During its 2012 pre-legislative conference in August, theFlorida Insurance Council (FIC) worked with other insurance tradesand its business community partners to lay out the major insuranceand business issues for next year's session and to develop lobbyingand communications strategy.

“It was most appropriate that we were honored with participationby the chairs of Associated Industries and the Florida Chamber ofCommerce. We have a wonderful track record of working with keybusiness associations like AIF and the Chamber. When we havesuccessfully tackled bad insurance law and unnecessarily highinsurance costs, it has been through this partnership,” saysFIC President Cecil Pearce.

The program included two former House speakers, Senate RulesChairman John Thrasher of Jacksonville and Allan Bense ofPanama City, who also appeared in his role as chair of the FloridaChamber of Commerce. Another key speaker was Erika Alba ofJacksonville, the public affairs director at Foley & Lardnerand chair of the AIF board.

Revising standards to sue insurance companies for bad faith andcollect damages far exceeding the limits of the insurance policywill be one of the top priorities for the business and insurancecommunities. The business and insurance communities also willfocus on eliminating unnecessary increased costs to the workers'compensation system through unrestricted drug repackaging byproviders. A third key priority will be returning Citizens PropertyInsurance Corp. to a market for homeowners who cannot get privateinsurance.

During meetings of their key committees to develop specificpositions FIC members also deliberated on PIP auto insurance,implementation of the federal health care act, and pressing lifeinsurance issues.

On PIP, the FIC auto and health committees agree that allowingthe Florida auto insurance crisis and rampant insurance fraud tocontinue is unacceptable. Like most other associations, FICcontinues to wrestle with a specific strategy among the two majoroptions: repeal PIP and replace it with another auto insurancesystem or reform PIP. Whichever is finally adopted, new tools tofight insurance fraud are essential, FIC President Pearceemphasizes.