Sitting in the front row at both meetings, Crist sent a clear message that he wanted lawmakers to pass the controversial bills, which he thinks will lower insurance rates.

But bigger picture, Crist's appearances signaled something else: More than two months after lawmakers held a special session to overhaul the property insurance system, major problems remain.

Homeowners continue opening their mailboxes and getting notices their coverage is being dropped. And often, the only way they can get new coverage is to pay more -- a lot more.

John Southwick, 60, recently got notice that Allstate was dropping coverage of his DeLand mobile home. Now, he has received a quote from another company that would cause his premiums to more than double and his deductible to skyrocket.

Crist is lobbying for bills that would allow the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to compete more freely with private insurers, arguing that would help bring down prices for consumers. He acknowledged it is rare for him to attend committee meetings, but his appearances last week drove home the point.

Also, he wants to rein in the practice of national insurance companies setting up Florida subsidiaries to sell property insurance. That has become an issue because many Florida subsidiaries have sought large rate increases while their national parents have reported record profits.

But the proposals are controversial, in part, because Citizens ran up deficits of $2.2 billion paying claims from the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. That caused all property insurance policyholders in the state -- whether Citizens customers or not -- to help pay off the deficits.

During a special session in January, lawmakers killed expected rate increases for Citizens customers along with freeing Citizens to be more competitive. In the past, Citizens was considered a high-cost insurer of last resort for residents who couldn't find coverage elsewhere.

Lawmakers also decided to sell more cheap reinsurance -- a crucial form of backup coverage used to pay hurricane claims -- to private insurers. Those companies, in turn, were expected to pass on the savings to customers through lower rates.

But after the special session, many private insurers proposed only modest rate cuts. Also, companies like Allstate resumed dropping policies as they sought to reduce their financial risks in the state.

As one of the latest indications of problems, USAA, an insurer that primarily serves military families, said this week it would place new restrictions on the coverage it sells in Florida. In a statement on the company's Web site, the company described the market in Florida as "untenable" and said decisions by policymakers had prevented the company from charging high enough rates to cover its risks.

Mark Mullin, president of Mullin & Co., an Ormond Beach insurance agency, said many homeowners who lose coverage can find replacement policies with relatively small insurers that are new to the market. But that replacement coverage often costs more than what customers paid to their old companies.

Richard Brown, president and chief executive of the Daytona Beach agency Hayward Brown Inc., said he thinks decisions during the special legislative session are "running companies out of Florida." He pointed to lawmakers' expansion of the role of Citizens, which also increased the state's financial risks if a major hurricane hits.

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