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Politics
Senate wants to extend no-fault insurance law 3 years
By JENNIFER LIBERTO
Published April 25, 2007
TALLAHASSEE - The Senate drastically rewrote its plan for automobile insurance Tuesday, proposing to keep the current system intact until 2010 and providing more money for fighting fraud. The Senate's Government Budget Committee passed an auto insurance bill similar to what the Legislature passed last year, which Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed. The bill's next stop is the Senate floor. The state's current mandated auto insurance coverage, which requires that every driver carry $10,000 worth of coverage to pay health care bills for a crash no matter who is at fault, will disappear Oct. 1 if the Legislature does nothing. The Legislature set that deadline back in 2003 and nearly every year since has attempted to combat fraud in the state's no-fault system. State investigators have told lawmakers they are understaffed and overwhelmed in the fight. The Senate bill extends the state's no-fault law for three years and puts $2.8-million toward fighting fraud. The trial lawyers and most in the health care industry said they like the bill. Auto insurers hate it and said extending the current system would be a ripoff. "Let me tell you something, we have people standing up here and talking about ripoffs and fraud, go home and sit with your constituents and ask them which industry rips you off and commits more fraud then the insurance industry," said the bill's author Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton. "Let's give fraud investigators a chance to work their magic." House Speaker Marco Rubio has said during this session he wants real reform. Otherwise, he said, the state's no-fault system should be allowed to disappear. Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, who helped craft the House's automobile insurance plan, said he didn't know if the Senate's plan would be acceptable to the speaker. "It should be interesting," he said. On Monday, the House released its automobile insurance plan, which would replace the current no-fault system with one that would require drivers to carry $15,000 worth of coverage to pay mostly hospital and emergency care bills, triggered by an emergency room visit, regardless of who is at fault.
[Last modified April 25, 2007, 00:57:08]
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by Topaz
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10/30/07 12:59 PM
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No fault is here to stay. To all those people who don't like it, too bad! No fault is necessary for the poor and working poor. I'm glad that the legislature was able to force No Fault Insurance on all the people who wanted to do away with it.
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by Cris
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06/03/07 10:49 PM
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Save PIP. We will not get lower rates. Taxes, health, and car insurance will all increase. Why should we ever trust big insurance? Just ask the Katrina victims.
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by Wayne
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05/03/07 03:38 PM
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Every driver is now required to carry 10k of no-fault. The insurance industry wants to replace it with a requirement of 15k. Well lets see you do the math,does this cost you more?
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by Richard
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05/02/07 08:28 PM
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No fault insurance needs to stay. No fault helps stop some of the fraud. People, who claim injury and are not, need to go straight to jail and if their attorney lies too, he should go to jail to.
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by harry
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05/01/07 10:04 PM
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like many people think no fault insurance is a scan for insurance to charge you and me ,driver who have en accident should de responsible
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by Christine
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04/29/07 07:48 AM
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kill the no-fault insurance plan now!!!!
Please do not sign it into law for any amount of time. It's a rip-off for sure and enables everyone. If I have to pay for insurance to protect myself, then so does everyone else or they shouldn't be driving
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by JT
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04/25/07 04:14 PM
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No fault insurance is a scam.Everyone on the road is supposed to be insured. If they don't then the penalty needs to be harsh.For those who are insured your uninsured motorist coverage protects you so why should you have to pay for deadbeat & Lawyers
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by kevin
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04/25/07 03:03 PM
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is our govenor just a lap dog for the insurance companies ? thats what i would like to know
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by Jon
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04/25/07 01:23 PM
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After reading others comments, it is obvious that most do not know what coverages they have or are available to them.
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by jon
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04/25/07 01:20 PM
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The no fault system is completely messed up. The people that cause the accident should be held responsible. Insurance will be cheaper without PIP. We need to move to a tort system.
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by Douglas
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04/25/07 01:14 PM
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Will this plan end the $700.00 massage? Govt - tackle fraud - yeah right?
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by Sheila
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04/25/07 12:32 PM
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No wonder new residents to this state are slow to transfer their vehicle infomation to this state. If insurance costs in this state were reasonable, there wouldn't be this type of fraud. Half of the elderly drivers here shouldn't be licensed to driv
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by Sheila
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04/25/07 12:28 PM
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Since moving from SC to this state in 2005, I have paid over $1,000 a year for auto insurance which I consider ridiculous. I am a 50 year old single female driver that has no accidents or violations. The car I drive isn't worth what I've had to pay
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by Chris
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04/25/07 10:46 AM
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Greedy insurance companies! Take note of the politicians who back them and want to get rid of your health care coverage after a car accident. They don't care about ordinary people.
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by Michelle
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04/25/07 08:10 AM
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I was a victim to a reckless driving accident involving a 25 year old woman who rear ended me doing 65 mph and did not even break. Every driver needs this insurance, employer insurance fights these types of claims.
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