Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel AOB reform has been a priority of the FIC Property Committee for numerous years. Because the Legislature has failed to address the issue in past Sessions, homeowners are now seeing rapidly increasing premiums due to the increasing frequency and severity of water loss claims and the use of AOBs…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate prejudgment interest bill stalled in its last committee on March 9, 2017 even after the bill was substantially watered down. It appears the bill sponsor, Sen. Steube, didn’t have the votes to get the watered down bill out of committee, thus the bill was postponed. The House…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On March 9, 2017, the Florida Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association (FLAHIGA) bill, HB 307, unanimously passed its last committee. It will now will be heard on the House floor when scheduled by the Rules Committee. The Senate bill is identical to the House bill, but has not…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant HB 7007 State Group Insurance Program — by Health & Human Services Committee State employee would see dramatic new options under the State Group Health Insurance Program through a package getting the approval Wednesday of the House Appropriations Committee. This was developed by the House Health & Human Services Committee…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant CS/SB 144 Texting while driving would become a primary traffic offense under legislation approved this week by the Senate Communications, Energy & Public Utilities Committee. Florida’s police chiefs and the Florida Insurance Council were among many groups supporting the bill. As filed, the bill, sponsored by Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah,…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant Senate staff Wednesday released on the Legislature’s Internet site a revised bill text and insurance committee analysis of an insurance insolvency regulation package (CS/SB 730) adopting provisions from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Insurer Receivership Model Act and the NAIC 2016 Workers Compensation Large Deductibles Study. See these links:…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant The Senate Banking & Insurance Committee Wednesday posted a revised staff analysis and bill text for CS/SB 430, a package updating regulations on discount medical plan organizations (DPMOs) offered by many employers throughout the state. This was approved by Senate B&I Monday, with a similar package (CS/HB 577) advanced Tuesday…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Two proposed committee bills on workers’ compensation were workshopped by the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee during its committee meeting on March 7, 2017. Drafts of the bills have been previously provided to FIC members. One bill includes comprehensive comp reform and the other is a public records exemption…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote on his own bill during the committee meeting on March 7, 2017. The postponed bill, SB 262, is a bill heavily supported by doctors and the trial bar. It expands the vicarious liability of HMOs and commercial health plans.…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant HB 577 Discount Plan Organizations — by Pigman Strike-all amendment: 777669 A bill updating regulation of discount medical plan organizations (DMPOs) was approved by the House Health Innovation Subcommittee Tuesday, a day after similar legislation passed the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee. The House bill (CS/HB 577), sponsored by Cary…