Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, January 20
Jan 20, 2009
Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States today. Click here to read the text of his Inaugural Address
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Where Obama stands on Florida issues
Here’s the latest on how the new president has said he will deal with some issues of importance to Floridians:
Fla. Bill On WC Attorney Fee Cap Seen Facing Tough Battle
A bill designed to re-institute Florida’s caps on fees for attorneys representing injured workers is in for a tough fight in the Legislature, an insurance association representative predicted.
S&P: Financial pressure weakens Florida’s bond rating
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised its rating outlook on Florida’s full faith and credit debt to “negative” from “stable,” based on its view of the state’s increasing economic and financial pressures, according to a press release.
Florida’s state management agency has new oversight provisions
The State Board of Administration manages the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
Here’s a trivia question: What state agency manages the billions of dollars in Florida employees’ pension fund, a property insurance fund, part of the prepaid college tuition plan, research dollars for healthcare programs for children and the elderly?
Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Insurance Fraud Anticipates Accredited Status
Colonel Vicki Cutcliffe announced that a team of assessors from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) will arrive Wednesday, January 21, to examine all aspects of the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud’s (FDFS/DIF) policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services, for the purpose of accreditation.
Lawmaker Wants To Insure Against Rate Hikes
With residents already struggling to make ends meet during the recession, the last thing they need now are higher premiums on Citizens Property Insurance homeowner insurance policies, a state lawmaker believes.
Trouble from Fay rises in man’s backyard
Disabled vet’s in-ground pool is pushed up; now he seeks help to demolish it
Dennis Kuhles thought his eyes were deceiving him when he caught the first glimpse of his in-ground concrete swimming pool floating in his backyard. Floodwaters from Tropical Storm Fay’s four days of torrential rain had caused the pool to pop up out of the ground.
Cover Florida garners interest
The state’s new last-resort health coverage program for the uninsured is collecting applications and, except for the delay in approval for rates for one of its insurance providers, official say it’s off to a smooth start.
Thousands of uninsured Collier students turn to school nurses, experts say
Beyond bandages and fevers, Collier County students often rely on their school nurses for health-care because they don’t have medical insurance.
Delray Beach insurance agent preyed on elderly investors, regulators say
Unknown to Delray Beach senior citizens Bernice Rosenberg and Edward Bogan, the life insurance salesman they were buying annuities from in the fall of 2004 had been barred by state regulators from selling such products to people over 65.
No tanks: The cost of required new underground tanks is causing many Florida gas stations to close
First it was high credit card fees. Then came higher gas prices. Now, hundreds of gas stations around the state are shutting down because their insurance companies will not renew policies unless stations install new double-walled underground gas tanks, which can cost $400,000.
Aesthetics and safety face off in Coral Gables shutter dispute
The weather might be balmy and cool now, but Elvira Gonzalez knows her house is vulnerable to storms. Before hurricane season starts, she wants to have accordion shutters installed.
Scripps-Burnham rivalry heats up as institutes near launch in Florida
Rivalries can make a great team work smarter, practice longer, fight harder. Ask any devoted Gator or Seminole.
And then there are research institutes. Picture the Scripps vs. Burnham matchup: The Jupiter molecules are battling the Orlando hexagons with institute heads Richard Lerner and John Reed facing off in their labs.
GAO Report Concedes Congress Should Consider Pros & Cons Of OFC
State regulators cautioned against making “unjustified changes” in insurer oversight that might “essentially result in deregulation” after a General Accountability Office report suggested that Congress look into the pros and cons of creating an optional federal charter.
Commissioners group to move execs from Kansas City, Mo.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners says it is moving its headquarters to the District of Columbia.
The Federal Reserve Board of New York has named three trustees, including Jill Considine, a former New York banking commissioner, to control the government’s 79.9 percent share of American International Group.
Guy Carpenter: Hurricane Ike Losses Keep Exceeding Estimates
A number of insurers have revised their Hurricane Ike loss estimates upward and more may be expected, according to an executive with Guy Carpenter reinsurance brokerage.
$1.3 Billion Worth of New Orleans Flood Control Financed
The State of Louisiana and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have signed an agreement that paves the way for construction of $1.3 billion worth of flood damage reduction projects in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes.
Is An Insured’s Collateral Safe With A Bankrupt Insurer?
Big companies, who put up large collateral with their insurers to cover deductible portions of claims, could have a problem getting that money back if the carrier goes bankrupt, according to a New York State legal opinion.
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