Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, May 15

May 15, 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

 

    10:00 a.m.–Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (“FWCJUA”) Investment Committee teleconference meeting.  To view the meeting notice, click here.  To view the agenda, click here.

      2:00 p.m.–FWCJUA Rates and Forms Committee teleconference meeting.  To view the meeting notice, click here.  To view the agenda, click here.

         

         

        Daily Florida Insurance-Related News

         

        State Farm agent Mike Hill wins Republican primary

        Tea Party founder advances to the June 11 general election

        State Farm agent Mike Hill, also the founder of the Northwest Florida Tea Party, handily won the six-candidate Republican primary for the state House District 2 seat on Tuesday, defeating an establishment candidate with a long public service record who had the backing of nearly all of Pensacola’s political power brokers, reports Pensacola News-Journal’s Nate Monroe.

         

        Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Cap on Public Adjuster’s Fees Lifted

        In a victory for public adjusters, Florida lawmakers repealed a 10 percent cap on fees paid to public adjusters who handle claims from Citizens Property Insurance, Insurance Journal’s Michael Adams reports.

         

        Florida lawmakers waiting to take a longer bite out of Citizens Insurance

        A wait-and-see attitude is shared by Florida lawmakers who hope to push bigger reforms on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation; private insurers who think their companies can offer policyholders a better deal; and some industry observers who fear new start-ups may be even more vulnerable in the event of a big storm than Florida’s insurer of last resort, reports Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Chris Graham.

         

        Florida Inspector General’s report finds no retaliation in Citizens’ firings

        The firing of four members of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.‘s Office of Corporate Integrity last fall was not retaliatory, according to the final report issued Monday by Gov. Rick Scott‘s chief inspector general investigating the incident, reports Maria Mallory White for the Sun-Sentinel.

         

        New Port Richey homeowner says sinkhole “fix” did more damage than repair

        After a sinkhole was found under a New Port Richey home, a contractor started pumping so much grout under a house to stabilize it, that the house started cracking, reports Eric Glasser for WTSP-TV in Tampa.

         

        Hillsborough-Area Seffner Chamber Hosts Sinkhole Forum

        Sinkhole repair company officials were guest speakers at a recent luncheon on sinkholes at the Greater Seffner Chamber of Commerce, Yvette Hammett reports for the Tampa Tribune.

         

        State Representative Slosberg confident Florida DUI threshold can be lowered after federal recommendation

        The federal government’s push Tuesday to have states lower the threshold for when a driver is presumed to be drunk made things a little easier for Rep. Irv Slosberg, the ranking Democrat on the state House’s transportation committee, reports Ana Valdes for the Palm Beach Post.

         

        Blog:  1st District Court of Appeal Weighs Continued Two-Year Trauma Care Fight

        In the latest round in a two-year legal battle, a state appeals court Tuesday heard arguments in a dispute that stems from the Florida Department of Health allowing three hospitals to operate trauma centers, reports Jim Saunders of THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA in SaintPetersBlog.com.

         

        Prominent Cuban actor among 90 arrested in South Florida Medicare sting

        Twenty-five South Florida arrests were made Tuesday out of 90 nationwide for alleged Medicare fraud, including an actor and cable station operator in the hotbed of U.S. health care scams, The Miami Herald’s Jay Weaver reports.   

         

        Blog:  Bill Nelson says he is not planning to run for governor

        For weeks, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson has been saying he has no intention of running for governor, blogs Scott Powers for the Orlando Sentinel.

         

        Governor Scott Departing For Chile on Enterprise Florida Mission As Budget Deadline Approaches 

        As the clock ticks down for Governor Rick Scott to sign the budget for the coming year, he will be flying to Santiago, Chile, as the head of an Enterprise Florida trade mission, reports Peter Schorsch of SaintPetersBlog.com.

         

        Puerto Rican Chamber President Files to Challenge Governor in Primary

        Rick Scott has yet to file for a second term for governor, but he’s already drawn a primary opponent — Elizabeth Cuevas Neunder, founder and CEO of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commence of Florida, and a longtime Republican activist and candidate from Sarasota, SunshineStateNews.com’s Jeff Henderson reports.

         

        Blog:  Fred Brummer Will Not Run For Florida House Again

        Orange County Commissioner Fred Brummer said Tuesday that he would not run again next year for the House seat currently held by State Representative Bryan Nelson, reports Peter Schorsch of SaintPetersBlog.com.

         

        Republicans Back Longwood Commissioner Bob Cortes Against Freshman House Democrat Karen Castor Dentel

        With the 2013 legislative session wrapping up earlier in the month, Republicans are pushing ahead to find a candidate who can defeat freshman Rep. Karen Castor Dentel, D-Maitland, next year — and it appears they’ve found their man, SunshineStateNews.com’s Jeff Henderson reports.

         

        AAMGA is now American Association of Wholesale Insurance Professionals

        The American Association of Managing General Agents says it plans to open membership to the entire wholesale insurance community and is changing the association’s name for the fourth time in its history, reports Mark Ruquet for PropertyCasualty360.com.

         

        Indiana Governor Enacts Workers’ Compensation Reform

        HB 1320 was inked by Gov. Mike Pence over the weekend, reports Chad Hemenway for PropertyCasualty360.com.  The law imposes a fee schedule with a maximum reimbursement rate of 200 percent of the Medicare rate for treatments and procedures to workers’ compensation claimants by medical service providers.

         

        Georgia Insurance Commissioner to Host Hurricane Preparedness Expo on June 15

        The hurricane season is almost here and Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens is inviting the public to attend the 12th Annual Hurricane Preparedness Expo on June 15, Insurance Journal reports.

         

         

        Click here to follow Colodny Fass& Webb on Twitter (@CFTLAWcom)

         

         

        To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an e-mail to Brooke Ellis at bellis@cftlaw.com.