News & Updates

Insurance

OIR Schedules Public Hearings on Health Insurance Acquisitions

OIR Schedules Public Hearings on Health Insurance Acquisitions

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has scheduled hearings on consecutive days in December relating to major pending health insurance acquisitions.  On December 7, the OIR will hold a public hearing on Aetna, Inc.’s proposed acquisition of CarePlus Health Plans, Inc., Humana Health Insurance Company of Florida, Inc., Humana Medical Plan, Inc., and CompBenefits Company. […]

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OIR Approves Workers Compensation Rate Reduction

OIR Approves Workers Compensation Rate Reduction

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has issued an order approving an overall rate reduction of 4.7% in the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s (NCCI’s) recent workers’ compensation insurance rate filing.  NCCI originally filed for an overall rate reduction of 1.9%.  However, upon review, the OIR disapproved the filing as initially filed and stated that […]

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DFS Reminds Agents About Surplus Lines Diligent Effort Requirement

DFS Reminds Agents About Surplus Lines Diligent Effort Requirement

The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) took the opportunity in its recent Insurance Insights newsletter to remind agents of the diligent effort requirement in the Surplus Lines Law.  DFS points out that one of the stated purposes of the Surplus Lines Law is to protect authorized insurers from unwarranted competition by unauthorized insurers who are […]

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Atwater Again Decides Against Senate Run

Atwater Again Decides Against Senate Run

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said this week that he won’t run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Marco Rubio in 2016.  Atwater decided against a Senate run earlier this year, but his prominence as a statewide elected official coupled with the lack of a clear-cut leader to replace Rubio prompted speculation as […]

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OIR and NCCI Continue to Discuss Workers Compensation Rates

OIR and NCCI Continue to Discuss Workers Compensation Rates

Last week the Office of Insurance Regulation rejected a proposed 1.9% workers compensation rate decrease filed by the National Council on Compensation Insurance and indicated that the OIR instead would approve a revised filing providing for a 5.1% rate decrease.  The OIR gave NCCI until November 9 to submit the revisions. NCCI responded before the […]

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Commissioner Discusses Possible Elimination of No-Fault System

Commissioner Discusses Possible Elimination of No-Fault System

Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty mentioned the possibility of scrapping Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system during a speech at the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s recent insurance summit.  Eliminating the no-fault system would require a legislative change and has been discussed by some lawmakers in recent years as they have struggled to implement lasting reforms that curtail […]

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Florida Homeowners Insurers Pass Stress Test

Florida Homeowners Insurers Pass Stress Test

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation released a report summarizing the results of its annual reinsurance data call and stress test.  Under the stress test, residential property insurers are required to identify how their reinsurance programs would respond to several hurricane scenarios, including a single large event or multiple smaller events.  According to the OIR’s […]

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Projected FHCF Capacity Continues to Exceed Single Season Limit

Projected FHCF Capacity Continues to Exceed Single Season Limit

The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) continues to project that it can fully meet its $17.0 billion in potential reimbursement obligations from one or more hurricanes arising in a single season.  Recent projections suggest the FHCF could issue $7.6 billion in bonds over a 12-month period following an event.  This exceeds the amount that would […]

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OIR Seeks Amendments to Holding Company Rules

OIR Seeks Amendments to Holding Company Rules

The Office of Insurance Regulation held a second workshop on a series of proposed changes to rules governing insurance holding company systems, transactions with affiliates, and insurance company acquisitions.  The requirements are set forth in administrative rules 69O-143.046, 69O-143.047, and 69O-143.056.  Most of the provisions in these rules have been on the books for many […]

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Hearing Approaches on Workers’ Compensation Rates

Hearing Approaches on Workers’ Compensation Rates

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (Office) has scheduled a public hearing in connection with its evaluation of the annual NCCI rate filing.  The filing proposes an overall average rate decrease of 1.9% for the workers’ compensation line of insurance.  NCCI is a licensed rating organization authorized to make rate filings on behalf of approximately 260 workers’ […]

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