexpected.

“The USDA’s estimate reflects the tremendous adversity Florida’s citrus growers continue to face after two decades of citrus greening and devastating hurricanes. What the numbers don’t reflect is the resilience and hope many multi-generational citrus growers have in the future of Florida’s citrus industry,” said Matt Joyner, Executive Vice President and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. “We remain focused on finding long-term solutions to bolster Florida’s signature crop. It will require the collective effort of researchers, legislators, industry leaders and others.”

Florida TaxWatch: Florida’s 2020 census undercount costs state $2.3 billion annually in Medicaid funding

Florida’s 2020 Census undercount is costing the state at least $2.3 billion annually in federal Medicaid funding, according to a new report published on Tuesday by Florida TaxWatch.

The nonpartisan research institute found that the undercount of approximately 750,000 residents, or 3.48 percent of the state’s population, has resulted in reduced funding allocations for major healthcare programs, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The report estimates that total federal funding losses due to the undercount will range between $11 billion and $21 billion by the end of the decade.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s population count directly affects the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), the formula used to determine federal Medicaid reimbursement rates. Florida’s FMAP for fiscal year 2024-25 stands at 57.17 percent, meaning the federal government provides $1.33 for every dollar the state spends on Medicaid-eligible expenses. If the undercounted 750,000 residents had been included in the 2020 Census, the report calculates that the FMAP would have increased to 59.78 percent, raising the federal match to $1.47 per state dollar spent.

The result is a projected loss of $2.3 billion in federal Medicaid contributions for fiscal year 2024-25 alone. With Florida expected to spend $15.6 billion in state funds on Medicaid in 2024-25, the total Medicaid budget, including federal contributions, is expected to reach $35.3 billion. The report indicates that correcting the undercount could have increased Florida’s federal Medicaid contribution from $19.7 billion to $22 billion for the fiscal year.

Red tide worries Southwest Florida residents and visitors. What is it? What's happening?

Red tide is a harmful alga bloom caused by a naturally occurring alga (a plant-like microorganism) called Karenia brevis or K. brevis. When K. brevis appears in large quantities – typically in the Gulf – it can turn ocean water red, brown or green.

Red tide is not new to Florida. A prolonged red tide event in 2018 lasted over 10 months. During this period, the red tide was extreme, killing thousands of fish, sting rays, manatees, dolphins and turtles. Once these toxins occur, there is not much we can do about them, at least in the short term.

When this bacterium is present in the water, its contaminants suppress oxygen, making it a fatal habitat for its in-water and waterfront residents and visitors. Red tide can have debilitating effects on marine life. If the microorganisms are concentrated at over 10,000 cells per liter, fish of all kinds can start dying.

The toxic algae start building at microscopic scales well offshore. Warm water and nutrients feed these microorganisms, and they often grow to high concentrations in the spring and summer. The winds and currents drive the microorganisms to the coast, and when they grow to big blooms, winds and currents can drive them for miles along the coast. While red tide appears almost every year, the severity varies. This red tide is unusual because it is winter, when red tides are typically absent or minimal. Warmer-than-usual temperatures are likely a significant factor.