Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Tuesday, November 27

Nov 27, 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

 

11 a.m.–Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Board of Governors Budget Workshop; Teleconference:  888-942-8686; participant code:  5743735657#.  To view the meeting notice, click here.

     

     

    Daily Insurance-Related News

     

    Citizens Property Insurance customers may have been denied millions in discounts

    The forms used by property insurers across the state to calculate insurance discounts for homeowners are seriously flawed and must be completely thrown out, an administrative judge has found in a potentially ground-breaking ruling.

     

    Confidence fades as Citizens Property Insurance antics become public

    Citizens Property Insurance was created in 2002 by the state to protect Floridians unable to find private insurance coverage.

     

    Hurricane season claims put little dent in Citizens Property Insurance surplus

    As hurricane season ends Friday, Florida’s last-resort insurer Citizens has paid $32 million in storm claims through October 31, a report released Monday shows — putting little dent in a pile of leftover money expected to grow well past $6 billion by year’s end.

     

    Column:  Citizens Property Insurance Office of Corporate Integrity can’t compete with Coyote Ugly

    Look, we’ve all had those best-forgotten moments of inebriated indiscretions, not unlike the night the gang from Citizens Property Insurance headed over to Coyote Ugly in Tampa, perhaps to discuss, over too many cocktails, how to wring more money and misery out of their beleaguered policyholders.

     

    Editorial:  The rot at Citizens Property Insurance deeper than management

    Governor Rick Scott has ordered an investigation into the management of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. after numerous reports of scandal and misconduct.

     

    Editorial:  Citizens Property Insurance has lost all credibility

    The board members of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. can accomplish a lot at today’s meeting by acknowledging that the state-run insurer has become a corruption-ridden scam artist that threatens Florida’s economic recovery.

     

    Insurance fliers confuse consumers

    An insurance company with a record of consumer confusion and accusations of deceptive advertising is papering Florida with direct-mail advertisements that look more like bills from the government.

     

    Florida Health and Human Services Committee to tackle state exchange

    Committee assignment are rolling out of Tallahassee, and with the decision on a state healthcare exchange still looming, the Health and Human Services Committee has a full plate.

     

    United Healthcare, Bay Care at impasse

    Insurance insecurity is gripping hundreds of thousands of Bay Area residents.

     

    Florida Senate announces committee chairs; House releases full committee assignments

    State Senator Joe Negron, R-Stuart, was picked Monday to serve as chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, which is regarded as one of the Legislature’s more powerful positions.

     

    Blog:  For 20 Florida senators, it’s almost campaign time again

    The 2012 election campaign may have just ended, but for half of the members of the Florida Senate, it will soon be time to reload and run again.

     

    Florida regulators approve nuclear power rates

    Florida’s two largest electric utilities won state approval Monday to charge customers $294 million in costs for future nuclear facilities in 2013, despite objections from consumer advocates.

     

    County tax collectors, others file protests against Florida’s plan to outsource license plates

    County tax collectors and two other license plate groups filed formal protests Monday accusing Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of overstepping its authority with plans to outsource parts of its license plate operation.

     

    Florida Governor Rick Scott Seeks $10,000 College Degrees

    Governor Rick Scott on Monday challenged Florida’s community and state colleges to develop four-year degrees that would cost no more than $10,000, which also would continue their move into an area that was once the sole domain of the state’s public universities.

     

    Controversial Marion County ranch gets extension on permit application

    State water managers have granted the owners of Adena Springs Ranch additional time to finalize their application for one of the most controversial water-consumption permits in recent memory.

     

    The Florida Current’s Q and A With Florida Representative Mike Clelland

    The retired firefighter from Lake Mary didn’t listen to the experts, waged a grass-roots campaign against Chris Dorworth — a future House Speaker, and won.

     

    Michigan Class Action Likens Insurers’ Nonprofit to Slush Fund

    Major insurers have turned the nonprofit Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association into a multibillion-dollar “political tool” to keep premiums high and “advance the insurance industry agenda of passing legislation capping no-fault benefits,” a class action claims in Federal Court.

     

    Blog:  Moss Point going to court to get ruling on homes in Mississippi flood plain

    Moss Point’s building official expects a court date will be set in December to start proceedings that will determine if 47 properties meet compliance regulations that require residents to elevate homes in flood plains across Moss Point.

     

    Kansas Assistant Commissioner Tomlinson Accepts New State Appointment

    Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger has announced that Bob Tomlinson, the Kansas Insurance Department’s assistant commissioner, has accepted a position in the state Department of Administration.

     

    New York Times:  Paying for Future Catastrophes

    Hurricane Sandy could cost the nation a staggering $50 billion, about a third of the cost of Hurricane Katrina – to date the most costly disaster in United States history.

     

    State Regulators Select 20 for Insurance Consumer Program

    The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently named 29 consumer liaison representatives for 2013.

     

    Peace Corps, U.S. Department of Labor Need to Talk About Workers’ Compensation

    Workers’ compensation for Peace Corps volunteers might improve if the Peace Corps and the U.S. Department of Labor took full advantage of the information they have about it, the Government Accountability Office says.

     

     

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