Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, December 8

Dec 8, 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) 10:00 a.m.–Florida Surplus Lines Service Office National Clearinghouse Committee meeting.  To view the meeting notice, click here.

     

     

    Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2012

     

    SB 1190 Relating to Insurance Premium Taxes by Senator Alan Hays

    SB 1190 would exempt contributions to surplus that are collected from its policyholders by a mutual property and casualty insurance company domiciled in Florida from insurance premium taxes under certain circumstances.  Effective Date:  July 1, 2012

     

    HB 941 Relating to Commercial Lines Insurance Policies by State Representative Doug Holder

    HB 941 would authorize an insurer to transfer a commercial lines policy under certain circumstances.  The bill provides construction.  Effective Date: July 1, 2012

     

     

    Daily Insurance-Related News

     

    Insurance fight joins again as senators clash over surplus lines bill

    Senators Mike Fasano and Garrett Richter sparred over their ideas about how best to deal with Florida’s homeowners insurance problem, much as they did in this year’s session.

     

    Bill to Reduce Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Customer Base Clears Committee

    A proposal to allow surplus lines insurers to take policies out of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation passed its first committee Tuesday, but not before lengthy and pointed exchanges between supporters and vocal industry critic Senator Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey.

     

    Florida Governor Rick Scott:  Should Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Be Covering Beach Mansions?

    Governor Rick Scott wants to know why residents of Florida should continue to subsidize property insurance for ritzy homes built in high-risk areas.

     

    Florida Agents Concerned About Homeowners Choice Contract

    Independent agents in Florida are concerned that an appointment contract offered by a Florida homeowners insurer that recently assumed thousands of policies from another company could result in a loss of those clients.

     

    Editorial:  Hurricane tax is greatest risk

    For years Florida has been on the precipice of disaster because of the risks posed by the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.

     

    Blog:  Regulators using flawed data to push personal injury protection changes

    State leaders and regulators are relying on faulty data to develop legislation to fight automobile insurance fraud, according to a study released this week by the Florida Consumer Action Network.

     

    THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA:  Changes to fraud-ridden personal injury protection insurance system inch forward in legislative committees

    A plan to make changes to personal injury protection insurance inched forward Wednesday as committees in both the House and Senate took testimony but no votes on bills backers say are needed to lower costs in a fraud-riddled system, reports Michael Peltier of the News Service of Florida.

     

    Efforts underway at the Capitol to salvage personal injury protection auto coverage from rampant fraud 

    Masked men were in the state Capitol Wednesday concealing their identities because they investigate the fastest growing insurance fraud in the state.

     

    Bill to Limit Dispensing Physicians’ Profits in Workers’ Compensation Cases Is Victorious in Subcommittee

    Despite a majority contingent of speakers testifying on behalf of dispensing physicians, HB 511 — a bill limiting how much dispensing physicians can charge for their repackaged drugs — sailed through the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee on Wednesday.

     

    Naples agent who wrote bogus insurance policies can pay up to avoid hefty prison term

    A Naples insurance agent who took money from homeowners and businesses for bogus insurance policies while free on bail for the same crime was given a chance Wednesday to avoid a hefty state prison term – Pay up.

     

    Report:  Premiums may force 800,000 Floridians from Medicaid

    About 800,000 people may be forced out of the state’s Medicaid program if they must pay the $10 per month premium proposed by the Florida Legislature last spring, according to a report released today.

     

    Sovereign Immunity bill riles up familiar foes

    Dogs and cats. Oil and water. Gators and winning. All are things that don’t mix, but perhaps none repel one another like physicians and trial lawyers.

     

    Governor Rick Scott’s $66.4 billion budget would slash spending to free up funding for education

    Governor Rick Scott on Wednesday unveiled a $66.4 billion budget proposal for Florida that would propose cuts in nearly every area of state government to free up money for K-12 education.

     

    Welfare drug test case is granted class action status

    A legal challenge to a Florida law requiring drug testing of welfare applicants now is a class action case

     

    Florida woman’s bankruptcy could be problem for health-care lawsuit

    The challenge to the health care overhaul relies in part on the story of a Panama City business owner who closed her auto-repair shop in August and filed for bankruptcy the next month.

     

    In workshop, senators critique casino bill

    Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, has some work to do before the hyped casino resort bill she’s sponsoring will make it through its first Senate committee.

     

    Bill Seeks to Prohibit Florida Banks from Handling Cash from Iranian Arms Dealers

    There is no knowledge or evidence that Iranian arms dealers are laundering money through banks chartered in Florida.

     

    Repairers vs. insurers 

    Auto repair shops are stepping up their efforts against insurance companies, which they argue are controlling their prices by steering customers toward preferred businesses that do their bidding.

     

     

     

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