NEWS RELEASE
October 5th 2007 |
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| FLORIDA PIP, NO-FAULT HAS BEEN SAVED!
Florida Legislators have voted to save No-Fault |
STATEMENT BY GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST REGARDING FLORIDA'S MOTOR VEHICLE NO-FAULT LAW
October 5, 2007
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE
(850) 488-5394
"I applaud the great leaders of the Florida Legislature for serving the best interests of the people and reforming personal injury protection. By taking action on Florida's no-fault law and personal injury protection requirements, we ensure that Florida's drivers continue to be protected while also reducing the possibility of fraud.
"I want to thank Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio, and especially Senator Bill Posey and Representative Ellyn Bogdanoff, who have worked tirelessly to find common ground on this important issue."
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Originally published October 5, 2007
Done deal, PIP heads to governor
By Paige St. John
Florida Capital Bureau |
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TALLAHASSEE -- The Senate has unanimously added its approval to a bill re-creating Florida's no-fault auto insurance law.
The legislation now heads for Gov. Charlie Crist's desk for his quick approval into law.
The measure doesn't make medical coverage mandatory again until Jan. 1, but it adds fee schedules and controls on where medical care can take place -- efforts to crack down on fraud that bedeviled the former program that expired Oct. 1.
"Are all of the special interests happy? Of course they're not happy," said Senate Banking and Insurance Chairman Bill Posey.
He characterized the House-Senate compromise bill as a plan that "redlines the crooks out of the process."
Crist is expected to sign the bill quickly, said his general counsel, Chris Kise.
The House approved re-enacting no-fault medical coverage, on a vote of 105-4. Reps. Will Kendrick, Don Brown, Aaron Bean and Carlos Lopez-Cantera opposed it.
The current deal before the House and Senate reinstates mandatory medical coverage as of the day the measure is signed by Gov. Charlie Crist, and changes what's covered in that Personal Injury Protection on Jan. 1.
The state's no-fault system also would restart on the date the bill becomes law.
However, the re-enactment of PIP doesn't affect motorists whose car insurance policies have already renewed since Oct. 1.
That leaves a segment of Florida's driving public that, even if they voluntarily buy personal injury protection, must still live for four months under a system torts -- lawsuits for fault-finding in car crashes.
Any accident they are involved in can end in a lawsuit, against either them or against those in the other vehicle.
For those consumers, bill author Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff has this advice as a practicing insurance agent.
"Buy more uninsured motorists coverage. You might want to protect yourself," she said. |
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Insurance Billing Techniques, Procedures, Laws & Rules Seminars
Jacksonville, FLorida
December 9th, 2007
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Register by calling: 865-436-3573
or www.MassageInsuranceBilling.com
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| This is just a personal note to thank each and every one who called, emailed, wrote and contacted your legislators to help fight to keep PIP No-Fault insurance alive in Florida for the sake of many due to auto injuries.
Vivian Madison-Mahoney
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