Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Monday, April 29
Apr 29, 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
Florida’s 2013 Regular Legislative Session
- Click here for today’s Senate block calendar
- Click here for today’s House of Representatives block calendar
12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.– Florida Senate Session. Consideration of the following bills:
- CS/CS/HB 635 relating to Insurance
- CS/SB 262 relating to Delivery of Insurance Policies
- CS/CS/SB 1408 relating to Captive Insurance
- CS/CS/CS/SB 242 relating to Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Florida Senate acts against credit score-based insurance claims denials
The Florida Senate took action Friday to stop an insurance practice that “appalled” a key legislator – denying claims and canceling policies based on credit information left out of an application, even after a customer has paid premiums for years, Charles Elmore reports for the Palm Beach Post.
Florida House adds more consumer protection to Citizens Property Insurance overhaul
Two competing visions of legislation overhauling Citizens Property Insurance Corp. are prepared for negotiations between the House and the Senate after the House passed HB 909, including more consumer protections than the Senate version, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
Tourism and home-sale gains could be at stake in Florida insurance legislation
Coming off the strongest season for visitation and home sales since the Great Recession took hold, higher insurance premiums levied by Citizens Property Insurance Corp. could rock the two segments of the economy now leading Southwest Florida’s recovery, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Josh Salman reports.
In what could be a preview of a battle over Florida’s tax code in years to come, the House moved to nullify a Senate plan to eliminate a tax break for the insurance industry, reports The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer.
Florida House Rejects $50 Billion in Medicaid Assistance, Opts for Stingy Alternative
By a 71 to 45 vote, the Florida House of Representatives passed its own health plan, which relies on state money and bypasses more than $50 billion in federal funds, Carol Gentry of Florida Health News reported via FlaglerLive.com. Opponents of the plan said that amounts to double taxation, since federal funds are already available to help the uninsured. But supporters of the plan said it would be wrong to take funds from Washington at a time when there is a federal deficit.
Agreement on Diagnosis Related Groups closes out Florida health care budget
The Senate lowered by about 80 percent the amount of local tax money for hospitals it wanted to divert to a statewide pool and boosted funding for DRG’s reimbursement rate in order to close what once was a $400 million difference in the AHCA budget. Final calculations and implementing language still need to be worked out, The Florida Current’s James Call writes.
Governor’s agenda uncertain with one week remaining in Session
With a week left in the legislative session and the outlook still uncertain for Gov. Rick Scott’s top priorities, it was time for the governor to apply some pressure. In a bit of political arm-twisting, Scott suggested last week that he might start vetoing projects dear to key legislators, James Rosica reports for the Associated Press in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Raises approved in budget for state workers
With Governor Rick Scott’s signature, state employees will get a $1,400 or $1,000 annual raise — depending on how much they make now, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Weatherford willing to revisit pension reform in 2014
House Speaker Will Weatherford, who wants to close Florida’s traditional pension system and require new public employees to join investment plans, said Friday he remains confident that the Senate will make major cost-saving changes this year. If not, he said he will bring back his plan next session, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Senate revises nuclear cost recovery law
The Florida Senate on Friday voted unanimously to approve a bill to revise the 2006 law that allows utilities to charge customers for nuclear projects regardless of whether they are built, The Florida Current’s Bruce Ritchie reports.
Tax cuts, stadium deals, insurance reform, expressway changes all come down to session’s final week
The last week of Florida’s legislative session will settle fights on taxes, stadium subsidies from Orlando to South Florida, and the fading push from Gov. Rick Scott to win $2,500 pay raises for teachers and tax breaks for businesses, Orlando Sentinel’s Aaron Deslatte reports.
First Amendment Foundation Criticizes Hyper-Partisan Legislature, Bad Public Policy
The session that ends Friday will continue the trend toward greater secrecy in a state that prides itself on citizen access to information, known as government in the sunshine.
Foreign Reinsurance Tax Proposals On Congressional Agenda Again
Insurance Journal’s Charles Boyle reports on the latest skirmish in the ongoing dispute over whether companies that write reinsurance in the U.S. market are using tax havens to avoid paying a fair share of the taxes they would otherwise owe on the premiums they earn.
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