Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel SB 540, dealing with FIGA and FWCIGA, unanimously passed its second (of three) Senate committee on January 22, 2020. The bill was not amended. It is supported by FIGA and FWCIGA and is substantially similar to a bill that passed the House last year, but not the Senate. There…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 1189, the House bill banning the use of genetic testing ban by life and long-term care insurers, unanimously passed its last committee on January 23, 2020. And, later that day, the Rules Committee chaired by Rep. Sprowls (R), the bill sponsor, set the bill to be heard on…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 623, is a comprehensive condo association bill that contains one insurance provision. That provision prohibits a condo unit owner’s property policy from allowing the unit owner to subrogate against the condo association if the association’s policy does not allow the association to subrogate against the unit owner. The…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On January 21, 2020, House and Senate committees approved bills deregulating numerous professions and occupations. The bills include changes to the membership of the Florida Building Commission which may be important to the property insurance industry. As part of the proposed deregulation, the Florida Building Commission membership is…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate PIP repeal bill (SB 378), which also authorizes named driver exclusions, passed its first committee on January 20, 2020 when it was approved by the Senate Committee on Infrastructure and Security chaired by the bill sponsor, Sen. Lee (R). The vote was 6-1. The bill goes…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel House and Senate committees advanced bills prohibiting balance billing by air ambulances during meetings on January 21, 2020. Under current law, air ambulances are still allowed to balance bill consumers. In contrast, balance billing by out-of-network health care providers for emergency or nonemergency services was abolished in 2016. Senate…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Issues related to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and other drug issues appear to be a hot issue for the 2020 Legislative Session with nine bills filed on this topic, some of which conflict with each other and most of which are detrimental to health plans even though the alleged…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 1205 deals with disclosures from health care providers to patients when the cash price for a covered medical service is cheaper than the patient’s cost sharing obligation under health insurance. The bill is one of a large number of House health care reform bills designed to further Speaker…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On January 21, 2020, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill sponsored by its Chair, Sen. Simmons (R), to increase the salary of the Judges of Compensation Claims (JCCs). The bill was not amended and had no debate. It has two committees left. There is no House companion…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate Judiciary Committee approved SB 1510 during its meeting on January 21, 2020 with a strike all amendment. The amended bill repeals the appellate jurisdiction of circuit courts for appeals of most cases from county courts. Under the bill, most appeals from the county courts will go…