Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Thursday, February 9

Feb 9, 2012

 

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 2012 Regular Legislative Session

  • Click here for today’s Senate block calendar
  • Click here for today’s House of Representatives block calendar

 

8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.–House Health and Human Services Committee.  To view the meeting packet, click here.

  • HB 511 relating to Workers’ Compensation by State Representative Matt Hudson

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.–House Session

  • HB 5505 relating to the Florida Department of Financial Services by House Government Operations Appropriations Subcommittee
  • SB 1506 relating to Medical Malpractice by Senator John Thrasher
  • CS/SB 826 Relating to Title Insurance Claims by Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance; Senator Mike Bennett
  • SB 802 relating to Premises Liability by the Senate Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation
  • SB 1404 Relating to Title Insurance by Senator Thad Altman

(CANCELED) 10:00 a.m.–Florida Surplus Lines Service Office meeting.  To view the meeting notice, click here.

1:00 p.m.–Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Claims Committee meeting.  Teleconference:  (866) 361-7525; conference code:  5219676193.  To view the meeting notice, click here.

 

 

Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2012

 

HB 7105 Relating to Open Government Sunset Review/Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association by the House Government Operations Subcommittee

HB 7105 would remove from scheduled repeal under Florida’s Open Government Sunset Review Act an exemption from public records requirements for certain records held by the Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (FWCJUA), as well as an exemption from public meetings requirements for certain meetings of the FWCJUA’s Board of Governors, or subcommittees.  The bill clarifies that the public record exemption applies to medical information relating to a medical condition or medical status of an individual.  Effective Date: October 1, 2012

 

 

Daily Insurance-Related News

 

Major medical-malpractice case to be heard by Florida Supreme Court Thursday

Suffering from a serious condition known as preeclampsia, 20-year-old Michelle McCall went to a Fort Walton Beach hospital in February 2006 to give birth to a son.

 

Democrats wary of limit to Emergency Room visits

Democrats peppered the House’s health care budget chief Wednesday with questions about a plan to limit emergency room visits for Medicaid recipients to 12 each year.

 

Florida Senate passes bill to limit inmate medical costs

The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday limiting what local governments have to pay for jail inmates’ hospital stays.

 

Editorial:  Are cities’ soaring ambulance rates taking South Floridians for a ride?

If your house is burning and you call 911, you don’t get billed for your fire department’s quick and heroic service.

 

Penn Mutual Life Insurance reorganizes Florida operations

The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company said Wednesday that it has reorganized its Florida operations, consolidating the former Independence Financial Network Florida and South Florida offices into a single entity, based in Miami.

 

Panhandle couple nailed for insurance fraud in pot-growing case

A husband and wife in Alligator Point, alleged to have been connected with a marijuana growing operation in one of their rental houses are in hot water.

 

House tees up budget for final floor vote

The Florida House of Representatives has teed up its $69.2 billion budget for a final floor vote Wednesday after beating back eight amendments from Democrats and approving one that would restore funding for a Jefferson County prison.

 

Column:  Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi agrees to foreclosure settlement

Attorney General Pam Bondi signed on to a multistate settlement late Wednesday with the nation’s five largest banks that will provide up to $25 billion in relief for homeowners and help end some of the industry’s most corrupt foreclosure practices.

 

Blog:  Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater in St. Pete today to launch Bank on Florida

On Thursday, Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Atwater, will hold a press conference to announce the launch of Bank On Florida. This new initiative brings together local financial institutions and community partners to help residents access mainstream financial services and financial education.

 

Florida Senate OKs resolution on federal Dodd-Frank bill

The Republican-led Florida Senate couldn’t avoid an election year political squabble.

 

Florida Senate chief still pushing for casino vote

Senate President Mike Haridopolos wants his chamber to continue considering a casino resort bill although a companion measure is stalled in the House.

 

Florida Cabinet to meet at fairgrounds

Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet are scheduled to attend the opening day of the Florida State Fair and hold their regular cabinet meeting at the fairgrounds.

 

Former State Representative Rader to challenge Senator Sachs

Former state Representative Kevin Rader announced Wednesday he is challenging incumbent state Senator Maria Sachs in a Democratic primary this year.

 

Patrick Murphy switches to District 22, will challenge GOP firebrand West for Congress

Democrat Patrick Murphy, who called U.S. Representative Allen West, R-Plantation, a “coward” for leaving his Palm Beach-Broward congressional district to run for a more Republican-leaning seat, announced today that he’ll continue challenging West by following him to the new district.

 

Blog:  Al Lawson to make another bid for Congress

Veteran Tallahassee legislator Al Lawson, a Democrat, intends to run for Congress again, this time with the help of the GOP.

 

Blog:  Jack Latvala passes Andy Gardiner in Leadership Fund fundraising race

The last time a reporter in the Capitol Press Corp checked in on the race between Andy Gardiner and Jack Latvala to be the Senate President after Don Gaetz term ends in 2014, the story read that Gardiner held an advantage over Latvala, especially in the fundraising department.

 

Panel narrowly OKs Florida food stamp sweets ban

Legislation that would ban the use of food stamps to buy candy and other junk food remains alive in the Florida Legislature after a close call.

 

Governor Rick Scott asks Facebook users for one word, gets an earful

On Monday night, Gov. Rick Scott – really his staff – asked the nearly 80,000 people who follow his Facebook page to fill in the blank: “If you could use one word to describe Florida’s 2012 legislative session, it would be ___________. COMMENT below!”

 

Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Board to Consider Settlement of Suit

The board of directors of Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss a proposed settlement in a case involving payments to thousands of policyholders.

 

New York Presses Citi Unit on Force-Placed Insurance Probe

New York regulators urged Citigroup Inc.’s mortgage unit on Wednesday to stop resisting and comply with a subpoena related to an investigation of the force-placed insurance industry.

 

Louisiana Attorney General Recovers $25.2 million from Drug Companies Charged with Fraud

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell announced that his office has recovered $25.2 million from five pharmaceutical companies that he sued alleging unlawful inflation of drug costs paid by Louisiana taxpayers through the Medicaid program.

 

North Carolina Continues Auto Regulation Debate As Rates Stay Same for 2012

Auto insurers in North Carolina are once again divided over the prospect of changing how the state sets insurance rates with some insurers advocating for rate deregulation while others are supporting the status quo.

 

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