Week 7, 2012 report - House continues to take lead

With two weeks left to go, if nothing else, give the House credit for making substantial progress on insurance legislation – even if the final outcome remains in doubt. During week 7 of Florida’s 2012 legislative session, an additional seven bills were passed by the full House and four more were approved by their last House committee.

This brings the total to fourteen measures that have passed the House. Only one of these bills, however, has been approved by final Senate committee action, and none has come to a vote on the Senate floor. A few are scheduled for Senate committee hearings during week 8.

Below is a summary of week 7 action:

Mid-session report - week 5, 2012

The middle of week 5 marked the mid-point of Florida’s 2012 legislative session. Of the 30 or so insurance measures I have been following, 11 inched forward last week.

There are now four weeks left to go, with the session scheduled to end on March 9, 2012. Below is a combined week 5 update and mid-term report on a select dozen insurance matters – four of the more controversial issues still kicking around, four bills that seem poised for passage (eventually), and four that appear dead for the session.

Passed House or ready for House vote, end of week 5, 2012

Seven insurance bills have either been passed by the Florida House of Representatives or approved by all required House committees, as of the end of week 5, 2012 Florida legislative session. All are waiting for additional committee action in the Senate.

The following measures have passed the House as of the end of week 5:

Week 1 - 2012 Florida Legislature: rapid start for PIP, Citizens depop, captives

The 2012 legislative session got off to a rapid start – from an insurance perspective – with important and minor bills moving through the committee process.  Here’s a summary of week 1 action:

• PIP in the House – Emergency Care Coverage substituted for PIP.  The House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee approved HB 119, an aggressive reform package that would replace personal injury protection (PIP) motor vehicle insurance with new Emergency Care Coverage (ECC).  Under this initial version of the House bill, ECC would provide hospital emergency room treatment within the first 72 hours following an accident.  After the emergency, covered treatment would be confined to a very limited group of health care providers (medical physicians, osteopathic physicians, dentists, physician assistants, and registered nurse practitioners).  Also in the package are significant legal reforms, including caps on attorney fees.  This House bill is highly controversial and likely to go through many changes.  For further detail, see House Staff Analysis of HB 119 (Jan. 10, 2012).