Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis Directive 2021-02
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis issued a directive empowering Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate, Tasha Carter, to engage in advocacy efforts on behalf of families who receive services from the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association (NICA). This action directs the Insurance Consumer Advocate to coordinate directly with families participating in the NICA program and advocate on their behalf before the Division of Administrative Hearings. These direct advocacy efforts will aid NICA families as they navigate the claims process.
Advocacy for NICA Families
Tasha Carter has served as Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate
(ICA) since being appointed in August 2019 by Chief Financial Officer Jimmy
Patronis. ICA Carter is the voice for insurance consumers when and where
insurance decisions are being made. She is committed to using her more than 20
years of advocacy experience to passionately represent NICA families before the
Office of the Insurance Regulation, the Division of Administrative Hearings,
the Florida Legislature and other venues. She will work with families and stakeholders
to inform decisions, changes and Legislative actions that impact the program.
If you are a NICA participant, ICA Carter would like to share
information and pertinent updates directly with you via email communications.
To share your contact information, complete the form below.
To learn more about ICA Carter and her priorities, visit Meet Your ICA. For more details on the Office of the Insurance Consumer Advocate, visit ICA Office Overview.
ICA Carter wants to hear from you!
If you have specific questions or concerns regarding your experience with NICA, or suggestions or recommendations to improve your experience, please contact ICA Carter via phone, email or social media:
Steps Taken to Advocate for You
To advocate for NICA families, ICA Carter has taken immediate steps to become more familiar with NICA; obtained specific data to review and analyze; and communicated directly with you to provide pertinent updates.
As promised, ICA Carter wants to keep you updated on the various steps taken to advocate for you. Visit the NICA Advocacy page for a detailed overview of actions and current status:
NICA Advocacy Page: Steps Taken to Advocate for You
Office of Insurance Regulation Market Conduct Operational Audit
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis requested that the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) conduct a Market Conduct Operational Audit of NICA. The audit was conducted to analyze NICA’s claims handling practices and determine if NICA complied with its statutory mandate. OIR found 15 separate findings and provided recommendations to the NICA Board of Directors to ensure the plan is administered in a manner that promotes and protects the health and best interests of children with birth-related neurological injuries.
To review the findings and my recommendations, please visit:
OIR Market Conduct Operational Audit of NICA
NICA Florida Statutes and Current Legislative Actions
NICA Florida Statutes
The Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 1786 on April 29, 2021 and Governor DeSantis signed it on June 21, 2021. Review the legislative changes:
NICA Legislative Page
ICA Carter's Emails to NICA Families
NICA Families: Share Your Contact Information
To better help ICA Carter advocate for your family, please submit your contact information in the form below. Personal contact information will be used for direct communication from the Office of the Insurance Consumer Advocate.
Contact the Office of the Insurance Consumer Advocate
Office of the Insurance Consumer Advocate
200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: (850) 413-5923
Email: YourFLVoice@MyFloridaCFO.com
