Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Tuesday, January 21
Jan 21, 2014
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
1:00 p.m.–Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation Three-Member Panel meeting. To view the meeting notice, click here. Along with receipt of the DWC’s annual report on the resolution of health care provider medical reimbursement disputes and activities conducted pursuant to s. 440.13(8), F.S., the agenda includes consideration of:
- 2014 Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual, which proposes the incorporation of a new fee schedule and modifies language regarding dispensed medications to conform to statutory changes as a result of SB 662
- Ambulatory surgical center schedule of rates
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
St. Petersburg lawyer appointed to fill Citizens Property Insurance vacancy
Governor Rick Scott has appointed St. Petersburg lawyer and investor James Holton to fill a vacant seat on the Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board of governors, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Reinsurance Costs Helping to Lower Florida Homeowners Rates, OIR Reports
Florida’s top insurance regulator says that state residents are starting to benefit from a more competitive homeowners market as rates have started to trend downward due in part to the reduction in reinsurance costs, Insurance Journal’s Michael Adams reports.
Point of View: Make insurers cover both homes and autos, or nothing
Major insurance carriers are bilking Florida homeowners in several different ways, a Palm Beach Post editorial opinion says in this subscribers-only article.
Crisafulli questions Senate water proposals, says House working on own bills
During an interview about water issues Thursday, Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island and the House Speaker-designate for 2015, said he expects the House to deal with springs, farming practices that affect water quality, agricultural water storage, Indian River Lagoon and other water projects, The Florida Current’s Bruce Ritchie reports.
Scott wants 10-day Florida tax-free holiday
Governor Rick Scott will propose the Legislature includes a 10-day back to school sales tax holiday when it writes the 2014- 2015 state budget, The Florida Current reports.
Foreign buyers key players in real estate; local realtors try to capitalize on trend
Foreign buyers accounted for $68.2 billion in real estate sales in the U.S. in 2013, down from $82.5 billion in 2012 but still the second-highest total on record, according to the National Association of Realtors Profile of International Home Buyers. Florida accounted for the largest share, with 23 percent of the U.S. total, Anthony Clark reports for the Gainesville Sun.
For local federal prosecutors, a banner year in financial collections
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the region that includes the Tampa Bay area last year took in $8 for each $1 it spent, parlaying a $23.2 million annual budget into an enterprise that collected $191 million through criminal, civil and forfeiture actions, Patty Ryan reports for Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Lawmakers Get a Taste of Beer Brouhaha
A measure to allow beer tastings by licensed beer distributors and retail stores remains on tap in the state Legislature, but it’s not going to flow smoothly, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Jim Turner reports via SunshineStateNews.com.
Texas Supreme Court Limits Insurance Exclusions for Builders, Contractors
The Texas Supreme Court issued a key ruling on January 17 that should boost consumer confidence in the liability insurance coverage that builders and general contractors carry, Associated Press’ Chris Tomlinson reports via Insurance Journal.
Fitch Keeping an Eye on Riskier European Insurer Investments
European insurers’ investments are becoming riskier, and that could mean negative ratings implications for the carriers, Fitch Ratings says. National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com. reports.
Arthur Postal’s Washington Report: NARAB-II and NFIP — Congress Combines Disparate Insurance Issues
Two long-simmering insurance-industry pocketbook issues will be in the spotlight when the Senate returns to work next Monday, writes Arthur Postal, who is now a weekly columnist for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
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