Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, December 9
Dec 9, 2011
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
- Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2012
- Daily Insurance-Related News
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.– United States Department of the Treasury Federal Insurance Office Public Hearing: “Insurance Regulation in the United States: Modernization and Improvement.” Washington, D.C. To access a live Webcast, click here.
1:00 p.m.–Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Medicaid Reform Technical Advisory Panel meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2012
SB 1224 Relating to Civil Remedies Against Insurers by Senator Steve Oelrich
SB 1224 would require that, before bringing a common-law bad faith action against an insurer, the party bringing the action must first provide to the Florida Department of Financial Services and the insurer prior written notification of a specified number of days. It also would require that a notice relating to the bringing of a common-law claim of bad faith must specify the common-law duty violated by the insurer, along with a notice to specify the amount of moneys that an insurer has failed to tender or pay if the specific statutory or common-law-based violation includes such failure. Further, it provides that the applicable statute of limitations is tolled for a specified period of time when certain notices alleging a common-law-based violation are mailed. Effective Date: July 1, 2012
Governor Rick Scott budget sweeps banking and insurance trust funds
The governor’s proposed budget takes $57 million from programs meant to ferret out insurance fraud as well as help consumers. More than half of the sweep affects insurance.
Consumer group grades lawmakers on property insurance votes
The Policyholders of Florida, a group that contends it represents the insurance consumers of Florida, released a report today grading state lawmakers on their votes on property insurance issues in the 2011 session.
Boat reported destroyed after Hurricane Katrina shows up in Lee County
At first it looked like possible insurance fraud, but upon further examination it seems likely no one did anything wrong regarding the boat that recently turned up in Lee County.
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation warns customers about liability
As changes to Citizens Property Insurance are debated, the state’s largest property insurer is making it clear that policyholders face possible surcharges and assessments for losses because it is not “supported by the full faith and credit of the state of Florida.”
Homeowner insurance rates on the rise
Florida Tax Watch released a report calling Citizens Insurance under-funded, saying taxpayers are potentially on the hook for big losses. But the remedies will likely be hard on our wallets.
Hospital cuts pushed by Florida Governor Rick Scott come under fire
An analysis by the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida shows that Jackson Memorial Hospital would lose nearly $108 million as part of Gov. Scott’s proposal to change hospital reimbursement rates.
Blog: Miami grand jury blasts state officials for failing assisted living facility residents
A Miami-Dade grand jury blasted the state for allowing troubled assisted living facilities to stay open instead of reaching into its arsenal to crack down on the worst abusers, including imposing steeper fines, shutting down troubled homes and weeding out rogue operators.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater: Prioritizing for 2012 legislative session
Since I took office almost a year ago, a few core missions and values drive my decisions as your chief financial officer. Special taxing district review in the works, budget director says
Special taxing district review in the works, budget director says
Governor Rick Scott will issue an executive order to review most of the special taxing districts in the state.
Florida Senate panel to draft Internet sales tax bill
Committee chair Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff said the proposed committee bill will make any tax increase revenue neutral, either by an overall drop in property or sales taxes or by setting aside four Internet sales tax holiday weekends per year.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam join anti-casino forces
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Adam Putnam denounced efforts to bring large casino resorts to Florida during a press conference in the state Capitol Thursday.
Governor Rick Scott Maintains Push to Prepare Ports for Panama Canal
Florida Ports Council President Doug Wheeler was encouraged that Governor Rick Scott — who championed the dredging of the Port of Miami earlier this year — continues to stress the need to bulk up the ports in the state.
Blog: Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi pranks urine-seeking Daily Show prankster
Reporter with Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” came up empty-handed when he asked Gov. Rick Scott for a urine sample yesterday.
Mississippi Tort Reform Resurfaces with GOP in Control
On the campaign trail for president, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has bragged his state’s new “loser pays” law goes a long way to telling “trial lawyers to get out of your state.”
A.M. Best Special Report: Resilient Bermuda Market Facing Persistent Challenges
The Bermuda insurance and reinsurance market continues to report resilient financial results despite challenging conditions that include heavy catastrophe losses, a new report from A.M. Best Co. finds
Cayman targets Bermuda reinsurance business
The Cayman Islands has thrown down the gauntlet to Bermuda stating that they are actively looking to attract the reinsurance industry away from Bermuda with immigration incentives and a targeted marketing campaign focusing on the Island’s reinsurers.
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