Surplus lines industry fears growth of government-backed insurance

Additional involvement by government in the insurance industry would do more harm than good, a panel of industry leaders told the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices Ltd. In particular, several concerns have arisen from Florida's expansion of the state's Citizens Property Insurance Corp, a state-backed insurer of last resort. If Citizens proves successful, the federal government could decide to expand the model from Massachusetts to Texas, said M. Steven DeCarlo, president and CEO of Charlotte, NC- based AmWINS Group Inc.