Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, June 19

Click on a headline to read the complete story:

 

Citizens officials say insurer better prepared this season

After hurricanes damaged their homes during the 2004 and 2005 storm seasons, tens of thousands of Florida homeowners found out that their insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., wasn’t up to the task.

  

Panel evaluating Citizens to hear from homeowners

Claims brewing long after storms

Hurricane Wilma blew the roof off Tamara Clausen’s Lake Worth home. Wind-driven water rushed in, ruining four years of renovations and all her personal belongings as well as those of her two teenagers.

 

Katrina Lawyer to Be Investigated

An Alabama federal prosecutor plans to investigate whether Richard Scruggs, a lawyer representing thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims disputing their insurance coverage, should be charged with criminal contempt for sharing documents taken by two former claims adjusters.

 

Citizens insurance task force to meet

The task force examining how Citizens Property Insurance is handling and resolving claims will be taking public testimony in two meetings in Fort Lauderdale today.

 

House TRIA Extension Bill Is Introduced

WASHINGTON—Legislation was introduced in the House yesterday that would extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act for 10 years and provide coverage for nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological coverage for the first time.

 

Double blow for condos?

Combine the Florida Legislature’s property tax reform — and its relatively small impact on nonhomesteaders — with the condo termination law that will go into effect July 1 and there could be a perfect storm for some property owners who thought they were secure in their home on the waterfront.

  

Senator Nelson defends hurricane center chief

Members of Florida’s congressional delegation on Monday defended Bill Proenza, embattled director of the National Hurricane Center, blasting a critical letter he received from a supervisor and vowing to investigate the matter during Senate hearings.

 

Florida insurance agents to meet in Kissimmee

The Florida Association of Insurance Agents meets in Kissimmee for its 103rd Anniversary Convention & Education Symposium, beginning Thursday.

  

Counties dispute Crist figures

Officials say reserve fund numbers ‘grossly inflated’ to win tax cuts

City and county government officials are accusing Gov. Charlie Crist of deliberately putting out false information in an effort to win property tax cuts.

  

Alabama Gov. Vetoes Minimum Auto Coverage

Alabama Republican Gov. Bob Riley has vetoed a bill that would have increased the minimum amount of auto insurance coverage that motorists must purchase.

  

Wisconsin Bill Would Ban Insurers’ Credit Rating Use

A Wisconsin bill to ban insurers’ use of credit ratings to evaluate and set customer policy rates is gaining impetus, according to an aide to the measure’s sponsor.

 

Dinallo Set To Steer Empire State’s Fin’l Service Regulatory Reform Drive

Insurance commissioners are traditionally defined by two categories—either pro-business or pro-consumer, with the former most often identified as Republicans, and the latter usually being Democrats. However, New York’s new insurance superintendent—placed in charge of a commission evaluating all financial services regulation in the Empire State—appears determined to steer a third course emphasizing pragmatism, effectiveness and efficiency.

 

New Cayman Islands Reinsurer Opens Door

A new Cayman Islands reinsurer opened up last week to provide capacity for natural catastrophe risks.

 

Report Says Insurer Opportunity Huge In India

Growing prosperity in India is translating into an increasing interest in insurance among consumers there and there is enormous growth potential there, a new research study says.

 

Coalition Pushes Transparency In Medical Costs

TAMPA – Florida business groups and consumer advocates say they’ve formed a coalition to press for the release of information that would make it possible to shop for health care.

 

Study: Fewer Kids Need Insurance Program

WASHINGTON — There are fewer low-income, uninsured children than previously believed, and that means tripling federal funding for a children’s health insurance program is unnecessary, the Bush administration said Monday in touting a new study.

 

Schools Plan to Pay Cash for Marks

New York City students could earn as much as $500 a year for doing well on standardized tests and showing up for class in a new program to begin this fall, city officials announced yesterday. And the Harvard economist who created the program is joining the inner circle of Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, according to an official briefed on the hiring.

  

Judge Won’t Toss Suit Against De Niro

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge declined Monday to dismiss a lawsuit alleging Robert De Niro misrepresented his health on a movie production insurance form.

 

Community Health Clinics Flourish, but Doctors Are Few

The Bush administration has increased spending on community health centers by hundreds of millions of dollars since 2001, helping to open or expand more than 500 of the facilities and extending basic medical services to 4.5 million people.

 

Not So Invincible: Young Buying Health Plans 

Insurance companies are competing to sell no-frills health plans to a generation of so-called young immortals, Americans ages 18 to 34 who don’t have medical insurance because they doubt they’ll need it.

 

Magistrate To Address Firefighters’ Contract

NEW PORT RICHEY – After more than a year of failed negotiations, county officials and the Pasco Fire Rescue union will go before a special magistrate to resolve their differences.

 

Is Google Too Big?

With its empire expanding, the search giant can have an unprecedented breadth of knowledge about you. Can we trust it with so much data?