Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 1029 allows insurers to give insureds, prospective insureds, or others more advertising or promotional items with a higher value than allowed under current law. The bill was heard for the first time on the House floor on April 19, 2017 and moved to a vote the next time…
By: Greenberg Traurig, FIC Lobbyist The House approved their workers’ compensation reform package on a vote of 82 to 37 early in today’s session. House bill 7085 by Rep. Danny Burgess (R-Zephryhills) is a response to recent Florida Supreme Court rulings which rendered portions of the 2003 reform package unconstitutional. The bill will now head…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Department of Financial Services (DFS) agency package is ready for approval by the full House after being heard on the floor for the first time on April 19, 2017. The vote could come as soon as April 20, 2017. The Senate companion, SB 986, is set for…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 577, a bill designed to update regulation of discount medical plan organizations (DMPOs) was heard on the House floor on April 19, 2017. The House can vote on the bill the next time they are in Session, April 20, 2017. One amendment was adopted to the bill on…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On April 18, 2017, the Florida Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association (FLAHIGA) bill, HB 307, was heard on the House floor. It should be voted on April 20th. The Senate bill is identical to the House bill and has one committee left. The bill:• Increases the FLAHIGA…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant The Florida Senate approved unanimously April 19 a package health insurers believe will allow physicians to override step therapy drug protocols at almost any time and also weaken prior authorization, both key tools in health care cost containment. The package (CS/SB 530) goes to the House, where a more limited…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 1063, the House bill repealing personal injury protection (PIP) and replacing it with mandatory bodily injury (BI) insurance, passed the Florida House on April 19, 2017 by a vote of 89-29. Rep. Grall addressed third party bad faith reform in her explanation of the bill on the House…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant Auto insurers could opt-out of the automobile preinsurance inspection program under a bill (SB 1316) approved by the Senate Transportation Committee on April 19. The Senate Banking & Insurance Committee passed it earlier and there is now one final committee stop in the Senate, Rules. The committee did adopt an…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On April 19, 2017, the full House passed the comprehensive workers’ compensation reform bill, HB 7085 with a vote of 82-37, mainly along party lines. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. The Senate companion bill, SB 1582, was heard in its last committee on April 19,…
By: Greenberg Traurig, FIC Lobbyist House Commerce approved a proposed committee bill for HB 1421 by Rep. Jamie Grant (R-Tampa) and Rep. Rene Plasencia (R-Titusville) on Wednesday. The measure was approved on a vote of 21 to 8 with Democrats voting against it. Rep. Richard Stark (D-Weston) was the lone Democrat casting a favorable vote.…