Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Monday, June 20

Jun 20, 2011

 

To go directly to the section of your choice, click on a hyperlink below.  Other hyperlinks to meeting information, bills and news are noted in bold type.


 

 

Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events

 

CANCELED-9:00 a.m.–Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Proposed Rule Hearing.  To view the hearing notice, click here.

  • Proposed Rule 19-8.029, “Insurer Reporting Requirements,” would adopt the 2011/2012 FHCF Data Call and the 2011/2012 FHCF Interim and Proof of Loss forms.
  • Proposed Rule 19-8.030, “Insurer Responsibilities,” would adopt the 2011/2012 FHCF Exposure and Loss Examination Advance Preparation Instructions and the 2011/2012 FHCF Interim and Proof of Loss forms.

9:30 a.m.–Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Proposed Rule Hearing.  Proposed Rule 69O-170.0155 would update Form OIR-B1-1802, also known as the “Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form,” to reflect 2010 statutory changes and other related issues.  To view the hearing notice, click here.

 

 

Daily Insurance-Related News

 

Florida Drought Conditions Match Devastating 1998 Wildfire Season

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said drought conditions are the same as in 1998 when wildfires devastated Florida.

 

Assessments Haunt Florida’s Citizens, Officials

Florida officials are worried over possible policyholder assessments by Citizens Property Insurance.

 

Legislature kills move to cut hospital Medicaid rates again

A projected surplus of more than $80 million in Medicaid is the reason why the Legislative Budget Commission refused to go along with Agency for Health Care Administration’s move to reduce Medicaid rates for hospitals.

 

Florida travel insurance can be a bargain with right company

If you’re spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a travel package this summer, paying a little extra for travel insurance may be a smart way to protect your cash.

 

Governor signs 42 bills including measure to exempt farms from permitting

Audubon of Florida and Sierra Club Florida had asked the governor to veto HB 421, saying it would make it easier for farmers to clear their lands for future development without having to get permits.

 

Lawsuit:  Blind woman challenges Governor Rick Scott’s policymaking

Governor Rick Scott faces a blind woman on food stamps this month at the Florida Supreme Court, where the South Florida resident is challenging Scott’s handling of rulemaking by state agencies.

 

Florida ethics panel drops $200,000 in fines owed by 168 officials after time limit passes

The Florida Commission on Ethics walked away Friday from almost $200,000 in fines owed by dozens of public officials – acknowledging the scofflaws had outlasted a four-year statutory limit on the penalties.

 

State Representative Perman calls on Governor Scott to open up public records

Governor Rick Scott is again under fire for his public records policies, this time from freshman state Representative Steve Perman, D-Boca Raton, who sent him a letter asking him to make records more accessible.

 

Democrats could gain power in Florida as state faces redistricting

Florida Democrats puzzle and fume over the state’s political math, but they see this week’s opening round of redistricting public hearings as the start of something they’ve long awaited.

 

Key decisions are just ahead for Governor Rick Scott

In the next few weeks, Governor Rick Scott will make a series of key decisions that could affect his sometimes tense relationship with the Legislature, his standing with political and business leaders, and ultimately his low public approval ratings.

 

Citrus reforms under fire from officials

A month after the 2011 legislative session ended, the political finger-pointing continues between state Senator J.D. Alexander, who authored a major reform of the state Citrus Code, and top Florida citrus officials who oppose it.

 

Wall Street Journal:  In Florida, Banking’s Survivors Are Lending

Fifty-one banks in Florida have failed since the start of 2007. Now some of the survivors are starting to make loans again.

 

The next judicial logjam:  Banks being sued over illegal foreclosures

Not too long ago, Florida protected homebuyers from being tossed out on the street for not making mortgage payments.

 

Mississippi Signs NIMA for Surplus Lines Law Implementation

Mississippi joins Florida and Hawaii in signing the Nonadmitted Insurance Multistate Agreement to implement the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2010-a surplus-lines-related component of the Dodd-Frank financial-services reform bill.

 

Republicans Press Federal Regulators on Insurance Representation

Republican members of the House Financial Services Committee grilled federal regulators on how they will represent insurance interests on the international stage and regulate the industry through authority granted in the Dodd-Frank financial-services reform law.

 

Alabama Governor Bentley says he’s in charge of Alabama tornado recovery effort

If you have a suggestion or complaint about Alabama’s recovery from the deadly tornadoes in April, the buck stops with the governor.

 

State Farm pays out $1.75 billion in storm claims

State Farm Insurance Cos. says it has paid $1.75 billion in claims generated by catastrophic storms around the country this spring.

 

Bermuda & U.S. Affirm Partnership on Captive Insurance Business

A listless economy has meant $150 million trimmed from Bermuda’s budget, but a brighter outlook is expected later this year, according to Bermuda and U.S. officials.

 

‘Mini-med’ plan waiver application deadline set

Federal regulators say they will stop accepting applications after Sept. 22 from sponsors of limited health care or “mini-med” plans for waivers from a health reform law requirement that plans must offer minimum dollar coverage amounts for essential benefits each year.

 

Opinion:  Can insurers’ ‘view’ save us from climate change?

People judge risk badly. We worry too much about minor hazards and are nonchalant about more serious ones.

 

 

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