Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, November 2
Nov 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
8:30 a.m.–House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee
- HB 245 relating to Depopulation Programs of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation by State Representative Jim Boyd
- HB 4059 relating to Property and Casualty Insurance by State Representative Larry Metz
- HB 4061 relating to Uniform Home Grading Scale by State Representative Mack Bernard
Governor Scott, Cabinet hear horror stories on personel injury protection
A consumer insurance advocate says Florida’s motor vehicle no-fault personal injury protection insurance is riddled with fraud and becoming too costly for consumers and some insurers as well.
- Blog: Governor Scott, Cabinet get lots of bad insurance news
- State Consumer Advocate says no fault auto insurance riddled with fraud
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater wants insurers to divulge more information about claims
Calling for “bold” action, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater says if insurers want changes to the state’s no-fault auto insurance law then it needs provide lawmakers with more detailed information about claims costs.
Governor Scott wants to keep insurance commissioner and pension fund chief on their jobs
Governor Rick Scott says that both Ash Williams, the executive director of the State Board of Administration, and Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty are doing a good job and should be retained.
Governor Scott to push Citizens Property Insurance reforms
Citing concerns that Citizens Property Insurance won’t have enough money to pay claims in the event of a catastrophic storm, Governor Rick Scott called for reforms Tuesday to help move its customers into the private market and to charge higher rates to make other companies more competitive.
Plan to encourage enclosure checks
The federal government has given preliminary approval to a plan that Monroe County officials hope will motivate homeowners to have their houses inspected for illegal downstairs enclosures.
Florida Senator Jack Latvala files bill for homeowners
Senator Jack Latvala (R-Clearwater) recently filed Senate Bill 156 to implement a constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters in 2008.
Marion County school District system will map sinkholes
Marion County school officials have ordered specialized mapping of the three largest sinkholes that opened during last month’s rain deluge to determine if they are connected to large underground caverns.
Panel has no fix for Florida’s no-fault fraud
Florida’s no-fault automobile insurance market is wrought with fraud, litigation, inflated medical costs and a host of other maladies, but a panel set up to study the issue could reach no consensus on how to fix it, the governor and Cabinet were told Tuesday.
Florida, Georgia Renew Cooperative Catastrophe Contingency Plan
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty and Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens say they have renewed a partnership agreement on a contingency plan between their respective states.
Fraud, Massage Therapy Driving Up No-Fault Coverage
Personal injury protection auto insurance is about to collectively crash the $1 billion mark for Florida motorists because of a need to cover the costs of fraud and massages.
Opinion: A Solution to Personal Injury Protection Fraud
Personal injury protection fraud has a lot of people complaining but not enough of them doing anything about it.
Joan Collier: Will 2012 Finally Be the Year of The Car in Florida?
If the numerous personal injury protection bills in the pipeline for 2012 are not enough to get people’s engines running, there are several other driving-related bills that are guaranteed to stir things up.
Unpaid fines to Florida Department of Health total $5 million
Doctors, nurses and other health professionals owe the state of Florida more than $5 million in unpaid fines and fees imposed over the past five years, according to state records.
Settlement Reached in Florida Anthrax Death Case
The widow of a tabloid photo editor who died in the 2001 anthrax mailings has reached a settlement in her lawsuit against the U.S. government.
Lawmakers vow to put judicial system on steady financial ground
After years of shortfalls, the courts may get a more reliable funding source.
Religious groups lash out at Florida casino bill
They have taken the stance already expressed by several influential business groups that there’s no place in Florida for Las Vegas-style casinos.
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Governor Scott — ‘Told you so on the costs of high speed rail’
Governor Rick Scott said Tuesday that a new report about a cost overrun for high speed rail in California vindicates his decision to nix an inter-city bullet train in Florida earlier this year, reports the News Service of Florida.
Make NASCAR the official sport of Florida? State senator wants to
Florida has an official state beverage (orange juice), bird (mockingbird), pie (key lime) and reptile (alligator).
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