Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate Robin Westcott Names Personal Injury Protection Working Group Participants; First Meeting Scheduled for September 15, 2011

 

In response to the proliferation of Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) fraud throughout the state, Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate Robin Westcott has assembled a working group to devise policy recommendations on PIP reform in advance of the 2012 Florida Legislative Session.  The group members are listed below. 

In a letter to interested parties today, September 8, 2011, Ms. Westcott announced that the working group’s first meeting is scheduled for  September 15, 2011 at Florida’s Capitol, with subsequent meetings on September 26 and October 10.  Each meeting’s agenda will set aside time for public comment, the written submission of which Ms. Westcott urged in order to ensure it is part of the official record. 

With the goal to submit a “well-documented” report that can be used to formulate public policy, Ms. Westcott indicated that she expects the working group to complete its mission by October 25, 2011.

All meetings will be held at the Capitol Complex, 402 South Monroe Street, Committee Room 404 in the House Office Building from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will also be broadcast on the Florida Channel, which is accessible at http://thefloridachannel.org. 

To view the working group’s Web page on the Florida Department of Financial Services Web site, go to:  http://www.myfloridacfo.com/ICA/PIPWorkingGroup.htm.

Ms. Westcott’s letter and the list of working group participants are reprinted below.

 

Should you have any comments or questions, please contact Colodny Fass.

 

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Working Group – Announcement

Thank you for your interest in the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Working Group. 

As you know, Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law requires registered owners and drivers to maintain Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage and it is intended to hold down medical expenses for minor injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash without regard to fault.  It is also intended to curb litigation costs for minor injuries and non-economic damages.  However, in recent years fraud has so permeated Florida’s PIP system and caused the cost of coverage to more than double in many parts of this state.  The initial value of such a system is now lost for many consumers as they struggle to afford this mandatory coverage. 

For these reasons, I have assembled a working group to gather ideas and formalize the discussion regarding PIP reform.  Although, there is a limited number of seats at the table, I certainly want to hear from everyone on this important issue.  Therefore, at each meeting there will be time set aside for public comments.  In addition, I encourage everyone to submit their comments and/or recommendations in writing so that they can be considered and made a part of the record. The working group’s goal will be to complete a well-documented report that can be used to formulate good policy direction for this matter.  It is anticipated that the working group’s report will be completed by October 25, 2011.

All of the meetings will be held in Tallahassee at the Capitol Complex, 402 South Monroe Street, Committee Room 404 in the House Office Building starting at 9:00 AM to approximately 4:00 PM.  The first meeting will be held on Thursday, September 15, 2011 and the subsequent meetings will be held on September 26 and October 10, 2011. (Please note that the original October date has been changed to October 10 from October 11 due to a scheduling conflict. 

In addition, prior to each meeting you will be sent a copy of the agenda, but I also encourage you to visit the working groups website at: http://www.MyFloridaCFO.com/ICA/PIPWorkingGroup.htm to view other pertinent documents.  

For those who are unable to attend the meetings, all meetings will be shown on the FSU Florida Channel at: http://thefloridachannel.org/.  A copy of each meeting will also be posted on the working groups website as soon as it is available.

If you have questions, please contact Vicki A. Twogood at (850) 413-2970 or vicki.twogood@myfloridacfo.com.

 

Participants of the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Working Group – 2011

• Robin Smith Westcott, Esq., Insurance Consumer Advocate
• Marc Slager, Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of Cabinet Affairs, Executive Office of Governor Rick Scott
• James Knudson, Esq., Senior Attorney, Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
• Florida House of Representatives (Monitoring)
• Detective Ron Cooper, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
• Howard Goldblatt, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
• Brad Ashwell, Director, Florida Public Interest Research Group
• Ralph Glatfelter, Florida Hospital Association
• Dr. Richard Thacker, DO, Florida Osteopathic Medical Association
• Paul Watson Lambert, Esq., Florida Chiropractic Association, Inc.
• Jeffery M. Scott, Florida Medical Association
• Steven D. Smith, Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Florida
• S. Grier Wells, Esq., Board of Governors Florida Bar
• Todd Copeland, Esq., Florida Justice Association
• René Hernández, Esq., Florida Insurance Council, Inc.
• Lynne McChristian, Insurance Information Institute
• Alex M. Hageli, Esq., Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
• Allen McGlynn, Esq., State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Company
• Robert Simmons, Esq., Allstate
• Michael J. Neimand, Esq., United Automobile Insurance Company
• Major Simon Blank, Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud
• R. Terry Butler, Esq., Senior Attorney, Office of the Insurance Consumer Advocate
• Monte Stevens, Director, Governmental Affairs, Office of Insurance Regulation (Information/Technical Assistance)

 

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