Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Tuesday, August 20
Aug 20, 2013
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
11:00 a.m.–Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (“FWCJUA”) Operations Committee teleconference meeting. To view the agenda, click here.
Florida Self-Insurance Guaranty Association meetings; Audit Committee–12:00 p.m.; Board of Directors–3:00 p.m. Orlando, Florida. To view the meeting notice, click here.
2:00 p.m.–FWCJUA Producer Committee teleconference meeting; 2:00 p.m. To view the agenda, click here.
4:00 p.m.–Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Public Rate Hearing; Tampa, Florida. To view the hearing notice, click here. Citizens has requested the following statewide average rate increases for the Coastal Account (“CA”), Commercial Lines Account (“CLA”) and Personal Lines Account (“PLA”):
- 13-12319: +8.7 percent to Commercial Residential – Condo Only (CLA)
- 13-12323: +0.0 percent to Commercial Residential – Excluding Condo Assoc. (CLA)
- 13-12470: +9.6 percent to Commercial Non-Residential (CLA)
- 13-13047: +9.8 percent to Homeowners (CA)
- 13-13048: +7.3 percent to Homeowners (PLA)
- 13-13335: +10.5 percent to Property – Dwelling/Fire (CA)
- 13-13336: +9.9 percent to Property – Dwelling/Fire (PLA)
- 13-13467: +10.0 percent to Commercial Non-Residential (CA)
- The proposed rate changes also include total increases for sinkhole coverage of 15.6 percent to DP-1 (Dwelling/Fire), 27 percent to DP-3 (Dwelling/Fire), and 25.3 percent to HO-3 (Homeowners). The requested rate increases are not uniform. The effective dates of the proposed rate increases are: CA–February 1, 2014 for new and renewal business; CLA–January 1, 2014 for new and renewal business; and PLA–January 1, 2014 for new and renewal business.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Hearing in Tampa today on Citizens’ rate increase
Based on early comments, state insurance regulators will be getting an earful at today’s public hearing on proposed rate increases by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, reports James Rosica for the Tampa Tribune.
Florida, other states settle with life insurer ING
Florida and other states reached a settlement with ING Life Insurance and Annuity Co. as part of an effort to make sure life insurers are properly checking death records and making payments to beneficiaries, Palm Beach Post’s Charles Elmore reports.
Florida Shands HealthCare settles with U.S. Justice Department
The U.S. Justice Department announced Monday a $26.2 million settlement with Florida Shands Healthcare over allegations that six of its facilities submitted false claims to Medicare, Medicaid and other health care programs, The Florida Current reports.
Florida Republicans defend hands-off approach on federal health care
Republican lawmakers are fighting back against criticism that their hands-off approach to the federal health care law is leaving consumers vulnerable, Tia Mitchell reports for Tampa Bay Times.
Rick Scott to bash Obamacare “Navigators” over ID-theft, tax issues
Rick Scott made just enough of a name for himself with just the right team in 2009 by fighting Obamacare as a private citizen through his group Conservatives for Patients Rights. After parlaying that campaign into a successful bid for governor, Scott is now using Florida’s biggest bully pulpit to continue criticizing Affordable Care Act, Marc Caputo writes for the Miami Herald’s Naked Politics blog.
Florida among states with no commercial host liability laws
A new study says that in recent years many states have enacted legislation to protect retailers from commercial host liability by increasing the evidentiary requirements, limiting the amount of liability awards and/or protecting certain retailers from liability, Insurance Journal reports.
Democratic CFO candidate drops out after bankruptcies revealed
Central Florida Urban League leader Allie Braswell is leaving the race after just four days after the Florida Times-Union reported he has filed for bankruptcy three times, Gray Rohrer reports for The Florida Current.
Stand Your ground repealer bill is filed
A Tallahassee legislator who helped the Dream Defenders during their 31-day state Capitol sit-in filed legislation Monday (HB 4003) to repeal the “stand your ground” law that figured prominently in the acquittal of George Zimmerman on murder charges in July, Bill Cotterell reports for The Florida Current.
Long battle likely if Florida takes water fight to U.S. Supreme Court, experts say
Florida may be pursuing its only legal course by asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decide its water dispute with Georgia, but that route still could be slow and costly, legal experts say, Bruce Ritchie reports for The Florida Current.
Jim Greer Tried to get Gambling Regulator Fired
Former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, on the payroll of a South Florida dog track, tried to get a gambling regulator fired two days before the veteran state worker was forced to resign, according to court records obtained by Dara Kam of THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA, SunshineStateNews.com notes.
Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance to Boost its Line of Credit to $125 Million
Louisiana’s property insurer of last resort received approval from state officials to bump up its bank line of credit, giving the company more resources to cover claim costs if the state is hit with a significant storm, Melinda Deslatte reports.
Major changes recommended for coastal areas
Coastal communities should assume floods are going to happen more frequently and realize that spending now on protective measures could save money later, according to a report issued by a presidential task force charged with developing a strategy for rebuilding areas damaged by Superstorm Sandy, reports David Caruso for the Jacksonville Times-Union.
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