Florida Officials Warn of Insurance Offers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —  State insurance officials are warning small-business owners to beware of out-of-state trusts and unions selling insurance illegally in Florida in the wake of an investigation of three such operations.

“An unauthorized insurer poses a great risk of financial harm to Florida consumers,” Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher said in a statement. “Consumers could lose thousands of dollars by getting involved with a company that is not licensed to operate here. More importantly, the coverage may not exist when it’s needed.”

Officials from the state Department of Insurance said the investigation focused on the activities of United Health Care Benefits Trust in California, the International Union of Petroleum and Industrial Workers, also of California, and the Amalgamated Local Union 355 of New York.