Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House bill to shield workers’ comp claimant identifying information from claimant’s attorneys to prevent solicitation unanimously passed the House on April 20, 2017. The bill now goes to the Senate for approval. The Senate companion bill, SB 1008, is similar and has one committee left. Thus, passage…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On April 20, 2017, the Florida Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association (FLAHIGA) bill, HB 307, was approved by the House unanimously and sent to the Senate. The Senate bill is identical to the House bill and has one committee left. The bill:• Increases the FLAHIGA administrative assessment…
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 approved unanimously by the full House on April 20, 2017. It now goes to the Senate for consideration and approval. …
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill requiring the state group health insurance program to implement cost-saving prescription drug formulary management techniques unanimously passed the House on April 20, 2017. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration where there is no Senate companion bill. The bill, HB 993, requires the Department…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 577, a bill designed to update regulation of discount medical plan organizations (DMPOs) passed the House on April 20, 2017. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. The Senate companion, SB 430, passed its last committee, Appropriations, on April 20, 2017 with one amendment to conform…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The full House unanimously approved the Department of Financial Services (DFS) agency package on April 20, 2017. And, on the same day, the Senate voted the companion bill out of its last committee. Thus, it is very likely the DFS agency bill will pass this year. The…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate stranger oriented life insurance (STOLI) bill, SB 1600, cleared another committee hurdle on April 20, 2017 when the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved it with four amendments described below. The bill is now its last committee, Rules. The STOLI bill is a priority of the FIC Life…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate Appropriations Committee approved SB 800, the medication synchronization bill, on April 20, 2017 with one amendment. The bill has now cleared all its committees and will be heard on the Senate floor when set by the Rules Committee. The House companion bill, HB 1191 , is virtually…
By: Sam Miller, FIC ConsultantSB 102 Payment of Health Care Claims — by Steube321438H 579 (c1) The Senate Rules Committee on April 19 passed and cleared for the full Senate legislation banning retroactive denial of health insurance claims once authorization is given to doctors. The Florida Insurance Council has been warning that responsible policyholders would…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant Senate workers comp package sponsor Rob Bradley predicted to the Senate Rules Committee April 19 that Senate and House negotiators will bridge differences on attorneys fees and hospital reimbursements and produce a solid agreement with significant reductions in workers’ comp costs. He spoke as the Rules Committee approved the Bradley…