Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant The House, by a 117-0 vote on April 28,completed legislative approval of a bill (CS/CS/SB 1124) expediting the expansion and updating of Florida’s newborn screening standards as federal standards change. The House on April 27 took up the Senate-passed version (CS/CS/SB 1124) in lieu of its bill. The House passed…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant CS/CS/CS/HB 545 The House April 28 voted 117-0 to pass a Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles package that allows taxis, limousines, jitneys, or other for-hire passenger vehicles to purchase auto insurance from the surplus lines industry. This is supported by taxis and surplus lines carriers. The taxi insurance…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant HB 1397171781 – by RodriguesSB 406 A revised House plan implementing the medical marijuana constitutional amendment drops a 90-day minimum doctor/patient relationship and moves the House much closer to the Senate and a final agreement before the Legislature adjourns May 5. In another concession to the Senate, House members authorized vaporizing and…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The full Senate passed the medication synchronization bill on April 27, 2017 with a vote of 36-0. It will now go to the House for consideration. Thus, the medication synchronization bills are in a posture to pass this year. The House medication synchronization bill, HB 1191, made it through…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant CS/CS/CS/HB 545 The House April 28 is posed to pass a Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles package that allows taxis, limousines, jitneys, or other for-hire passenger vehicles to purchase auto insurance from the surplus lines industry. This is supported by taxis and surplus lines carriers. The House reviewed…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 577, a bill designed to update regulation of discount medical plan organizations (DMPOs) is on its way to the Governor for approval. The bill passed the House on April 20, 2017 and passed the Senate a week later on April 27, 2017. Discount Medical Plan Organizations (DMPOs)…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate passed the frozen formulary bill, SB 182, on April 27, 2017 with a vote of 37-0. The bill is opposed to by the FIC Health Committee. The Senate bill now goes to the House for consideration. However, the House companion bill, HB 95, is still in committee,…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant The Legislature is nearing final passage of a measure expediting the expansion and updating of Florida’s newborn screening standards as federal standards change. Expanded and updated screening is vital “so we can intervene earlier in the lives of newborns and improve their quality of health,” said Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-Fort…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Starting on January 1, 2018, SB 102 prohibits health insurers and HMOs from retroactively denying a claim, if at any time, the insurer or HMO verified the eligibility of an insured or subscriber at the time of treatment and provided an authorization number. The bill is opposed by the…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant The Florida House on April 26 passed 117-0 this year’s omnibus insurance package (HB 359 E1), a compilation of changes to numerous lines of insurance. The package goes to the Senate, which has been developing a somewhat difference package (CS/CS/SB 454).The Senate bill still has one more committee reference, Senate…