The Florida Senate

627.162  Requirements for premium installments; delinquency, collection, and check return charges; attorney's fees.--

(1)  Insurers providing workers' compensation coverage under chapter 440 shall provide, upon request of the employer, policies providing for the payment of premiums by installment for policies with annual premiums exceeding $1,000.

(2)  Insurers providing workers' compensation coverage under chapter 440 may charge the insured a delinquency and collection fee on each installment in default for a period of not less than 5 days in an amount not to exceed $10 or 5 percent of the delinquent installment, whichever is greater. Only one such delinquency and collection fee may be collected on any such installment regardless of the period during which it remains in default.

(3)  If an installment in default under this section is referred for collection to an attorney, the insured is liable for the payment of attorney's fees not exceeding 25 percent of the sum of the installment and any delinquency and collection fee charged by the insurer.

(4)  Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, an insurer may not take or receive from or charge an insured any collection fee or attorney's fee unless the insurer has mailed a notice of the default to the insured at his or her address as shown on the records of the insurer, giving the insured at least 5 days within which to make the payment in default. A notice of cancellation sent by the insurer to the insured in accordance with s. 440.42 is legally sufficient notice of the default for purposes of this section.

(5)  If a payment is made to an insurer by check or draft and the instrument is returned because of insufficient funds, the insurer may impose a charge of $20 or 5 percent of the check amount, whichever is greater.

(6)  The term "insurer," for purposes of this section, includes a commercial self-insurance fund as defined in s. 624.462, an assessable mutual insurer as defined in s. 628.6011, and a group self-insurer's fund as defined in s. 624.4621

History.--s. 53, ch. 90-201; s. 51, ch. 91-1; s. 17, ch. 91-201; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 24, ch. 92-318; s. 318, ch. 97-102; s. 28, ch. 99-3.