Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Tuesday, March 4
Mar 4, 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
10:00 a.m.–The 2014 Florida Regular Legislative Session convenes.
10:00 a.m.–Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation Proposed Rule Hearing. Proposed amendments to Rule 69L-7.501 would adopt the 2014 edition of the Florida Workers’ Compensation Reimbursement Manual for Hospitals. The Manual incorporates a fee schedule reimbursement methodology for certain hospital outpatient services based on CPT line level charge data including an adjustment based upon defined geographic areas in Florida. To view the hearing notice, click here.
1:30 p.m.–Florida House Government Operations Appropriations Subcommittee meeting. Agenda includes a presentation on the Public Hurricane Loss Model and consideration of the following bills:
- CS/HB 565 relating to Insurance by the Insurance and Banking Subcommittee; State Representative David Santiago
- CS/HB 633 relating to Division of Insurance Agents and Agency Services by the Insurance and Banking Subcommittee; State Representative Clay Ingram
1:30 p.m.–Florida House Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee meeting. Agenda includes consideration of the following bill:
- HB 401 relating to Underwriting, Cancellation Period and Other Terms of Motor Vehicle Insurance Policies by State Representative Tom Goodson
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Earnings triple for Florida’ largest private property insurer
Universal Insurance Holdings, the owner of Florida’s largest property insurer outside of state-run Citizens Property Insurance, saw its profits more than triple in the fourth quarter, Brian Bandell reports for South Florida Business Journal.
PolitiFact examines dueling Medicare claims in governor’s race
How do you get Florida seniors to tune in to the governor’s race in an off-year election? Make hair-raising attacks about Medicare. Miami Herald’s Amy Sherman blogs about the Politifact story on “Naked Politics.”
2014 Florida Legislative Session convenes today
The Florida Legislature convenes its annual session Tuesday with the usual pomp and ceremony, followed by a tax-cutting plea from Gov. Rick Scott and a spate of politically popular bills the House and Senate can use to get their re-election year off to a crowd-pleasing start, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
- Where to watch the Governor’s “State of the State” address today
- Governor’s re-election bid casts shadow over this year’s Session
- Tequesta State Representative returns to Tallahassee after stroke recovery; other state news
Seminole Compact talks loom large over casino legislation
The Senate Gaming Committee discussed a trio of bills Monday that would allow two large casino hotels in south Florida, set up a gaming control board and place a constitutional amendment before voters to allow for new gambling operations in the future, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
Florida Panthers CEO Yormark quits amid bailout negotiations
The man who has been the public face of the Florida Panthers for the past decade – and who was leading the $80 million campaign for a public bailout of the hockey team – is leaving imminently, team officials confirmed Monday. Brittany Wallman and Harvey Fialkov report for the Sun Sentinel.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced Friday night that it was ending its comprehensive review of 3 million acres of state owned land for possible sale, The Florida Current’s Bruce Ritchie reports.
“Moral Monday” protestors converge on Capitol
Hundreds of protestors rallied in the Capitol courtyard on the eve of the 2014 legislative session Monday, urging legislators to change Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law, restore voting rights of released felons and accept $51 billion in federal money for expansion of the Medicaid program under President Obama’s national health care act, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Bill to roll back skills test requirement for jobless benefits gets Senate start
A proposed committee bill that would eliminate the requirement that unemployment benefits claimants take an “initial skills review” cleared the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee on Monday, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
House Republicans Re-Introduce Revised Flood-Reform Bill
House Republicans have re-introduced their NFIP rate-hike delay legislation, but while it shares a bill number with legislation they introduced last week, it contains a number of key differences, National Underwriter’s Arthur Postal reports for PropertyCasualty360.com.
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