Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Monday, November 4
Nov 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
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.–Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (“FHCF”) Proposed Rule Hearing. Proposed amendments to Rule 19-8.010 would reflect 2014-2015 FHCF Reimbursement Contract requirements. To view the hearing notice, click here.
1:00 p.m.–FHCF Advisory Council meeting. Review comments from 9:00 a.m. hearing. Teleconference: 888-670-3525; conference code: 7135858151. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Some Florida home insurers seek rate decreases
Good news for Florida homeowners: There are signals that the cost of home insurance could at least be stabilizing, with some insurers now filing requests to reduce their rates, James Rosica reports for the Tampa Tribune.
Many homeowners will soon be unable to stay with state-backed insurer Citizens
Come January, tens of thousands of Floridians who have Citizens property insurance will no longer have the power to decide whether to stay with the state-backed insurer, Kathleen Haughney and Maria Mallory White report for the Sun Sentinel.
Even with Shore Acres, St. Petersburg paid 8 times more into flood insurance than claimed
If there’s an argument that Florida residents already pay too much for flood insurance, Shore Acres is it, Susan Taylor Martin and Connie Humburg report for Tampa Bay Times.
National Wildlife Federation: Florida a good model for federal flood insurance program
According to FEMA’s estimates, 87 percent of FEMA’s customers in Florida will not be affected by Biggert-Waters, the National Wildlife Federation writes in the Ocala Star-Banner.
Blog: Rogues of Medicare–FBI tracking down fraud fugitives from South Florida
The Miami Herald’s Patricia Mazzei reports in the Miami Herald’s “Naked Politics” blog on the latest in an under-the-radar round-up of fugitive scammers who have branded Miami with the dubious title of the nation’s capital of healthcare corruption.
Unemployed struggle to get benefits 2 weeks after system switch
More than two weeks after the Department of Economic Opportunity switched to a $63 million system to process unemployment compensation claims, many jobless Floridians cannot pull down their benefits, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
Politics to Play Pivotal Role in Florida Budget
Politics will pervade the development of a new state budget, Lloyd Dunkelbergera reports for the Lakeland Ledger.
Democrats looking for Cabinet candidates
For Florida Democrats, winning the 2014 governor’s race is the overriding goal for the 2014 elections and, they believe, the best way they can build the party for the future, William March writes for the Tampa Tribune.
Slow PACE for energy efficiency retrofits
A program the state approved three years ago makes it easier and cheaper for consumers and businesses to pay for energy-efficiency retrofits. Why is it taking so long to get off the ground? Lily Rockwell reports for Florida Trend.
Louisiana Citizens Insurance Settles Remaining 2005 Hurricane Claims
A state-run insurance company of last resort in Louisiana has settled the remaining claims in a class-action lawsuit tied to how it handled claims after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Associated Press reports via Insurance Journal.
FBI: California Senator Tied up in Workers’ Comp Fraud
An FBI investigation shows that state Sen. Ronald Calderon accepted bribes from a hospital executive in Southern California who ran an alleged workers’ compensation scheme, the Al Jazeera America news outlet is reporting, Insurance Journal explains.
Berkshire Hathaway: Asbestos Claims-Handling Story Inaccurate, Misleading
Billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has more than a few problems with Scripps News reporter Mark Greenblatt’s recent story on the way subsidiaries of Berkshire handle asbestos claims, Chad Hemenway reports for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
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