Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, Oct. 9

Click on a headline to read the complete story:

 

Sink wants Cabinet, not lawmakers, to decide CAT fund rates

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink wants lawmakers to turn over some control of the state’s backup hurricane fund to the governor and Cabinet in an effort to shift some risk away from the state and to the private reinsurance market.

 

State rejects USAA home insurance rate hike

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Regulators rejected property insurer USAA’s attempt to raise its rates by more than half because top company officials didn’t certify the filing’s accuracy and truthfulness.

 

No-fault fender-bender, not consumer crack-up

On Thursday, it looked as though no-fault auto insurance was going to perish in a head-on collision between the Florida House and Senate. On Friday, the House blinked in that little game of chicken – and Floridians will benefit.

 

New York Proposes Hurricane Insurance Fund

New York regulators are proposing that insurance companies set aside extra money to pay for damage in the event of a significant hurricane, seeking to ease, at least in the state, the soaring premiums faced by millions of Americans along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. But insurers have expressed reservations.

 

Gov’t may buy thousands of Miss. homes

The federal government is considering buying out as many as 17,000 homes along the Mississippi coast and remaking the land into a vast hurricane-protection zone, raising anxieties that it could destroy the waterfront lives many residents are struggling to rebuild after Katrina.

 

Homeowner finds mortgage carousel ride scary

The worst housing slump in 16 years has produced a subprime mortgage meltdown, widespread layoffs and record foreclosures.

 

Fla. Last Resort Insurer Hurts Broker Profits

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS , W . Va. —Legislative changes to lower the rate structure of Florida’s state-backed insurer of last resort have hurt business at Brown & Brown brokerage, the firm’s president said.

 

Medicare Cites WellCare Again

TAMPA – In June, after congressional committees accused WellCare Health Plans of Medicare marketing abuses, the company promised to fix its problems.

 

Drug Benefit Profits Are So High, The Insurer Must Repay The Government $99 Million

TAMPA – WellCare Health Plans made so much money on the new Medicare drug benefit in 2006 that the company has to pay back $99 million to the government, according to federal records.

 

Florida isn’t ‘over’ yet, but it’s going under

Chicago marathon runners collapsed in the heat this weekend, while Packers and Bears needed intravenous Gatorade to fight off cramps during a Green Bay night game.

 

Crist rails against insurance companies again

Meeting with Hispanic business leaders provides forum

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist met for an hour at the Governor’s Mansion this morning with 10 Hispanic business executives who expressed concern about rising health-care costs, work force education and insurance coverage.

 

Elimination of driving guide cash closes book on state budget cuts

TALLAHASSEE — A $1 billion cut to the state budget was wrapped up Monday when House and Senate budget negotiators eliminated cash needed to print a 58-page book that provides handy driving tips.

 

Rise of new personal jets worries experts

ATLANTA — They’re sleek. They’re fast. They’re relatively inexpensive. And they’re about to change the face of general aviation — for better or worse, depending on who’s talking.

 

Dean: This Too Shall Pass

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean waded into hostile territory Tuesday with a fund-raiser and a brief news conference in Tallahassee, and sought to distance the national party from Florida’s primary mess.

 

Corporations Await Supreme Court Ruling on Reach of Securities Lawsuits

The hopes of Enron investors are riding on a case being argued before the Supreme Court today that may be the last chance at compensation for their losses when the scandal-ridden energy company collapsed.

 

Republicans Want More Minority Involvement

TAMPA – The Florida Republican Party is set to begin what Chairman Jim Greer describes as a major effort to reach out to minority voters, including a planned conference next month in Tallahassee for thousands of black Republicans and independents.

 

Co-ops helping mobile home owners stay put

So, you want to save your mobile home park, eh? Here’s how to pull it off.

Nothing defines the American dream like owning your own home. But in the past few years, thousands of mobile home owners across the state have lost their homes as developers devoured the parks where they lived.