Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, August 15
Aug 15, 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.–Executive Office of the Governor public meeting. Tallahassee, Florida. Citizens Inspector General candidate interviews. To view the meeting notice, click here.
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.–Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology meeting. Review of the Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model under the Standards and Acceptability Process for 2011, and discussion of the 2013 Standards and Procedures in committee meetings. Teleconference: (888) 670-3525; conference code: 7135858151. To view the meeting notice, click here. To view the agenda, click here.
10:00 a.m.–Florida Division of Insurance Fraud Rule Development Workshop. Section 626.9895, F.S., authorized the Division of Insurance Fraud to establish a direct-support organization to support the prosecution, investigation and prevention of motor vehicle insurance fraud, to be known as the “Automobile Insurance Fraud Strike Force.” Section 626.9895(5)(c), F.S., requires the Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) to adopt rules prescribing the procedures by which the Strike Force is governed and any conditions with which the Strike Force must comply to use the Division’s property. To view the Workshop notice, click here.
- 69D-3.001: Definitions
- 69D-3.002: Governance of Organization
- 69D-3.003: Use of Division Property or Facilities
10:00 a.m.–Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association Audit Committee teleconference meeting. To view the agenda, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Tampa hearing Tuesday on Citizens insurance rate hike
Florida insurance regulators will hold a public hearing in Tampa on Tuesday about proposed rate increases by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, reports James Rosica for the Tampa Tribune.
Insurance Broker Gardner Appointed Chair of Florida’s Citizens
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater has tapped Chris Gardner to be the new chair of the Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board of directors, Insurance Journal reports.
Lake Okeechobee dike leaks emerge as inflows lessen
The Sun-Sentinel’s Andy Reid reports that inspections revealed increasing leaks in two spots on Lake Okeechobee‘s troubled dike, even as this week’s brief relief from summer rains reduced the amount of water flowing into the lake, the Army Corps of Engineers reported Wednesday.
Florida Gets Federal Grant to Study Sinkhole Activity
The Florida Geological Survey and the state’s emergency department are receiving a $1.08 million federal grant to study sinkhole vulnerability, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced, Ana Khalamayzer reports for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
Mutual respect is paramount at FCCI Insurance Group
Early in his career, FCCI CEO Craig Johnson worked for USF&G, a mammoth insurance company that he says didn’t concern itself much with employee morale, Art Levy reports for Florida Trend.
Florida House Speaker announces new committee membership assignments
House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, unveiled the list of committee assignments ahead of the 2014 legislative session on Wednesday, with relatively few changes from the previous cycle, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
No special session on “Stand Your Ground”
The political long shot of calling a special legislative session to change Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law became a mathematical impossibility Wednesday in a starkly partisan survey of House and Senate members, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Former legislative leaders Pruitt, McKay and Thompson weigh into redistricting fight
Three of the Florida Legislature‘s past leaders are weighing into the fight over the state’s redrawn political maps, arguing lawmakers would be harmed if they are forced to testify under oath about whether they gerrymandered districts last year, Aaron Deslatte reports for the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida leads U.S. in foreclosures for 3rd straight month
Foreclosures continue to dog Florida, but the outlook appears to be brightening, experts say, Paul Owers reports for the Sun-Sentinel.
Florida Tourism Off to Record Start in 2013
With unemployment in Florida dropping below the national average in recent months, the Sunshine State received more good economic news Wednesday: the state’s important tourism industry, traditionally one of the pillars of the state’s economy, is in excellent shape, Kevin Derby reports for SunshineStateNews.com.
Former national leader of Allied Veterans enters plea in Internet casino case
The former national leader of Allied Veterans of the World, a non-profit organization rocked by an Internet café gambling scandal, pleaded no contest Wednesday to charges of money laundering and operating an illegal lottery, Rene Stuzman reports for Orlando Sentinel.
No Political Points to be Gained in Florida Supreme Court Case Over Georgia Water Policy
Rick Scott has made a habit of picking fights with Democratic governors of other states, trying to lure jobs from their states to Florida. But this week, the Florida governor called out a fellow Republican governor in Georgia’s Nathan Deal, Jeff Henderson reports for SunshineStateNews.com.
NAIC Pushes to Remove Bias Against Foreign Branches
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is advocating for more flexibility for its regulated U.S. insurers to operate both subsidiaries and branches in foreign countries without international supervision favoring the former over the latter, Elizabeth Festa reports for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
Provider’s 40 percent markup for workers’ compensation patients fails to pass muster
The Virginia Court of Appeals held that a medical provider was not entitled to the unpaid balance for the costs of the treatment it provided to an injured worker, Risk & Insurance Online reports. Evidence that a provider charges more for treatment provided to workers’ compensation patients does not establish that the charges are reasonable and necessary.
The Massachusetts-based Workers Compensation Research Institute compared average prescription prices for physician-dispensed medications before and after the state initiated rules to lower the costs, Risk & Insurance Online reports.
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