Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Michael MolineFebruary 23, 2017

Insurance interests are up in arms about a House committee’s approval of a bill that would allow plaintiffs to recover prejudgment interest on noneconomic claims, including pain and suffering. HB 469 says that plaintiffs who prevail in lawsuits could collect interest — at a rate now set a 4.9 percent, but varying with inflation — […]

Michael MolineFebruary 7, 2017

Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier laid out his office’s solution to the insurance assignment-of-benefits problem to Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet Tuesday, and it includes limiting contractors’ ability to recover attorney fees in litigation against insurance companies. Florida’s one-way attorney fee statute is intended to shield policyholders against legal bills if they want to sue their insurers for failure […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 30, 2017

Florida will receive $111,000 in a multistate settlement over alleged one-sided use of the Social Security Administration’s death master file. Ameriprise Group, and its RiverSource Life Insurance Co. and RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York affiliates, will pay $1.5 million in all to California, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Pennsylvania, as well as to Florida. The […]

Michael MolineOctober 12, 2016

Insurance claims related to Hurricane Matthew are arriving in earnest now — more than 39,000 of them as of Wednesday. The exact number, according to the Florida Department of Insurance Regulation, was 39,302. Estimated losses stood at $218 million. Of the total claims, 650 had been closed with payments to the policyholders; another 1,027 were closed without payments. […]

Staff ReportsOctober 5, 2016

NFIB/Florida Executive Director Bill Herrle on Wednesday criticized workers’ compensation insurers for pushing through a 14.5 percent rate increase this month. Herrle called the increase “massive” and said it would “undoubtedly hurt small businesses by threatening their ability to keep their doors open and employ Floridians.” The National Federation of Independent Business calls itself “the nation’s leading small-business advocacy group,” according […]

Michael MolineSeptember 30, 2016

State regulators approved premium increases Friday for commercial policies issued by Citizens Property Insurance Corp., including a nearly 12 percent increase for condominium association common property in wind-vulnerable coastal areas. Premiums on those policies would increase by 11.9 percent effective Feb. 1. Citizens had sought an increase of 12 percent. Multi-peril policies for other condo […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 20, 2016

Veteran Tallahassee PR hand Courtney Heidelberg has signed on as chief spokeswoman for Brightway Insurance Inc. in Jacksonville. She assumes the post of public relations and communications manager and will be the main contact at the company for news reporters. “Everyone here has a can-do attitude, and the leadership provides employees and teams with the […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 16, 2016

Recent Tropical Storm activity in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean remind us of one thing — Florida is ground zero for tropical weather activity. In June, parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast became inundated with rain, causing flash flooding, tornado spin-offs and heavy wind as Tropical Storm Colin made landfall in Florida’s Big […]

Guest AuthorJuly 26, 2016

Hats off to Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate Sha’Ron James. Her forum on the explosion of water claims, held June 14 in Boca Raton, shows determination to help consumers despite politics that have blocked even one floor debate in the Florida Legislature. Water losses could be the worst consumer rip-off ever. Reports from the Office of Insurance […]

Associated PressMay 25, 2016

Nearly a dozen health insurers are proposing rate increases averaging 13 percent for 2017 Florida plans sold on the exchanges created under President Barack Obama‘s health care law, but that won’t necessarily mean big consumer price hikes. The largest increase is a whopping 44 percent requested by one Humana plan. Aetna wants a 29 percent […]

Tag: insurance
Lawrence McClure. Image via Florida House.

House panel would allow interest payments on noneconomic verdicts

Insurance Office going after one-way attorney fees in AOB fight

Insurers settle multistate litigation alleging misuse of death master file

Hurricane Matthew-related insurance claims surpass 39,000

Bill Herrle: Worker’s comp hike hurts small biz

Regulators approve increases in Citizens Insurance commercial premiums

Personnel note: Courtney Heidelberg joins Brightway Insurance

Steve Pociask: Prepare for the storms

Scott Johnson: Assignment of Benefits — Florida’s worst consumer rip-off

Florida insurers request rate hikes under federal health law