Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, October 5
Oct 5, 2009
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Crist Lauds Insurance Reform’s Results
It is the biggest gamble of Gov. Charlie Crist’s time at the helm of state government, one still condemned as reckless, irresponsible and a disaster waiting to happen.
New Florida Law Gives Workers’ Comp Discount for Use of Instant Drug Tests On Job Site
Governor Crist signed a new bill into law allowing companies to perform drug testing using an onsite rapid test to qualify for a 5% discount on workers’ compensation insurance.
Mold tests advised for Florida foreclosure purchases
Mold is a fact of life in subtropical Central Florida. But homes in foreclosure or suffering hurricane damage are especially vulnerable to mold contamination.
Brown & Brown extends debt agreement
Brown & Brown Inc. has three additional years to issue senior unsecured notes as part of an agreement with Prudential Investment Management Inc.
Thrasher stands alone on state Senate ballot against insurance agent write-in
Taxpayers will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to hold a special election Tuesday to replace the late state Sen. Jim King.
Editorial: Hurricanes, Property Insurance: Financial Disaster Awaits Fla.
The hurricane season of 2004 saw three major storms rip and roar across Polk County – and a fourth across Florida, leaving some $30 billion damage in their wake. It was a collective catastrophe of historic proportions.
Perhaps the supporters the public option should have taken a lesson from Florida legislators who created one of the nation’s largest insurance public option, outside Medicare and Social Security. In other words don’t call it what it is. It is called the “insurance of last resort,” Citizens Property and Casualty.
A1A-SR 520 pegged as worst intersection
Start with a poorly designed, crowded intersection. Add skimpy merge lanes and few directional signage. Then mix in a heavy blend of commuter traffic, seasonal residents and — to spice things up — disoriented tourists.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Introduces New Health Cards
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. is bringing health care to consumers–where they shop. In their latest effort to offer Floridians a convenient and easy way to buy health care, BCBSF has developed two new Health Cards available for consumer purchase at Winn Dixie in October and at CVS/pharmacy stores in November across the state.
Lawmakers quick to call for action on felon caregivers
Florida legislators pledged to close loopholes that have let thousands of felons get jobs in day care and nursing homes.
PSC Commissioner McMurrian resigns
Florida Public Service Commissioner Katrina McMurrian resigned Monday amid controversy over allegations that commission members and staff have gotten too cozy with the utilities they regulate.
Freshman Legislator to Head State Senate Judiciary Committee
Freshman state Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, is returning to Tallahassee with a committee chairmanship before his first day with the rest of the Legislature. Negron will also serve on the Banking and Insurance committee. State Sen. JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales will also serve on the Banking and Insurance Committee.
Siding with homeowners and tenants against the, shall we say, credibility-challenged mortgage banking industry may sound like an easy call for politicians trying to score points with voters.
Poll: Florida ranks No. 2 for wannabe residents
High unemployment and housing crisis be darned: Florida is still among the most popular states when it comes to where people want to live.
Broward fundraiser’s indictment portrays a life of sex, lies, power
A prominent Broward County doctor who detoured into state politics as a formidable fundraiser took a spectacular tumble last week, after being charged with defrauding political donors.
- Broward medical lab owner is ‘Contributor #1’ in fraud case
- Fineout: Mendelsohn money went to Aronberg fund
- Pruitt pressed to get Mendelsohn’s son into UF medical school
- Editorial: Should public officials be doing undercover work?
Real estate flippers back in Florida
Bolstered by swelling foreclosures and bottomed-out prices, investors are returning to the South Florida real estate market, snapping up distressed homes with cash payments for either a quick turnaround or a short-term rent-then-sell investment.
Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s Directive to Insurers: Exercise Leniency, Pay Claims Promptly
Insurance Commissioner John W. Oxendine has issued a directive ordering companies to pay claims arising from the recent devastating floods in a timely manner, and to “exercise leniency in dealing with affected individuals and businesses that may experience difficulty paying premiums.”
Texas State Agency faults reinsurance purchases
Consumers needlessly pay extra, office says
Texas homeowners covered by the state’s three largest home insurers could save an average of 8 to 14 percent a year on premiums if they didn’t bear the cost of coverage that companies buy for themselves, a state consumer agency says.
Industry Divided Over ‘Fed Insurance Office’ Draft Bill
The chairman of a key House Financial Services panel last night unveiled draft legislation creating a federal insurance regulatory office that tracks with minor omissions legislation submitted to Congress by the Obama administration.
Ruling on return-to-work tests sets fine line for employers
Evaluation allowed of injured workers, not a medical exam
Employers may need to re-evaluate functional ability tests given to injured employees to make certain they are capable of returning to work safely as a result of an appeals court decision last week, attorneys say.
Mutuals are well placed to continue to grow market share in the wake of the credit crisis, but they also face a vast range of challenges, new research reveals.
HCC Insurance Holdings Announces Sale of Rattner Mackenzie Limited to Guy Carpenter
HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. announced today that it has executed an agreement to sell all of the issued shares of its reinsurance broker affiliate Rattner Mackenzie Limited to Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC.
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