PIP Bill Clears House Civil Justice Subcommittee
The House version of a plan to reform Florida’s personal injury protection laws has cleared the House of Representatives’ Civil Justic Subcommittee by a 10-5 vote. The next scheduled stop for the bill is the Economic Affairs Committee.
The House proposal (HB 119) is a 109-page bill making a number of changes designed to curb abuses in the PIP system. The bill would eliminate PIP clinics, chiropractors and massage therapists from the system. In addition, emergency room treatment would be required to occur within 72 hours at an emergency room that is located at, or owned by, a hospital. The proposal also includes provisions relating to capping attorneys’ fees and eliminating the fee multiplier.
The Senate version of the PIP proposal is exepcted to be heard in the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee later this week. Supports of PIP reform generally favor some of the stronger reforms in the House proposal. The Senate bill would remove massage therapists from the PIP system, but would continue to allow coverage for PIP clinics and chiropractors. Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation have been reported as favoring the House approach.