Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) held a rule workshop on September 13, 2017 to discuss proposed changes to the 2018-2019 reimbursement contract and the administrative rule relating to the contract, Rule 19-8.010. A red line version of the rule and contract and a summary of the changes are…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Anne Bert, Chief Operating Officer of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF), provided an update on Hurricane Irma claims to the FHCF Advisory Council during their meeting on September 13, 2017. Ms. Bert stated the FHCF has not yet received any requests for reimbursement/Proof of Loss Reports from insurers,…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A second and unfriendly AOB bill emerged in the Senate this week. This bill, SB 256, is not the bill drafted by the OIR and Citizens Property Insurance (Citizens) which is supported by the industry. The OIR and Citizens bill is SB 62. AOB reform is the top, and…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The OIR will likely implement their catastrophe data reporting for Hurricane Irma. In order to prepare for the data call, insurers may want to review the Catastrophe Reporting Form template on the OIR website (http://www.floir.com/Sections/PandC/ProductReview/CatastropheReporting.aspx) to become familiar with it. According to the OIR, it is very similar to…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The OIR issued the following notice to health insurers, managed care entities, and other health entites about early prescription refills as a result of Governor Scott’s Executive Order relating to the State of Emergency due to Hurricane Irma: http://www.floir.com/siteDocuments/Hurricane_Irma_Prescription_Refill_Notification_09052017.pdf
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Last week, Rep. Santiago, vice chair of the House Insurance Committee, filed HB 97 which restructures part of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF). The 2018 bill proposes fewer changes to the FHCF than the 2017 FHCF restructuring bill (which did not pass). Following are some of the highlights…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Sen. Farmer filed a very unfriendly workers’ comp bill on September 5, 2017. SB 258 prohibits attorney fees paid in workers’ comp cases from being included in the insurer’s rate base and used to justify a rate or rate change. This is a major issue for the trial bar…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Sen. Farmer filed a very unfriendly bill relating to insurance rate setting on September 5, 2017. SB 258 prohibits attorney fees paid under the one-way attorney fee statute (s. 627.428) in insurance cases from being included in the insurer’s rate base and used to justify a rate or rate…
By Greenberg Traurig NCCI Makes Workers’ Compensation Filing for Rate Decrease On Monday, August 28, 2017, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (“NCCI”) submitted a filing to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (“OIR”) in which NCCI recommended an average premium decrease of 9.6 percent, effective January 1, 2018. The proposal comes in the wake…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On August 18, 2017, the Telehealth Advisory Council (Council) met in Orlando to discuss their recommendations relating to telehealth. The Council was created by legislation enacted in 2016. Its task is to survey health care facilities, HMOs, health care practitioners, and health insurers about telehealth and research telehealth issues. …