Florida Cabinet Approves Purchase of $2.2 Billion More in Catastrophe Insurance

Gov. Rick Scott and Cabinet members voted Tuesday to bolster the state’s catastrophic insurance fund with $2.2 billion of added coverage in advance of what forecasters predict will be another quiet hurricane season in Florida. State financial experts say the cost to a typical policyholder will be "minimal," or a premium increase of two-thirds of 1 percent or $13.75 a year, including homeowners covered by the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. But they say the timing is ideal because reinsurance rates are at all-time lows.