Michael Moline, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Michael MolineFebruary 1, 2018

Repeal of Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system would drive the cost of coverage up by 5.3 percent, or $67 per year, according to an analysis conducted for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. The findings assume that more drivers will buy underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage to protect themselves against motorists who skip purchasing […]

Michael MolineNovember 30, 2017

Pay rates for insurance adjusters jumped by up to 30 percent as Citizens Property Insurance Corp. scrambled to respond to claims following Hurricane Irma, the carrier’s Consumer Service Committee learned Thursday. The hikes were prompted by competition for trained adjusters with Texas, still recovering from Hurricane Harvey when Irma hit Florida on Sept. 10. Texas […]

Michael MolineNovember 14, 2017

A ‘clean’ workers’ compensation bill is headed to the House floor after the Commerce Committee rejected a series of amendments pitched as worker-friendly Tuesday. The bill (PCB COM 18-01) cleared the panel on a vote of 18-8. It closely follows legislation the full House approved during the spring Legislative Session, in that it encourages injured […]

Michael MolineNovember 14, 2017

House assignment of benefits (AOB) legislation cleared its sole committee Tuesday and appears headed to the floor, despite reservations about its limits on attorney fees and lack of language directly sanctioning insurance fraud. Judiciary Committee members also expressed skepticism about insurers pressing policyholders to accept their preferred vendors before approving the bill (PCB JDC 18-01) […]

Michael MolineNovember 7, 2017

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Legislation to repeal Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system handily cleared the House Commerce Committee Tuesday — the only committee slated to consider the measure. The vote was 17-8, and support for the measure was bipartisan — even though some members confessed to qualms about overturning an insurance system that has prevailed since 1971. “I know […]

Michael MolineOctober 30, 2017

Corporate America has long looked to alternative dispute resolution — ADR, including mediation and arbitration — to avoid costly litigation. Might that be a solution to Florida’s assignment of benefits (AOB) debate? The Senate Banking & Insurance Committee is considering it. Sha’Ron James, Florida’s public advocate for the insurance industry, suggested ADR during recent hearings. […]

Michael MolineOctober 24, 2017

Alternative dispute resolution emerged as a possible solution to the political dispute over assignment of benefits, or AOB, agreements during a hearing Tuesday before the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee. Sha’Ron James, Florida’s insurance consumer advocate, raised the possibility as the committee members questioned representatives of the trial bar, the insurers, contractors and other parties. […]

Michael MolineOctober 18, 2017

Regulators pressed representatives of a workers’ compensation insurance rating service Wednesday about whether two Florida Supreme Court rulings had in fact increased the cost of administering claims, as many had feared. The answer: Still too soon to say. Nor is it clear that carriers adjusted their reserves or other practices in response to the rulings […]

Michael MolineOctober 12, 2017

Florida’s tax structure will produce only $52 million in gains on existing state spending during the coming fiscal year, and will leave lawmakers more than $1 billion in the hole during each of the two budget years after that. That doesn’t count what the state needs to spend to recover from Hurricane Irma. The news […]

Michael MolineOctober 12, 2017

Hurricane Irma recovery clearly will dominate the 2018 Legislative Session, but the chairman of the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee hopes to find time to address a few of the state’s other problems. Like assignment of benefits abuse, for example. “I fully expect that to be a policy discussion,” Rep. Danny Burgess said following an […]

Michael Moline
Elizabeth Martinez Strauss. Image via campaign.

New report: PIP repeal could cost motorists

Citizens paid premiums to entice adjusters after Hurricane Irma

House pressing on with workers’ comp reform

House AOB package clears committee despite some qualms

House PIP repeal legislation clears its only committee

Contractors consider compromise in assignment of benefits battle

Senate committee considers sending AOB disputes to mandatory arbitration

Too soon to know? Regulators weigh worker’s comp rates

Irma confounds already straightened state budget prospects, committee learns

House insurance chairman hopes to take up AOB, workers’ comp reform again