Thousands of Floridians' complaints against insurers failed to reach regulators, report says

• A state Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) memo says that the dismal referral rate made it harder to police insurers.

Catch up quick: Florida is the lone state where two separate agencies are responsible for insurance regulation, according to the Times.

• The Department of Financial Services oversees consumer insurance complaints and handles insolvent insurers. Meanwhile, the OIR manages insurers' rate filings and conduct.
• This split "has hindered the state's ability to adequately protect consumers," an OIR memo says.

Zoom in: The OIR raised concerns about the training of Patronis' employees and argued that consolidating oversight would help the state rein in insurers' use of affiliate companies.

• Legislative leaders haven't backed the push to merge insurance oversight, but they told the Times they're open to it.