Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Michael MolineAugust 16, 2016

Trial attorneys mounted an ardent defense Tuesday of Florida Supreme Court rulings blamed by business interests for threatening an increase in workers’ compensation insurance premiums of nearly 20 percent. Mark Touby, a Coral Gables attorney who helped persuade the justices to eliminate a limit on attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases, insisted during a public […]

Michael MolineAugust 16, 2016

A leading open-government advocate offered strong support Monday for a legal challenge to a proposed workers’ compensation insurance premium increase of nearly 20 percent. “I think he’s got a cause of action,” First Amendment Foundation President Barbara Peterson said of Miami attorney James Fee, who is challenging the rate hike on open-government grounds. Fee filed suit in Miami-Dade […]

Michael MolineAugust 15, 2016

An insurance industry council moved Monday to block a legal challenge to proposed workers’ compensation premium increases of nearly 20 percent, warning that delay would threaten the solvency of Florida’s system for compensating injured workers. The state Office of Insurance Regulation is scheduled to take up the rate hike Tuesday morning in Tallahassee. Delay, the […]

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 PressJuly 5, 2016

Florida regulators are being asked to approve a nearly 20 percent rate hike in insurance premiums paid by the state’s business owners to cover their employees. The organization that submits rate filings on behalf of insurance companies filed the request Friday in response to a recent state Supreme Court decision. The high court in June […]

Phil AmmannMay 9, 2016

After five years at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, insurance expert George Feijoo is leaving for a role at government affairs firm Floridian Partners. Feijoo, a Florida State University graduate in Actuarial Science with an MBA, has the designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). During his stint at OIR, Feijoo worked at both […]

Jim RosicaApril 29, 2016

Insurance-related concerns reacted with cautious optimism to Friday’s naming of David Altmaier as Florida’s new Insurance Commissioner. “The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida is committed to working with the new commissioner to increase the health and stability of the property and casualty insurance market in Florida,’’ Executive Director Michael Carlson said in a statement. The […]

Jim RosicaApril 29, 2016

A 34-year-old former high school math teacher was named Friday to be the next Florida Insurance Commissioner. David Altmaier, currently a deputy commissioner at the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), starts on Monday. Altmaier, who will be paid $165,000 a year, began at OIR as an insurance examiner in 2008. The selection caps off weeks of […]

Jim RosicaApril 29, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet are supposed to meet Friday to pick the state’s new Insurance Commissioner. But except for Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, none of them will actually be there. The rest, including Scott, will be phoning it in. Friday’s get-together (or lack thereof) is a last-minute emergency meeting, called by the […]

Jim RosicaApril 26, 2016

A second Florida Cabinet meeting has ended with no agreement on a new state Insurance Commissioner. Gov. Rick Scott and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater again deadlocked on Tuesday, further stalling the process. In a near replay of the last meeting, an intransigent Scott again moved to hire retired insurance executive Jeffrey Bragg. An equally intransigent Atwater declined […]

Tag: Office of Insurance Regulation

Attorneys defend Florida Supreme Court decision on workers’ comp rate increase

Open government activists back legal challenge to worker’s comp rate increase

Insurance Council counters challenge to big workers’ comp rate hike

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

State asked to ok nearly 20 percent insurance rate hike for businesses

Personnel note: Floridian Partners hires OIR insurance expert George Feijoo

Insurance interests “look forward” to new commissioner

David Altmaier named Insurance Commissioner

Jeff Atwater may be alone in Cabinet meeting

Top state officials still can’t agree on new Insurance Commissioner