Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House and Senate both moved their vulnerable investor protection bills in committee this week. The Senate bill, SB 1466, passed its first committee on March 25, 2019 and the House bill, HB 143 passed its second committee on March 26, 2019. Neither bill was amended. Some in the life…
By: Greenberg Traurig The Senate Health Policy Committee met on March 25, 2019 to consider SB 1528 Prescription Drug Importation Programs for Public Programs (reported favorably as amended). The bill passed with a strike all amendment. SB 1528 Prescription Drug Importation Programs for Public Programs was presented by enthusiastically by Sen. Bean. He brought up…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Department of Financial Services (DFS) agency package passed its first Senate committee on March 25, 2019 with a strike all amendment (196676) that replaces the originally filed version of the bill with the amendment. SB 1704 makes changes in several areas administered or regulated by DFS. Most of…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate added a study on essential health benefit policies in a strike all amendment (166758) that passed the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on March 25, 2019. The amendment also retained the essence of the essential health benefit part of SB 418, but made tweaks to it.…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel SB 1414 and SB 1416 significantly change the way trade secret information provided to state agencies is protected from the public records law. Both bills unanimously passed their first committee on March 25, 2019. Although Sen. Torres (D) expressed concerns about the bills, he voted for them anyway.…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Sen. Wright, the sponsor of this year’s construction defects bill, asked that the bill be temporarily postponed by the Senate Judiciary Committee for the second week in a row. He wants to work on finding a compromise with the stakeholders over the interim. Thus, the bill is not…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A rule proposed by the Division of Workers’ Compensation (Division) to implement last year’s legislation authorizing first responders to receive workers’ compensation benefits for PTSD without a physical injury will be ratified under bills moving through committee. Both HB 983, the House PTSD rule ratification bill, and…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 673 equalizes the payment for long term care insolvencies between the life and health insurance industries. It does not contain an assessment exemption for nonprofit HMOs. HB 673 passed its second House committee on March 25, 2019 with a vote of 13-0. The bill is now in…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel SB 1422 revises provisions relating to short-term limited duration insurance policies and the regulation of association health plans (AHPs). The bill passed its second committee on March 25, 2019 by a vote of 4-1. It was not amended and has one committee left. Sen. Torres (D) cast the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel SB 1526 passed its first committee on March 25, 2019 without being amended. It has two committees left. The Senate bill is very different from the House telehealth bill that is currently moving through committee. The Senate bill essentially is the Florida Medical Association’s wish list for telehealth. …