Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Tuesday, September 21

Sep 21, 2010

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Scott’s plan for Citizens Property Insurance would allow rates to rise; Sink says rates should not increase by more than 10 percent annually

Rick Scott called for some politically tough medicine Monday when he unveiled his position on property insurance: Make the state’s government-run company ”actuarially sound.”

 

Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Workshop to Review New Mitigation Credit Inspection Form

Florida insurance officials are holding a public workshop to review the form used by inspectors to document eligibility for wind mitigation discounts for personal residential property tomorrow, Wed., Sept. 22, 2010.

 

Mobile USA and American Traditions have built long-term success on insurance for mobile homes 

The mere mention of insurance for mobile homes sounds like a setup for an unfortunate joke, since those domiciles seem to be the first and worst affected by severe weather.

 

Venice home built to shrug off wrath of storms

Homeowners Joel and Jami Lin would have felt safe even if Hurricane Igor or the other storms that have formed this season had turned toward Florida rather than far from the peninsula.

 

Florida’s Gremesco Acquired by New Jersey Wholesaler Professional Risk Solutions

New Jersey-based Professional Risk Solutions, a professional liability wholesale insurance broker, has purchased the assets of Gremesco of Florida, LLC.

 

News Release:  Brown & Brown, Inc. Names Rob Roth as Professional Liability Director/Practice Leader of Its Wholesale Brokerage

Brown & Brown, Inc. along with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Peachtree Special Risk Brokers, LLC and Hull & Company, Inc., today announced that Rob Roth has been named Professional Liability Director/Practice Leader of the Company’s Wholesale Brokerage Division.

 

Florida employers tap into federal money to help ease health-care costs for early retirees

It’s one of the most overlooked pieces of health-care overhaul, but a plan to help companies pay health-care costs for early retirees has proved popular in Florida, where 69 companies and government agencies have applied for federal help.

 

Protesters vow to fight until Broward pain clinics go away

They stood quietly hoisting their signs, but their message and the honking it inspired resounded for several hours Monday morning.

 

Hoping for savings, West Palm considers opening its own health clinic for employees

City employees would receive free prescription drugs and doctor visits while taxpayers would save nearly $2 million a year, in a plan laid out by a consulting group to bring a city-subsidized health clinic to West Palm.

 

Big issues surround plan to privatize North Broward Hospital District

Who would control the taxes, surplus?

The tax-collecting North Broward Hospital District kicked up a controversy Sept. 10 when it took a first step toward turning over its giant public health system to a private nonprofit group.

 

Crist appoints West Palm Beach city manager and former Tampa city attorney to Public Service Commission

Gov. Charlie Crist appointed West Palm Beach assistant city administrator Eduardo Balbis, and former Tampa assistant city manager Julie I. Brown, to the Public Service Commission today.

 

Florida State Board of Administration investment claims questioned 

The State Board of Administration on Monday stuck to its claim that Wall Street investment firms misled the agency into buying risky securities after a newspaper cited public records to dispute that contention.

 

Foreclosure mistakes:  GMAC halts foreclosures in Florida

GMAC Mortgage has put a stop to sales of properties that it owns and it has halted evictions related to foreclosures in Florida and 22 other states.

 

Miami public hearing to focus on mortgage fraud

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission is hosting a public hearing in Miami on mortgage fraud.

 

West Nile spreading in South Florida

Three new cases in Collier and Broward

For the first time since 2004, two Floridians have died this summer of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus.

 

State health officials say Acreage cancer investigation is near the end, with no cause found

After more than a year of investigation and a promise from Gov. Charlie Crist to spare no energy at finding answers, state health officials said on Monday that they have neared the end of searching for whatever caused the cancer cluster in The Acreage.

 

Blog:  Senator LeMieux joins filibuster on defense bill containing DREAM Act on immigration, repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Wavering Florida Senator George LeMieux announced Tuesday afternoon he will join with fellow Republicans to block quick action on a defense bill that includes controversial provisions on immigration and gays in the military.

 

County property taxes fall again in Florida

A preliminary report shows county property tax collections are dropping by $584 million this year in Florida.

 

Blog:  Florida agency moves forward with sprawl, climate change rules

The Florida Department of Community Affairs last week continued moving ahead with two important proposed rule changes, but the question is whether DCA will adopt them before a change in administrations.

 

Florida’s Spirit Airlines files for IPO

Spirit Airlines has filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission to take the company public.

 

Feds to Lydian:  Raise capital; Lydian to feds: $155M coming

Lydian Private Bank has been hit by federal regulators with a cease and desist order that requires it to raise capital. The Palm Beach-based institution has responded by announcing a $155 million private stock offering.

 

Dems include West social security number in flier, call it ‘oversight’

The Florida Democratic Party today said it made an “oversight” when it included Republican congressional challenger Allen West’s Social Security number in an attack mailer.

 

Campaign fund violations alleged against State Representative Rachel Burgin

A Tampa man says he filed a complaint last week with the Florida Elections Commission alleging that state Rep. Rachel Burgin has violated campaign finance laws.

 

U.S. Reps fighting Florida redistricting amendments

Both sides claimed the moral high ground Monday on the issue of minority representation in the debate over a pair of redistricting initiatives designed to stop political gerrymandering that favors incumbents and the party in power.

 

Obama to meet with insurance commissioners

President Barack Obama will meet Wednesday at the White House with about 30 state insurance commissioners, including National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners President and West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline, to discuss implementation issues related to the new health care reform law, an NAIC spokeswoman said.

 

Mississippi Denies Allstate’s 44% Homeowners Rate Hike Request

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney has denied Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co.’s requested 44 percent statewide homeowners rate increase.

 

Georgia court rules that insurers must replace luxury with luxury

An Audi can’t be replaced by just any car, Fred Anderson believes.

 

Arizona Appeals Court:  Vendor-Reviewed Bills Standard in Workers’ Comp Industry

The Arizona Court of Appeals has affirmed a 2008 Maricopa County Superior Court decision that SCF Arizona paid a “reasonable amount” to two ambulatory surgical centers, rejecting their argument that SCF violated state law by using a bill reviewer to recommend what to pay.

 

RMS Releases New Japan Typhoon Parametric Industry Loss Index

Risk Management Solutions has added to its Japan typhoon existing suite of parametric industry loss indices.

 

 

 

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