Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Monday, February 4
Feb 4, 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
(CANCELED) 11:00 a.m.–Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Board of Governors meeting. Agenda includes discussion of the 2013 Finance Plan, including risk transfer and pre-event financing. Teleconference: 888-942-8686; conference code: 5743735657#. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced the arrest of Miami public adjuster Roberto Alvarez, 44, for allegedly submitting more than $270,000 in fraudulent homeowners insurance claims.
Florida Senate to Unveil Property Insurance Reforms
Florida lawmakers are planning next week to release a draft version of a property insurance reform bill.
Regulators critical of procurement, travel policies in Citizens Property Insurance review
The report from the Office of Insurance Regulation says Citizens Property Insurance Corp. should bring its vendor contracting and travel spending policies in line with state policies.
Florida pays more for insurance than Texas, all but 9 nations
Ah, Florida. The sun. The sand. The insurance bills bigger than whole countries pay, including India and Russia.
Editorial: Florida Governor Scott’s hot potato — Citizens Property Insurance
Citizens Insurance is a hard company to like, but if its leaders are to be believed, Floridians are about to see it take a more “moderate” approach to hiking premiums and slashing coverage, even as it helps create a more competitive insurance marketplace.
No void in Hernando County sinkhole claims
There have been almost 34 times as many reported sinkholes in Hernando County between 2005 and 2012.
Good Question: “Why are insurance rates up 10 percent from last year?”
More than a million Florida homeowners are reaching deeper into their pockets to pay for Citizens Property Insurance.
Op-Ed: How to make property insurance affordable
The Herald-Tribune has published several articles relating to Citizens Property Insurance and its ongoing battle to raise rates and to shed clients. But there has been shamefully very little written about what could be done to reverse premium increases.
Auto crash reports always available in some cities, but they’ll cost you
When Candy Sargent’s teenage son was involved in a fender bender recently, she learned that if she wanted the accident report quickly, it would cost her.
Blog: Former State Senator Durell Peaden Chosen As New Chairman Of Florida Health Choices
Former state Senator Durell Peaden has been chosen as the new chairman of Florida Health Choices, which is planned as a new online marketplace for people to shop for health coverage.
Florida Senator David Simmons says strong arguments exist to expand Medicaid
The Republican senator from Altamonte Springs said the argument is compelling to use other people’s money to pay the cost of health insurance for 900,000 Floridians.
Blog: Florida Governor Rick Scott’s Budget Delves Into Obamacare
Governor Rick Scott proposed a health-care budget Thursday that would trim payments to hospitals and carry out some parts of the federal Affordable Care Act – but he did not take a position on whether the state should go along with a major expansion of the Medicaid program.
Senator Jack Latvala, the head of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee, told the Herald/Times that he can’t support a House plan to eliminate one class of political committees and raise campaign contribution limits to $10,000 per election because it will exacerbate the arms race of money in politics without sufficient reforms.
Blog: After Times/Herald reports, Florida House and Senate quietly post salaries and contracts
Florida Legislators write the laws but they also write the exemptions. Until now, that has included providing the public the list of legislative salaries and their contracts.
Blog: Task force proposes repeal of communication tax, increase of sales tax
A work group has officially recommended that Florida do away with its “Communication Services Tax” and replace the $1.5 billion in revenue by raising the state’s sales tax from 6-percent to 6.34 percent.
Nurse practitioners seek more authority in Florida
Beverly Douglas, 64, is not a physician. But she can do some of their work.
Florida Supreme Court Rules Legislature Has Sole Prerogative to Set Tuition Policy
In a major ruling offering a definitive settlement to a long-standing constitutional question, the Florida Supreme Court announced Thursday that it has ruled unanimously in favor of the Legislature, not the state university system’s Board of Governor, as the body established to set tuition policy.
Blog: Bill Nelson named one of “10 toughest politicians in Washington”
U.S. News & World Report has some fun picking the 10 most “badass” lawmakers in Washington. Florida Senator Bill Nelson makes the list.
Florida Governor Rick Scott’s Re-election Coffers Grow $1.27 Million in January
While releasing a proposed education and business friendly $74.2 billion budget — derided by critics as smacking of “pre-election year gimmicks” — the group backing Governor Rick Scott’s 2014 re-election has posted that $1.27 million was added to its coffers in January.
Blog: Two Incumbents, Two Newcomers File To Run For Legislature In 2014
Two incumbents and two newcomers have filed papers this week to run for House seats in 2014, according to the state Division of Elections website.
Crist, Thrasher, Weatherford On Greer’s Witness List
Former Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer wants to call several high profile witnesses in his criminal trial, including former Governor Charlie Crist and several former legislative leaders, recaps the News Service of Florida.
California Pursues Further Forced-Place Rate Reductions
California is continuing its efforts to reduce the cost of forced-place insurance, pressuring QBE Insurance Corporation to reduce its rates by 35 percent effective March 15.
A Closer Look at Sandy Recovery Package: What’s Included in $50.5 Billion Aid?
President Barack Obama has signed into law a $50.5 billion emergency measure for Superstorm Sandy victims.
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