Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, May 17
May 17, 2012
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
Thursday, May 17 to Friday, May 18–26th Annual Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference. For registration information, click here.
10:00 a.m.–Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Actuarial and Underwriting Committee meeting. Teleconference: (866) 361-7525; conference code: 8632017402#. To view the meeting notice, click here.
10:00 a.m.–Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association Audit Committee meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
10:00 a.m.–Florida Board of Employee Leasing Companies Board Meeting. Sarasota, Florida. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Citizens Property Insurance again to review plan to raise rates for new customers
The state-backed insurer won’t make a decision until this summer, but homeowner’s rates could jump nearly 30 percent statewide in a plan under review Thursday.
- New Citizens Property Insurance customers could face 56 percent rate increase
- Hurricane insurance rate hikes may target Escambia, Santa Rosa
- Blog: Two lawmakers push back against Citizens’ “uncapped rate” plan, while most others stay silent
- Blog: Senator Flores calls Citizens’ Property Insurance plan to uncap rates “simply unacceptable”
- Editorial: Citizens Property Insurance Corp. floats a terrible pricing idea
Governor Rick Scott: Odds against another quiet hurricane season
Don’t let six hurricane-free years in Florida fool you into thinking the upcoming season will be a cakewalk.
Editorial: Hurricane Catastrophe Fund — Build Florida’s Backup
Catastrophe Fund operators say they are prepared to borrow up to $7 billion more if necessary, to be paid back by a surcharge on every Floridian’s property and auto insurance policies.
Editorial: For Florida, there’s a cost to no storms, too
Six hurricane-free years have given Florida a welcome break from disaster, but government leaders fear that the public may have become a little too comfortable.
Scammers collected insurance on same burned furniture over and over, authorities
The ringleaders behind a $1.4 million insurance scam veered little from the script that worked the first time in 2007, authorities say.
Preppers Beware: Gas Can Manufacturers Warn of Shortage During 2012 Hurricane Season
Less than two weeks to hurricane season, amateur preppers: Not so much time to study up on your Mormon theology or survival medicine before the ol’ cones start showing up and the TV weathermen experience the only exciting time of their year.
Insurance agent arrested in investment fraud against seniors
An insurance agent who authorities say scammed senior citizens of more than $2 million has been charged with grand theft.
Miami has highest healthcare costs in country for private insurance
The Miami area continues to have the highest healthcare costs in the country, according to the latest edition of the Milliman Medical Index.
Alabama Man Sues Florida Blood Bank Over HIV Infection
An Alabama man has filed a lawsuit against a Florida blood bank, charging that a transfusion during a coronary bypass surgery infected him with HIV.
Appeals court to rule on Florida law targeting outside political groups
An organization opposed to gay marriage is asking a federal appeals court to reject parts of a Florida election law that seeks to rein in outside political groups.
53,000 dead people on voting rolls in Florida
Florida is calling on county election supervisors to remove more than 53,000 dead people from the state’s voting rolls.
A voicemail from Jim Greer to former Governor Charlie Crist led Crist to report that he feared the former chair of the Republican Party of Florida was trying to extort money from him, according to a story in the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida assisted living task force renews reform effort
Advocates for the elderly were crushed earlier this year when – after Governor Rick Scott and top lawmakers vowed to better protect the 80,000 residents of assisted living facilities – no legislation was passed.
Florida board lowers FCAT writing test passing score
An emergency rule adopted Tuesday will lower the passing grade for Florida’s standardized writing test to keep the failure rate about the same as last year after preliminary results showed it would have dramatically increased otherwise.
Nominating panel seeks applicants for Florida Public Service Commission
A nominating panel is seeking applicants for the Florida Public Service Commission seat held by Lisa Polak Edger, whose term expires in January.
Appetite for Gaming in Florida Growing and Clearly Palpable
People are reaching deeper into their wallets to play a record number of the state’s $1 and $2 games of chance, according to Florida Lottery records.
Texas coastal insurer OKs 5 percent rate increase
Some property owners in Texas’ coastal areas will see a 5 percent increase on their insurance bills next year.
Leading insurer pays $109 million for dog bite claims
State Farm Insurance, one of the nation’s largest home insurers, paid more than $109 million on about 3,800 dog bite claims nationwide last year, spokesman Eddie Martinez said Wednesday.
Hole-In-Won.com Owner Charged with Insurance Fraud
The chief executive of Hole-In-Won.com has been charged with insurance fraud in Montana after failing to pay prize money to a tournament participant who shot a hole-in-one almost two years ago.
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