Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, January 28
Jan 28, 2010
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Maintain insurance controls, Crist says
Manatee senator’s idea to deregulate insurers is opposed by governor
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is already opposing a measure to deregulate the state’s insurance industry, fearing it could lead to major rate increases for homeowners.
Florida Mitigation Discount System Hurts Market, Report Finds
Since the windstorm mitigation discounts were implemented for Florida homeowners, the residential property insurance market’s financial performance has worsened, according to a state study group.
State Farm to nonrenew thousands of customers
Thousands of State Farm property insurance customers will be seeing nonrenewal notices in their mailboxes next week.
St. Petersburg-based United Insurance Holdings Corp. Receives Rate Increase Approval
United Insurance Holdings Corp., a property and casualty insurance holding company, announced today that the company received approval from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation for rate increases on its Protector Homeowner and Guardian Dwelling Fire products.
Senior housing economist will speak on Florida’s building regulations
Government regulations designed to make new homes more attractive have the unintended consequences of making them less affordable, and that pushes buyers farther and farther from the cities in which they work.
The Main Street America Group announced today it has launched its new Main Line Business Owners Policy property and liability product, and Main Street Station for Commercial Lines quoting and policy issuance system in Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont and South Carolina.
Sinkhole Closes Road in Lake Wales
West Bay Boulevard South is closed to through traffic from State Road 60 to East Bay Boulevard South due to a sinkhole.
Florida agencies reach deal on mental health funding
The two agencies locked in competition to oversee mental health and substance abuse services in central and southwest Florida have agreed to a compromise and will share $414 million in state funding.
Miami man gets 22 years in Medicare fraud case
A Miami man who used his chain of Medicare clinics to commit fraud and exported the business to other Southern states was sentenced to 22 years in prison Wednesday.
Florida to get high-speed-rail cash
President Obama will be in Tampa today to announce $1.25B in high-speed-rail funding
President Barack Obama is coming to Tampa today to announce that Florida will get about half of the $2.6 billion in federal cash it wants to build a high-speed train linking Orlando and Tampa.
Blog: Grand jury report prompts Senate President to open up budget process
Senate President Jeff Atwater, responding in part to a critical grand jury report that blasted how state legislators craft the annual state budget, said on Wednesday that within the next two weeks he will institute additional changes to the budget process for the 2010 session to make it more “transparent.”
Florida lawmakers focus on poor economy
As Florida politicians get ready for this year’s legislative session and elections, they are focused on a well-worn message: It’s the economy, stupid.
GOP Leaders in Florida House and Senate Don’t Expect to Increase School Funds
Senate, House leaders point to looming budget deficit as problem.
The top two leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature on Wednesday said Gov. Charlie Crist may be too optimistic in calling for higher public school spending in another austere budget year.
Tampa and St. Petersburg are the latest cash-strapped Florida cities to consider installing red-light cameras at dangerous intersections.
S.E.C. Adds Climate Risk to Insurance Disclosure List
The Securities and Exchange Commission said on Wednesday for the first time that public companies-including should warn investors of any serious risks that global warming might pose to their businesses.
House Sets Med-Mal, Health Insurers Antitrust Exemption Vote
House Democrats are planning a vote next week on legislation that would repeal the McCarran-Ferguson Act anti-trust laws exemption for health care and medical malpractice insurers.
Prime Insurance Syndicate, Inc. Jury Verdict Rules in Favor of Insurer in Hurricane Katrina Claim
Reassured by jury’s unbiased decision
Prime Insurance Syndicate, Inc. was successfully defended in a Hurricane Katrina lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. This is believed to be the first jury verdict in Mississippi exonerating an insurer in a Hurricane Katrina claim.
Federal Panel Awards Almost $500 Million To La. To Replace New Orleans Charity Hospital
“Ending one of the longest-running disputes left by Hurricane Katrina, a federal arbitration panel ruled Wednesday that Louisiana would receive $474.8 million – nearly all it had requested – to pay for the replacement of Charity Hospital in New Orleans, which has been closed since the storm.
Credit Scoring Alternatives Examined By Some Insurers
A predictive data company said U.S. auto insurers are inquiring about alternative ways to rate auto insurance risks without credit record data.
Quiet Hurricane Seasons Run Counter to Computer Predictions
Recent computer models predicting that more hurricanes will strike U.S. shorelines have vastly overestimated the financial losses suffered by insurance companies, according to a new analysis.
PCI/Ward Group Announces HR Benefits Study
The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and Ward Group are seeking insurers to take part in a study to benchmark human resources practices and employee benefits among property casualty insurance companies.
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