Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Bills specifying the evidence juries hear for the value of past, present, or future medical expenses used to set damages in personal injury lawsuits are moving this year. The House bill cleared its first committee two weeks ago and has two committees left. The Senate bill cleared its…
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 SB 1556 and HB 1179 prohibit specified entities from denying, refusing to allocate, or lowering an individual’s priority for organ transplant medical services solely on the basis of an individual’s intellectual or developmental disability. The insurance part of the bills prohibits insurers, nonprofit health care service plans, and health…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House Health and Human Services Committee approved HB 955 during its meeting on February 12, 2020 without amendment. This was the last committee stop for the bill so it will now be heard on the House floor when set by the Rules Committee. The bill curtails physician referrals…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate advanced their bill prohibiting balance billing by air ambulances during the Senate Health Policy meeting on February 11, 2020 despite some Senators expressing concerns about the bill and not guaranteeing their vote for the bill as the bill moves through the legislative process. Under current law,…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel SB 1094 expands the scope of practice for consultant pharmacists. A similar bill passed the House last year, but died in the Senate when it was never heard in committee, presumably because the doctors opposed the bill. This year, the pharmacists and doctors have worked together and have a…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel SB 1672 protects vulnerable investors from financial exploitation by allowing investment advisors or dealers to delay financial transactions if they suspect financial exploitation. Similar bills were filed in prior Sessions, but never passed. Some life insurers are interested in this bill because they employ investment advisors or dealers that…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Only genetic information that is a medical diagnosis would be allowed to be used by life insurers under an amendment (370850) adopted to the Senate genetic testing bill in committee on February 11, 2020. Sen. Stargel (R), the bill sponsor, offered the amendment saying it narrowed the bill…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House moved their PBM regulation bill (link to HB 7045) to the last committee on February 11, 2020 when House Appropriations approved the bill. The bill was not amended. House PBM Bill – HB 7045 The House bill deals with reporting on drug rebates, administrative fees, and…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House PIP repeal bill (lHB 771) moved through two committees in two weeks after having lingered in committee for months. Thus, it looks like the bill is now being fast tracked. The House passed PIP repeal the past few Sessions where it has died in the Senate. The…