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

Michael MolineFebruary 28, 2018

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A budget subcommittee voted Wednesday to kill the Senate’s no-fault insurance repeal bill. But the condition is not necessarily terminal. The panel’s chairwoman voted no even though she favored the measure and then moved to pass it temporarily. That would allow her to call for additional hearings on the bill later on, when perhaps it […]

Michael MolineFebruary 28, 2018

An advertising onslaught against the Senate version of no-fault auto insurance repeal broadened Wednesday, even as a committee prepared to take up an amendment dropping a requirement that motorists buy mandatory medical coverage. That mandate was among the business community’s principal objections to the bill. The amendment also contains language intended to discourage lawsuits alleging […]

Michael MolineFebruary 21, 2018

PIP repeal is not officially dead, but it wasn’t looking at all well Wednesday after a key Senate committee adjourned its last meeting of Session without taking up the matter. “It is referenced to this committee, but was not on this agenda. In theory, it makes the prospects of that policy change happening obviously very […]

Michael MolineFebruary 14, 2018

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A bill OK’d Wednesday would clear the way for a likeness of Florida educator and activist Mary McLeod Bethune to replace one of a Confederate general representing Florida in the U.S. Capitol. The House Appropriations Committee unanimously cleared the measure (HB 139), making it available for the floor. The Senate version (SB 472) also cleared the floor […]

Michael MolineFebruary 14, 2018

Legislation to bar health insurers from retroactively denying claims passed the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday, after the sponsor promised to keep massaging language allowing insurers to tip off providers that a patient might not be covered. The committee had been poised to vote on updated language allowing insurers to inform doctors that a patient’s policy […]

Michael MolineFebruary 13, 2018

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Policyholders would see a bold 18-point type warning when their hurricane coverage won’t pay for flood damage under legislation that cleared a Senate panel Tuesday. The Senate Community Affairs Committee OK’d the bill (SB 1282) 6-0. The idea is to spare policyholders any nasty shocks following a hurricane or other natural disaster, said the sponsor, Miami Democrat […]

Michael MolineFebruary 12, 2018

One argument in the debate over repeal of Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system isn’t finding much love in the Legislature — that the real key to lower premiums is reform of the legal rules governing coverage disputes that do land in court. People injured by covered motorists can resort to the tort system if carriers […]

Michael MolineFebruary 6, 2018

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday stripped assignment of benefits legislation of an attorney-fee provision despised by the insurance industry. But that didn’t satisfy industry objections to the overall bill. And that really annoyed a couple of key senators. An amendment to CS/SB 1168 by Judiciary Committee chairman Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, eliminated language […]

Michael MolineFebruary 6, 2018

A Property Casualty Insurers Association of America study made a splash last week in Tallahassee by suggesting repeal of Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system would produce significant increases in motorists’ premiums. The findings contrast those of a similar study last year by Pinnacle Actuarial Resources, which estimated repeal would save policyholders 8.1 percent in liability […]

Michael MolineFebruary 2, 2018

An attempt in the Florida House to scale back legislation targeting retroactive denials of medical insurance claims hasn’t exactly mollified the insurance lobby. A string of lobbyists representing health carriers testified during a recent committee hearing against HB 217 by Boca Raton Republican Bill Hager, notwithstanding an amendment restricting its provisions to policy grace periods […]

Michael Moline

Senate subcommittee puts PIP repeal legislation on life support

Senate amendment would drop ‘med pay’ mandate, as attack on PIP repeal bill widens

Prospects for PIP repeal dive as Senate panel disdains the legislation

Mary McLeod Bethune statue proposal heading to House floor

Insurance retroactive denial ban clears another House committee, despite qualms

Flood insurance ‘warning’ clears second committee

Tort reformer William Large keeps plugging away for PIP bad-faith revamp

Senators lash out at insurance industry during hearing on AOB reform

Insurance industry’s Michael Carlson: We hope PIP-repeal study ‘will kill the bill’

Insurance lobby pulls knives out for ‘retroactive denial of claims’ bill