Under Florida law, all drivers are required to carry personal injury protection coverage up to $10,000. Florida has a no-fault law, which allows drivers to receive payment from their own insurance company after a car accident. This money is given to victims, regardless of fault, and is to be used for medical bills.

While the law has both fans and critics, it may be changing in the near future. A number of state lawmakers are introducing reformations to the current law that they believe will reduce cases of fraud and abuse.

Many of the changes lawmakers are focused on involve the medical treatment allowed following an accident. Some proposals would require car accident victims to visit the Emergency Room first. Another proposal would simply not allow visits to a family doctor first. Follow-up care is also addressed and regulated in some plans.

Opponents of these changes, however, claim that limiting personal choice is not a solution. Some of the provisions included in the proposals, including capping certain fees, have been referred to as heavy-handed.

Many business groups, consumer groups and lawmakers have been vocal about revising the current legislation. One group, the Florida Hospital Association has not expressed which plan they would support. They do, however, warn that eliminating the no-fault system would negatively affect the quality of care many Floridians would receive. More than one-third of patients in the emergency room only carry the PIP coverage.

Whatever changes are proposed, it will be interesting to see if any of them are adopted into Florida legislation.

Source: Miami Herald, "Plenty of options but no consensus on car insurance reform," Tia Mitchell, Jan. 13, 2012