Latest Florida Headlines

All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Florida Medical Malpractice Consent Rule Preempted By Federal Law, Says Judge

Oct 2 2013 // A federal judge has struck down a key Florida medical malpractice law that required a patient to allow a defending physician’s attorney to informally discuss the case with the patient’s other health care...

Bill to Delay Flood Insurance Rate Hikes Stymied by Shutdown Politics

Oct 2 2013 // A bipartisan proposal to delay federal flood insurance rate hikes that took effect Tuesday is being stymied by a bitter congressional dispute over President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, Sen. Bill Nelson...

Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Now in Effect

Oct 2 2013 // Florida is joining 40 other states in the U.S. where it is illegal to text and drive.The ban is one of more than two dozen laws passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature scheduled that kicked in on Tuesday, Oct. 1....

Florida’s Heritage Insurance Names Russell Chief of Underwriting, Sales

Oct 1 2013 // Florida homeowner insurer Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance has named Mel Russell as its new chief underwriting officer, executive vice president and director of Sales and Marketing. Russell has 36 years of...

Hub Acquires Florida’s Connelly, Carlisle, Fields & Nichols

Oct 1 2013 // Global insurance broker Hub International Limited has acquired the assets of Connelly, Carlisle, Fields & Nichols (CCFN), a Clearwater, Florida-based insurance brokerage firm. Terms of the acquisition were not...

Mississippi Insurance Chief Sues to Halt Flood Insurance Rate Hikes

Sep 29 2013 // The Mississippi Department of Insurance has filed a lawsuit against the federal government to try to block rates from increasing Oct. 1 in the National Flood Insurance Program.State Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said...

Florida’s Citizens, Heritage Defend Controversial Takeout Deal

Sep 27 2013 // Florida’s state-backed property insurer found itself on the defensive in Tallahassee this week as state lawmakers inquired into a deal whereby a private insurer stands to receive millions in exchange for removing...

Florida Consumer Advocate Westcott Resigns for Job with Industry

Sep 27 2013 // Florida’s Consumer Advocate Robin Westcott has resigned to become the vice president of the American Association of Insurance Services, an Illinois-based industry organization that develops standardized forms and...

Wholesaler Socius Names Dross as Vice President in Florida

Sep 27 2013 // Socius Insurance Services Inc., a management liability and property/casualty insurance wholesaler, announced it has hired Matt Dross as vice president, Property /Casualty Practice. Dross will be based in Tampa,...

Flood Insurance ‘Sticker Shock’ Hits Floridians with New, Secondary Homes

Sep 26 2013 // When Colin and Joyce Elston bought their Florida dream home in May, they were confident they could afford the three-bedroom, two-bathroom ranch with a pool and a backyard overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.Now they are...

Court Weighs Merits of Hold Placed on Florida PIP Reforms

Sep 25 2013 // Florida automobile insurers are hoping a court lifts an injunction that has blocked portions of the state’s 2012 no-fault law from taking effect.Florida’s First District Court of Appeals recently heard oral...

Average Obamacare Premiums Will Be Lower Than Projected

Sep 25 2013 // By Julie Appleby and Phil GalewitzKaiser Health News Staff Writers Just days before new online health insurance markets are set to open, the Obama administration Wednesday released a look at average premiums, saying rates...

Florida City Frustrated with Abandoned Cruise Ship

Sep 24 2013 // Panama City has spent tens of thousands of dollars removing dozens of derelict boats as it redevelops its waterfront. But one abandoned former luxury cruise liner is proving to be an especially difficult case.The News...

Florida Realtors Join Call to Delay Flood Insurance Hikes

Sep 24 2013 // Real estate brokers have joined the chorus of those asking Congress to halt some of the changes to the nation’s flood insurance program that will raise premiums for some owners of property in flood zones.At the...

Florida’s Citizens Has New Plan to Shift 200,000 Policies to 8 Private Insurers

Sep 22 2013 // Florida’s largest insurer could be shifting thousands more of its policyholders away from the state-created company and into private insurance companies.The head of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. announced Friday...

Mississippi Insurance Chief Wants to Sue to Stop Flood Insurance Rate Hikes

Sep 20 2013 // Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney is prepared to sue the federal government to stop the flood insurance rate hikes triggered by a recent reform law, but it remains to be seen if he can move forward because the...

Florida Says Former Allstate Employee Diverted Claims Payments

Sep 19 2013 // Yarden Lee Bracero, 39, a former Allstate employee in Jacksonville has been convicted of diverting insurance claims payments for her own personal use, according to Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater.Bracero...

Groups Object to Florida’s Citizens Insuring Out-of-State Policyholders

Sep 18 2013 // A coalition of Florida business and consumer groups is objecting to the state-backed property insurer providing coverage for 180,000 individuals who reside outside of the state and, in some cases, the country.The Stronger...

Firms Helping Boat Owners Test Waters of ‘Sharing Economy’

Sep 18 2013 // Getting out on the open sea, wind in your hair, enjoying the ride with your family and friends.Then there’s the boat payments, storage fees, fuel, maintenance and repair — these costs can quickly sink the dream of...

Ex-Republican Crist Expected to Run For Governor in Florida as Democrat

Sep 17 2013 // Charlie Crist hopes that the hug that hurt him becomes the hug that now heals him.Democratic President Barack Obama embraced Crist, then Florida’s Republican governor, at a 2009 rally. Republican Marco Rubio used the...