Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee postponed a vote on the mediation bill, HB 1043, at the request of the bill sponsor. No explanation for the postponement was provided. HB 1043 has concerned many in the insurance industry and in organizations that advocate for tort reform as…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate Health Policy Committee passed SB 162 during its meeting on January 23, 2018 with no amendments, questions or debate. The bill has one committee left. The bill prohibits a health insurer or health maintenance organization (HMO) from retroactively denying a claim if the insurer or HMO verified the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee killed the named driver exclusion bill, SB 518, on January 23, 2018 by a vote of 4-5. The “no” votes cast were bipartisan, with Sens. Bracy (D- Ocoee), Gainer (R-Panama City), Garcia (R-Hialeah), Taddeo (D-Miami), and Thurston (D-Ft. Lauderdale) voting against the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A much more limited version of this year’s CAT Fund (Fund) bill (HB 97) garnered significant push back from committee members when it was heard for the first time in committee on January 23, 2018. The bill ultimately passed with a vote of 9-4. Even though the bill…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On January 23, 2018, committees in the House and Senate both approved agency bills, HB 1073 and SB 1292, for the Department of Financial Services (DFS). The House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee adopted a strike all amendment (#189391) when they heard the bill on January 23, 2018. The…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Saying the bill is no longer needed, Sen. Baxley, the bill sponsor, temporarily postponed SB 924. The bill would have added another health insurance mandate to Florida law for early refills for prescription eye drops. Florida currently has over 50 mandates. Paul Sanford, representing FIC and Florida Blue,…
Consumer Protection Coalition FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEConsumer Protection Coalition Releases New Polling Data about Need for AOB Reform TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Jan. 23, 2018) – The Consumer Protection Coalition today released new polling data commissioned by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) showing Florida voters support Assignment of Benefits (AOB) reform by a 2-to-1 margin.…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel SB 762, which expands they kinds of allowable gifts insurers or agents can give, was unanimously approved by its first Senate committee on January 23, 2018. The committee adopted a strike all amendment (#242446) which essentially matched the Senate bill with its House companion bill, HB 483. The…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel This year’s insurance omnibus bill passed its first committee in the House on January 23, 2018. A proposed committee substitute (#11000) for HB 465 was adopted by the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee. Thus, the originally filed version of HB 465 is now replaced with the committee substitute. An…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Bills (HB 33, SB 90) changing the current enforcement of the ban on texting while driving from secondary to primary offense are moving this Session. Changing texting while driving to a primary offense will allow a law enforcement officer to stop a vehicle solely for texting while driving. Both…