Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Tuesday, August 2

Aug 2, 2011

 

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.–Florida Cabinet meeting.  To view the agenda, click here.

  • State Board of Administration
    • Request appointment of Scott Wallace, President, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, as Chair of the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology for the 2011-2012 year.
    • Authorization for the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to file a Notice of Proposed Rule to repeal Rule 19-8.001, F.A.C., “Purpose,” and a Notice of Proposed Rule to repeal Rule 19-15.001, F.A.C., “Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program,” and to authorize filing these rules for repeal if no member of the public requests a timely Rule hearing
  • Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (“OIR”)
    • Request approval of appointments to the Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (“FWCJUA”) Board of Governors

9:30 a.m.–OIR Rule Hearing.  Amendments to Rule 69O-138.001, “NAIC Financial Condition Examiners Handbook Adopted” would adopt the 2010 and 2011 NAIC Financial Condition Examiners Handbooks.  To view the Hearing notice, click here.

(CANCELED) 10:00 a.m.–Florida Surplus Lines Service Office National Clearinghouse Committee meeting; 10:00 a.m.  Agenda includes issues pertaining to the proposed national surplus lines tax clearinghouse.  To view the meeting notice, click here.

 

 

Daily Insurance-Related News

 

Blog:  Fasano and Legg at odds over SB 408, but not sinkhole insurance rates

Rep. John Legg and Sen. Mike Fasano don’t see eye-to-eye on the legislation that enabled Citizens Property Insurance to jack up optional sinkhole coverage rates by more than 400 percent statewide-and more than 2,000 percent in the Tampa-Bay area.

 

Florida submits Medicaid plan based on managed care to feds for approval

Florida officials sent a wide-ranging application Monday to the federal government for steering almost 3 million Medicaid patients into managed care, a major shift that has sparked heavy lobbying from critics who demand the Obama administration deny the move.

 

THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA:  Florida Moves to Reduce HMO Choice for State Workers

Looking to save hundreds of millions of dollars, Florida will overhaul part of its state-employee health insurance program and offer only one HMO in each county.

 

New York Times:  Opposing the Health Law, Florida Refuses Millions

When it comes to pursuing federal largess, most of the states that oppose the 2010 health care law have refused to let either principle or politics block their paths to the trough.

 

Blog:  Ex-Representative Tom Grady to be state’s chief bank regulator

Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet Tuesday are expected to appoint former Republican state Rep. Tom Grady of Naples to be the state’s chief banking regulator.

 

Florida Governor Scott says he will roll out legislative agenda in September

The governor will unveil proposals dealing with diverse topics such as energy and insurance months before the Florida Legislature returns to town.

 

Florida town files lawsuit to block “misleading” growth management law

Yankeetown in Levy County says HB 7207 is vague in describing important resources and state facilities that deserve protection.

 

Unemployed head to libraries and employment centers to file for benefits online

Two facts became clear Monday, when Florida’s unemployed had to start filing for benefits online: Not everyone has a computer or can afford Internet service.

 

State lawmakers:  Cities can’t ban guns in parks, town halls

A new state law means that scores of local gun rules have to be repealed by October 1

Do handguns belong in South Florida’s parks and recreation centers and city halls?  They do according to the Florida Legislature.

 

Scott using Democratic playbook to counter plummeting polls

Republican Gov. Rick Scott, whose poll standings have been among the worst of any Florida governor in modern times, is taking a page or two from the political playbook of one of the state’s most popular chief executives – Democrat Bob Graham.

 

Former Crystal River Republican Nancy Argenziano plans to run for Congress as a Democrat

Former Republican state senator and Public Service Commission Chairman Nancy Argenziano, long a maverick in the GOP, says she’s changing parties to run for Congress as a Democrat.

 

Property and Casualty Insurers Association of America:  Opening of Insurance Commission Presents Opportunity for Constructive Discussion of Alabama Market

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America says the convening of the Governor’s Affordable Insurance Commission today presents a real opportunity for a productive discussion of the Alabama homeowners’ insurance market.

 

Some Alabama storm damage may have been preventable

A new study of tornado destruction in Tuscaloosa found that relatively minor changes in construction – things like better shingles, more anchors and thicker vinyl siding – could have prevented much of the damage to houses on the fringes of the twister.

 

How Debt Ceiling Politics Impact the Property and Casualty Insurance Industry

As they watched Congress struggle to put a debt deal in place by Aug. 2, U.S. insurers worried about their companies’ portfolios, short- and long-term interest rates and a decline in equity markets.

 

 

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