Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Monday, December 19
Dec 19, 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
There are no insurance-related events scheduled for today.
Editorial: Patching Florida’s catastrophe fund
Florida rolls the dice with citizens’ dollars every hurricane season. A sensible proposal by Boca Raton Republican Representative Bill Hager would halt the reckless gambling.
Opinion: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s Insurance Spin
When former Florida Governor Charlie Crist pushed to expand his state’s catastrophic insurance funds in 2007, one of his strongest backers was Marco Rubio, who at the time was a state legislator.
Editorial: Stop Florida mobile home mitigation boondoggle
A costly state program aimed at shoring up mobile homes to better withstand hurricanes has all the trappings of a boondoggle: Insider dealing, little accountability and disproportionately high funding.
Column: Florida legislators to take aim at shrinking Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Florida policymakers are still trying to overcome the outbreak of the populism in 2007 that led them to try to lower insurance rates in hurricane alley by expanding the size and competitiveness of the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.
9 Investigates: Florida homeowners insurance hikes
There are new concerns about Central Florida’s largest insurer.
Palm Beach Gardens may let shutters stay up all hurricane season
Property values will decline and more crime will occur if the city passes a proposed ordinance to allow part-time property owners to keep their hurricane shutters up during the entire storm season, opponents say.
Insurance May Deny Claim If Property Is Vacant Too Long
While Norma Jeanne was remodeling her condo, she didn’t live in it for more than 30 days.
Failed claims bills revived in Florida Legislature
Emotion-packed bills that would compensate two men whose lives were turned upside down by governmental mistakes will get another chance during Florida’s 2012 legislative session after the measures died in the frantic final hours of the 2011 session.
Florida insurance reform measure would close loophole on drug repackaging
The fight is on to close a loophole that’s driving up workers’ compensation insurance rates in Florida.
Medical Malpractice Reform Would Install ‘Patient’s Compensation System’
Years of medical-malpractice reforms have begun to rein in insurance rates for Florida physicians, but those benefits haven’t trickled down to patients, a new study finds.
Florida hospitals fear job loss from Medicaid cuts just as worker demand rising
Florida hospital workers are part of a strange tug-of-war, hard to come by when recruiting is necessary but subject to layoffs now due to Medicaid cuts.
Daytona Beach-based Brown & Brown’s purchase of California insurance firm its biggest yet
Brown & Brown just bought itself its biggest Christmas present ever.
Southwest Florida nonprofit seeks to train disabled veterans for insurance work
Tens of thousands of American soldiers have come home from war wounded in the years since the U.S. commenced its Global War on Terrorism.
Florida’s unemployment drops to 10 percent
Florida’s unemployment rate slid to 10 percent in November, down 0.4 percent from the previous month and its lowest mark since 2009, according to new data released Friday by the Department of Economic Opportunity.
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says his department is working to finish a draft energy bill before the holidays.
Florida banks still teetering, compared with rest of nation
The nation’s financial system is continuing to mend from the wounds of the Great Recession, with nearly two-thirds of U.S. banks and credit unions now earning top ratings from analyst BauerFinancial Inc.
Blog: Autocratic Senator J.D. Alexander casts big shadow
State Senator J.D. Alexander wields a lot of power.
Publix executive identified as next state citrus leader
A marketing manager at Publix is the top choice to become market Florida orange juice worldwide as the head of the state’s Department of Citrus.
Bracing for a possible 2012 Democratic primary challenge, Palm Beach County State Attorney Michael McAuliffe’s campaign conducted a poll this month that test-marketed some potential attacks on former state Senator Dave Aronberg.
As Walt Disney World fights casinos in Florida, Universal sits on the sidelines
As state lawmakers weigh whether to allow casino developers to build massive resorts in South Florida, most of Central Florida’s biggest tourism businesses have come out against the plan.
Alabama Awaits Detail of Data Call from Windstorms
Regulators and consumer groups in Alabama are awaiting the results of a data call from insurers to see if they are quickly handling claims and resolving other residents’ claimants.
New York Consumer Report Accuses Insurers of Needlessly Raising Rates
A new consumer advocacy report is accusing property/casualty insurers of ‘colluding’ and needlessly raising commercial insurance rates at a time when U.S. businesses are still reeling from the slow economy.
The United Kingdom insurance industry, supported by the Association of British Insurers, has developed a report “Industry Good Practice for Catastrophe Modeling & Solvency II” to guide companies’ use of catastrophe modeling under Solvency II.
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