Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Wednesday, June 18
Jun 18, 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
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.–Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation Rule Development Workshop. Existing Rule 69L-7.710, F.A.C. has been rewritten and re-organized into five proposed Rules that are intended to replace it under existing Chapter 69L-7, entitled “Workers’ Compensation Medical Reimbursement and Utilization Review.” The proposed Rules incorporate updated versions of Form DFS-F5-DWC-9 and related instructions, including revised instructions for dispensing practitioners when billing for dispensed medications, and for pharmacists billing on Form DFS-F5-DWC-10. For more information and to view the workshop notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Floridians Getting Break on Insurance Bills
Governor Rick Scott and Cabinet members who oversee the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund voted Tuesday to end the 2005 Hurricane Wilma 1.3 percent emergency assessment, SaintPetersBlog.com reports.
Florida Private Flood Bill Now Law But Market May Take Awhile to Develop
Florida Governor Rick Scott has signed legislation designed to encourage private insurers to offer flood insurance, but the industry is tamping down expectations that it will result in a viable market in the near future, Michael Adams reports for Insurance Journal.
Governor Scott Receives Bill On Harsher Penalties For Hit And Run Accidents
On Tuesday, Florida legislators sent four bills to Governor Rick Scott, including SB 102, a measure that would beef up penalties for drivers leaving the scene of serious traffic accidents, , SaintPetersBlog.com reports.
Few slow drivers cited under new Florida law
Almost a year after Florida tightened its safety laws, only one driver in Broward actually got a ticket for going under the speed limit in the left lane, Michael Turnbell reports for the Sun-Sentinel.
Shands agrees to pay $3.25 million to settle second part of whistleblower case
UF Health has agreed to pay $3.25 million to settle a federal whistleblower lawsuit alleging that its hospitals knowingly overbilled government programs from 2003 through 2008, Christopher Curry reports for the Gainesville Sun.
Florida Sells Off Closed Prisons And State Land
The State of Florida is getting more than $27 million for selling off four closed prisons and other land around the state, SaintPetersBlog.com reports.
Ethics complaint filed on Scott’s stake in oil drilling company
An investment in a French oil services company that drills in Florida poses a conflict of interest for Governor Rick Scott, according to a complaint filed with the Commission on Ethics on Tuesday by a Broward County activist, Tampa Bay Times’ Michael Van Sickler reports via “The Buzz” blog.
U.S. Senate confirms Miami federal judge, making him first openly gay black male to sit on bench
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Darrin P. Gayles reached an American milestone Tuesday when the U.S. Senate confirmed him as a federal judge, Tampa Bay Times’ Alex Leary reports via “The Buzz” blog.
Florida expected to get large share of Suntrust faulty mortgage settlement
Florida is expected to receive a substantial share of a national settlement to resolve allegations that SunTrust underwrote and provided faulty mortgage loans, Associated Press reports via the Tampa Tribune.
Nan Rich qualifies for Democratic gubernatorial primary
Democratic former state Senator Nan Rich of Weston made it clear Tuesday she isn’t giving Charlie Crist a free pass to her party’s nomination, Aaron Deslatte reports for the Orlando Sentinel.
Trial lawyers dig deep for “Charlie Crist for Florida” committee
More than half of the $1.6 million raised by Democrat Charlie Crist’s political committee in May came from law firms and lawyers, SaintPetersBlog.com reports.
Fox announces fourth Florida gubernatorial TV debate
Governor Rick Scott and his Democratic challenger could be spending a lot of time under the TV lights in the fall, Tampa Bay Times’ Steve Bousquet reports.
Stolen SUV Epidemic: Florida Has Second-Highest Theft Rate in U.S.
South Floridians love their tricked-out, high-end rides, including those sport utility vehicles that are always hogging two spaces in the grocery parking lot, Kyle Swensen reports for the Broward New Times.
U.S. House Financial Services Committee Looks to Halt SIFI Designations
The House Financial Services Committee is moving to bar the Financial Services Oversight Committee from designating any financial institution as systemically significant for six months, National Underwriter’s Arthur Postal reports for PropertyCasualty360.com.
U.S. House Panel Unveils TRIA Extension Bill
Property and casualty insurers are welcoming the unveiling of a House terrorism insurance bill as a sign of progress even though there are provisions in it they oppose, Insurance Journal reports.
SEC Commissioner: Corporate Boards Falling Short on Addressing Cyber Risks
Even in the face of the known risks posed by cyber attacks, many corporate boards are not taking the proper steps to address cyber-security issues, says a Securities and Exchange Commission official. National Underwriter’s Phil Gusman reports for PropertyCasualty360.com.
Mississippi insurance is very slowly loosening up
Private companies are easing back into the Mississippi coast insurance market and writing wind coverage polices after a long post-Katrina hiatus, the Biloxi Sun-Herald Editorial Board writes.
How New Capital is Changing Property and Casualty; What to Do About It
As waves of capital reshape reinsurer’s business model, the property and casualty insurance industry needs to change–although exactly how remains a matter of debate, the Casualty Actuarial Society writes in Insurance Journal.
On Tracy Morgan, Truck Wrecks and Politicians Willing To Make Our Roads More Dangerous
The burning question of how many hours of sleep a truck driver needs would usually be considered a little issue-that is, until someone you’ve heard of gets killed or injured by a hurtling 18-wheeler, columnist Steve Robison writes for FlaglerLive.com.
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