Florida Underwriter March 2009
Cover Story
Will Budget Woes Squeeze Out Industry Concerns?
But this year's session could be far-reaching for the state's insurance industry as well. The explosive news that State Farm, the state's largest private insurance carrier, has decided to pull out of
Features
-
Enote
"Good riddance!" was Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's well-publicized rejoinder to State Farm's January declaration that it wants to stop writing property insurance here. "They probably charge the
-
Cat Fund Shortfall Grows
State lawmakers rolled the dice in 2007 and expanded the size of the backup insurance the state provides to insurers as a way to control the prices of private property insurance. Their luck has held
-
2009 Legislative Session Will Prove Rocky
In the wake of State Farm Florida's announcement of its plan to withdraw its property insurance business from Florida and Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty's Order (issued on Feb. 13)
-
PEOs Face Challenges and Opportunities
Florida Underwriter recently spoke with Michael Corley, current president of the Florida Association of Professional Employer Organizations (FAPEO). Corley also is president and COO of Sarasota-based
-
In Search of Rate Increases
Commercial property insurance is often a critical issue in Florida, and 2009 is no exception. To gain insight into the excess and surplus lines side of that market, Florida Underwriter spoke with
-
Hitching an RV to an Auto Policy
Imagine that one of your customers walks into your agency looking for insurance for his new travel trailer. You pull a quick quote for an endorsement on his existing car insurance policy. Pleased
People
-
Jennings Hired as Communications Director
Florida CFO Alex Sink has named Kyra Jennings as her office's new communications director. A Tallahassee native, Jennings worked as a communications professional in Washington, D.C., with numerous
-
Barde Leads TMS
Cara Barde has been named president of Total Medical Solutions (TMS), an Orlando company that provides specialty home-health services and products for the workers' compensation industry. Barde joined
-
Tromer Heads Up MacNeill Group
Kevin M. Tromer has been named president of MacNeill Group, Inc. He succeeds Douglas W. Bullington, who continues in his current position as CEO of Focus Holdings, LLC, MacNeill Group's parent
-
New Offices in Boca
Marshall Gordon and Skylar Rupp have joined Appalachian Underwriters, Inc., at the firm's new offices in Boca Raton. AUI is a full-service MGA and wholesale insurance brokerage providing independent
-
PMSI Expands
PMSI Settlement Solutions (formerly PMSI MSA Services) represents the expansion of MSA-related services. Dr. Kent Takemoto has been named president of the division. Jim Molloy has joined the firm as
-
New President Named
Scott G. Pollard has been hired as the new president of 1-800-WE-INSURE. Pollard most recently was as a regional vice president with Safeco. The company is located in Loganville, Ga. 1-800-WE-INSURE
-
Knock, Knock -- It's Alex
Robbin Broadnax had an unwelcome visitor -- CFO Alex Sink. As part of a week-long blitz to publicize insurance fraud, Sink joined detectives from the Department of Financial Services' division of
-
Agent Barred From Industry
Margarita D. Martin, owner and operator of Martin-Argote Insurance Group, Inc., in Medley, has been permanently barred from any involvement in the insurance industry, based on a final order from the
-
Judges Reappointed
Gov. Charlie Crist has reappointed three Judges of Compensation Claims: Mary D'Ambrosio, 45, of West Palm Beach, has been reappointed for a term beginning Feb. 26 and ending Feb. 25, 2013; Alan
Company Notes
-
Sunset Looms for Exemptions
Florida's exemption of certain confidential personal records held by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that would otherwise be subject to open government requirements will
-
Not in Nursing Homes
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the state's "right to know" constitutional amendment that lets patients check records of medical mistakes by doctors and hospitals doesn't apply to nursing
-
Data Breach Coverage
Fireman's Fund Insurance Company has introduced the first coverage for retailers that experience a breach of their payment card security system. Any business that falls out of compliance with Payment
-
New Workers' Compensation Plan
Irwin Siegel Agency, Inc. (ISA), of Rockhill, N.Y., is offering a workers' compensation product to social service providers in all states except New Jersey. The program is written on a guaranteed
-
Care Center Opens
Humana has opened a 37,000-square-foot Humana Cares national operations and service center at the Carillon business park in St. Petersburg. The center will initially employ 275 associates, with plans
-
New Solutions for Agents
Tampa-based eBridge Solutions, Inc. has launched its Web-based agency management tool for insurance agents. eAgent is a full-featured agency management system capable of handling any line of
-
FWCJUA Commissions
At a producer committee meeting of the Florida Workers' Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (FWCJUA), members accepted a staff recommendation that the FWCJUA should not pay competitive agency
-
Slow Growth
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, one of just two insurers offering the new Cover Florida health insurance plans statewide, has signed up 266 people since the program launched the first week of
-
Found Money
Six Tampa area public entities have received checks totaling over $1.48 million from two insurance-related settlements reached in 2007 and 2008. Hillsborough County School District alone received
National Notes
-
E&Y Says 2009 May Be "Transformational"
In its recent 2009 Insurance Outlook - U.S. Property and Casualty report, Ernst & Young (E&Y) offered some encouraging words. The company noted that although the P&C industry suffered what it termed
-
RLI Offers PL Options
RLI has launched an architects and engineers professional liability division -- RLI Design Professionals -- and hired Louis Leonard "Lenny" Waldhauser IV to lead the operation as vice president.
-
Costly Year in 2008
According to the 2008 Catastrophe Update, a report from Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC about the catastrophe reinsurance marketplace, the high frequency and severity of Atlantic hurricanes in 2008,
-
Fitch Sees Dismal 2009
A media release from Fitch Ratings casts a shadow over the insurance industry prospects overall for 2009. Fitch already had moved its rating outlook for most insurance regions and sectors globally to
-
California Wins Big
The California Department of Insurance has reached an agreement with Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company to offer new health coverage to more than 2,300 consumers whose policies were
-
Don't Tell Charlie
Don't let Gov. Charlie Crist know about this, but The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share of Common Stock, payable on April 1, to
-
MetLife Offers Benefits Bundle
MetLife has introduced the Benefits Bundle for Small Business, a combination of employer-paid coverage and employee-paid voluntary benefits. The program is designed to make it easier for small
