Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report – Thursday, March 08, 2018
Mar 8, 2018
Florida Leads the Nation in Home Insurance Costs
According to a New Study from Insurance.com, Florida Homeowners pay an average of $3,575, which is 191 percent higher than the national average of $1,228. National Mortgage Professional News reports.
More Than $8.4M Recovered For Florida Insurance Consumers After Hurricane Irma
Since July 1, 2017, the Florida Division of Consumer Services has helped more than 2,761 Consumers recover millions from Insurance, Financial, and other Companies. Recoveries included Insurance Claim Payments and Premium Refunds that Consumers turned to the Department of Financial Services for help. Insurance Journal reports.
Session Extension on The Horizon, but Senate and House Reach Agreement
Lawmakers failed to beat the Tuesday Deadline — last day before a 72-hour cooling-off period was set to begin. The New Fiscal Year begins July 1. SunshineStateNews.com Publisher Nancy Smith reports.
Florida Lawmakers Pass Historic Gun-Control Bill
After more than seven hours of emotional debate that hit the sensitive political subjects of Gun Control, Education and Race, the House voted 67-50 in favor of the Bill, sending it to Governor Rick Scott. The Orlando Sentinel’s Gray Rohrer reports for the “Central Florida Political Pulse” blog.
- House Democrats Vote For Caucus Position Against Gun Bill
- Rick Scott Remains Noncommittal on Controversial Gun Bill
- An Unanswered Question in the Florida Gun Debate: What To Do With Existing Guns?
Rick Scott Says He’ll Sign First Responders’ Workers’ Comp Benefits Bill
The Legislation (SB 376) is a priority of Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, also the State’s Fire Marshal. Patronis and Scott, both Republicans, are political allies. Jim Rosica reports for FloridaPolitics.com.
Florida May Expand Health-Care Ministries
The House passed the measure (SB 660) by an 89-27 vote late Wednesday, with opposition coming from Democrats who expressed concerns that the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation doesn’t regulate such sharing arrangements. THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Christine Sexton reports via the Orlando Sentinel.
Treasure Coast Dermatologist Pays $2.5 Million To Settle Fake Billing Lawsuit
The Founder of Treasure Coast Dermatology paid $2.5 Million to settle a Lawsuit in which he was accused of years of falsely billing Insurance Companies for procedures he did not perform, court records showed. Mary Helen Moore reports for TCPalm.com.
Legislators Set To Approve Massive Opioid Bill, But Lawmakers Wish It Did More
Millions more on Life-Saving Drugs and Treatment were likely to be spent on the Opioid Crisis, but that disappeared after the Parkland Massacre. The Tampa Bay Times’ Lawrence Mower reports for “The Buzz” blog.
The Bill, which seeks to reverse a loophole created years ago to help then-Republican Governor Charlie Crist Run for the U.S. Senate, requires Candidates to submit a Resignation no later than 10 days before the qualifying Deadline to Run for Federal Office. The Tampa Bay Times’ David Smiley reports for “The Buzz” blog.
Senator Joe Negron Will Not Run For Higher Office
His Term was supposed to end in 2018, but redistricting required him to Run again in 2016, giving him an unplanned extra two years in the Senate. Ali Schmitz reports for TCPalm.com.
Because Of Parkland, State Representative Larry Lee Won’t Run Again
Lee will finish his Term, which ends November 6, and work to help find a Candidate who’s “Best for All of St. Lucie County,” he told TCPalm.com.
PGA Poised To Leave Palm Beach Gardens For Texas, Reports Say
The PGA of America , which helped establish Palm Beach County as one of the Nation’s Top Golfing Locales, is “Poised” to leave Palm Beach Gardens after half a century to move to Frisco, Texas, the website Golf.com is reporting, describing “a Top-Secret Project nearly five years in the making.” Eliot Kleinberg reports for the Palm Beach Post.
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