Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Wednesday, June 27

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Crist ‘pretty close’ to calling special session on auto insurance

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday he was “pretty close” to calling a special legislative session to seek renewal of the state’s no-fault automobile insurance system, which is set to expire Oct. 1.

 

Auto insurance requirement must not go away, hospital executives say

Hospital leaders aren’t about to give up on a law that all Florida licensed drivers must carry personal injury protection insurance that is set to expire come Oct. 1.

 

Voters pick Republicans to fill state Senate, House seats

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Voters picked Republicans to fill open seats in state Senate District 3 and Florida House districts 43 and 24 in special elections Tuesday.

 

Sinkhole Forum Stirs Hope, Ire In Insured

NEW PORT RICHEY – Rochelle Theurer walked out of Spartan Manor on Tuesday evening with a smile on her face..

 

State to weigh Farm Bureau rate hikes

State regulators have scheduled a public hearing for a rate filing submitted by Florida Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Co. and Florida Farm Bureau General Insurance Co. 

 

FHA: Insurance law expiration could cost hospitals big bucks

The Florida Hospital Association is asking Gov. Charlie Crist to call the Legislature into special session to renew the no-fault automobile insurance personal injury protection law.

 

Bense urges commission to work quietly on property tax issues

Members of a constitutional commission reviewing Florida’s tax structure should stay out of the debate over the Legislature’s ballot issue on property tax relief even though they cannot ignore that subject, the panel’s chairman said Tuesday.

 

Nelson Blames Senator For Stalling Insurance Study

WASHINGTON – Sen. Bill Nelson on Tuesday blamed a fellow Gulf Coast senator for stalling his proposal to create a commission to study national disaster insurance.

 

Treasury to Study Regulator Overlap

Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. yesterday began an effort to examine regulatory overlap in the financial services sector, citing three recent industry-funded reports that argue a thicket of rules is constricting American business.

 

Private equity firms see rising threat of lawsuits

LONDON (Reuters) – Private equity firms, already under fire by politicians for their tax breaks and borrowing levels, expect their risks to escalate on yet another front — the courtroom.

 

Washington, D.C.: Florida lawmakers want tax break on storm repairs

Homeowners could dip into their retirement savings without a tax penalty to repair hurricane damage under legislation unveiled on Tuesday by U.S. Reps. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, and Dave Weldon, R-Palm Bay.

 

Public Hearing Set For Florida Farm Bureau Rate Filing

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (Office) has scheduled a public hearing for a rate filing submitted by Florida Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company and Florida Farm Bureau General Insurance Company.  The hearing for this rate filing will be held in Tallahassee, in the Senate Office Building, room 401, at the Capitol.

 

State’s storm burden ‘a grave concern’

Have insurance changes made Florida’s finances too vulnerable to major hurricanes? Some worry.

Gov. Charlie Crist says he is confident that the sweeping property-insurance changes he and lawmakers have made this year — which have the state shouldering more of the financial risk from hurricanes than ever before — won’t come back to haunt Florida.

 

Crist’s busy day:15 bills now law

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist signed 15 bills into law Tuesday, including a measure that allows Palm Beach County to give a wedge of nearly 2,000 acres of land to Broward County.

 

U.S. House bill to seek private help for national insurance fund

A U.S. House bill seeking to stabilize the insurance market in disaster-prone areas would use private investors to build a national backup fund that states could use after the worst catastrophes.

 

Lack of Insurance Knowledge Can Hurt

NEW YORK — If your house is flooded during a hurricane, is the damage covered by your homeowners insurance policy? Will it cover a motor scooter stolen from the backyard? Or your son’s possessions when he moves into his college dormitory?

 

Law excludes price in ranking consultants

State agencies usually take price and fees into consideration when ranking bidders on contracts.

 

Bermuda Shorted as More U.S. Captives Form Onshore, Aon Reports

Bermuda’s reign as the undisputed global leader among captive domiciles is being challenged by U.S. companies that are increasingly leaning toward onshore domiciles for their captive insurance companies.

 

Where do our property taxes go?

Anyone who believes that Florida’s property-tax crisis has been solved with the recent legislation is dead wrong. Much more than a few hundred dollars in savings for select homeowners are going to be necessary, as South Florida’s exorbitant property taxes contribute to the growing economic pressure that is crushing the area’s middle class.

 

75% of Auto Insurance Shoppers Who Met with Poor Service Switch Carriers, Survey Finds

While 33 percent of auto insurance consumers who shop because of price ultimately switch carriers, nearly 75 percent of those who shop because they have experienced poor customer service switch carriers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Insurance Shopping Study.

 

Experts Discuss Solving Adjuster Talent Gap

LAS VEGAS —The retirement of experienced claims adjusters is forcing carriers to redevelop education and recruitment programs to replace and expand their dwindling ranks, insurance executives said.

 

Bush Offers Compromise on Insurance Plan

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration sought Wednesday to revive its plan for making health insurance more affordable by signaling a willingness to compromise on proposed tax incentives.

 

Many Advantage Providers Violated Rules, Medicare Says

TAMPA – Two-thirds of the nation’s private Medicare Advantage companies, including two based in the Tampa Bay area, have been cited for violations of federal rules in enrolling or dealing with beneficiaries, a Medicare official said Tuesday.

 

Fund designed to get investment to early-stage firms

The state has set aside almost $30 million in hopes of prompting venture capital firms to invest more money in early-stage Florida companies.

 

Housing Agency Orders Neighborhood Clinic Closed

TAMPA – A neighborhood medical clinic at a Tampa Housing Authority property is closing after its founder admitted last week to being in violation of a three-year-old agreement to not see patients there.

 

Corruption Feeds Russian Health Crisis

MOSCOW — When Karen Papiyants lost his leg in a road accident last year, his medical nightmare was only beginning.

 

ICANN mulls registrar changes after RegisterFly debacle

Internet management groups seeks comment on dealing with domain registrars after recent RegisterFly debacle.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is seeking ideas and opinions on ways to modify the agreement terms it enters into with Internet registrars to protect individuals and organizations that do business with them.