Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report – Friday, February 09, 2018
Feb 9, 2018
Click on the hyperlinks below to read headlines from Florida insurance, political, legislative and national insurance news today, February 9, 2018:
Fraud suspect plotted to hire hitman to “take care of” Miami prosecutor, state alleges
Prosecutors say Espinosa owned and operated Nationwide Adjusters andworking with recruiters and “finders” across Florida to locate homeowners willing to allow him to set fires or flood their homes before filing insurance claims, the Miami Herald reports.
South Florida’s Brightline High Speed Trains (Photo Courtesy CBS Local Miami)
Brightline train hits pedestrian; 6th incident since testing began
It’s the fourth time this year that Brightline has hit a pedestrian or bicyclist and the sixth time since the passenger railroad began test runs, USA Today reports.
Tobacco cases rejected because of dead clients
A state appellate court upheld the dismissal of more than 70 lawsuits against tobacco companies and refused to allow attorneys to amend the complaints because the clients had died before the cases were filed. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports via FloridaPolitics.com.
Florida Senate Targets Insurance Claim Denials
Health insurers and health-maintenance organizations would be banned from retroactively denying claims if they verified eligibility at the time of treatment and provided authorization numbers, under a bill that moved forward Thursday in the Florida Senate. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA reports via WLRN.org.
Florida could provide option for traffic ticket discounts
Republican Senator Jeff Brandes said his bill would restore the discount that was in place before 2008. He said it is part of Governor Rick Scott’s budget proposal. The Associated Press reports via WESH.com.
Florida legislators pass rival $87 billion budgets
With less than a month to work out substantial differences, the Republican-controlled Florida House and Senate on Thursday passed dueling $87 billion budgets for the coming year. The Associated Press’ Gary Fineout reports via the Gainesville Sun.
- Florida’s biggest spending plan ever ready for final negotiations
- Florida House ties major education policy changes to its budget plan
- Florida House, Senate $232 million apart in annual conservation fund allocations
- State budget proposal could cost Jackson Memorial $59 million in Medicaid funding
- Miami-Dade warns of massive bus route cuts if state bill passes
Vacation rental change sails through Florida Senate committee
A wave of opposition from local elected officials and lodging groups couldn’t stop the Regulated Industries Committee from voting 9-1 on SB 1400 by Senator Greg Steube, R-Sarasota.
Florida’s pot industry on track to hit $1 billion — but when?
The report estimates Florida’s medical marijuana market will approach $1.1 billion in 2020. Forecasts by two other analysts predict Florida pot sales will remain below $1 billion in 2020. Jeff Ostrowski reports for the Palm Beach Post.
Florida lawmaker urges FEMA to extend housing aid for evacuees in Florida
State Representative Bob Cortes urged FEMA to work with the Puerto Rican government to extend housing assistance programs for evacuees in Florida whose aid could run out as early as next week, the Sun-Sentinel’s Bianca Padro Ocasio reports.
Pugilistic Corcoran lines up another one-on-one, this time with Negron
If Tuesday’s immigration debate between House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum isn’t enough to whet the appetite of capital city political junkies, there’s another guilty-pleasure contest on the horizon, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Dara Kam writes on the “Truth or Dara” blog.
Yes, he did! Patronis slides into Cabinet tradition
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis took Attorney General Pam Bondi up on her “double dog dare” about going down the Big Slide on the opening day of the Florida State Fair.
Seibels Appoints Fiona Cantrell Vice President of Financial Services
Cantrell will be responsible for overseeing the company’s financial services operations, including all direct bill, receivable accounting, and quality assurance activities for Seibels’ business process services and third party administration clients.
Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield’s catastrophe model development team, today launches the latest edition of its monthly Global Catastrophe Recap report, which evaluates the impact of the natural disaster events that occurred worldwide during January 2018. Aon Benfield is the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon plc (NYSE: AON).
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