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As hurricane season nears, early preparation is key

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Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters Encourages Homeowners and Businesses to Review Insurance Policies Prior to the Start of Hurricane Season

Hurricane season is only one month away and the first named storm of the season, Arlene, has already formed and dissipated. Now is not only the time to stock up on batteries and water, but also a crucial time for home and business owners to review their property insurance policies. The Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA) advises Floridians to thoroughly review their policies to see what is and is not covered in the event of property damage, specifically damage caused by windstorms. The insured also need to be aware of the steps to take in case a hurricane strikes.
“Preparing for a storm in advance is one of the most important things a Floridian can do. This includes protecting your property from damage, but it is also crucial to know the steps to take in case damage does occur,” said Don Phillips, President of FAPIA. “You need to have all the necessary information and resources in place when dealing with your insurance company, especially since many companies have made significant changes to their policies in recent years.” Phillips advises home and business owners to turn to a public insurance adjuster if they incur property damage this hurricane season. Public insurance adjusters are insurance professionals licensed by the State of Florida to represent and protect insured consumers.
“Public adjusters play a vital role in making sure that Florida consumers receive full and fair compensation on their insurance claims,” said Phillips, citing a report by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability that shows how customers of the state’s largest insurer received 747 percent higher compensation for claims filed when represented by a public adjuster.
Based on the lessons of previous hurricane seasons, FAPIA has compiled this list of Six Steps to Prepare for Hurricane Damage:

  1. Make a visual record of your home and possessions. Use your mobile device, camera or video recorder to document the condition of your home and belongings. This will help establish your claim in the event of a loss.
  2. Have copies of your insurance policies, along with family medical information and copies of important documents such as deeds and wills in a safe deposit box or safe. Maintaining a digital library of important documents is advisable. Photograph or scan your documents and with your mobile device and save them to the cloud for easy retrieval in the event of loss.
  3. Carefully review your insurance coverage in advance of hurricane season. Does it cover flood or wind damage? Does it take into account current market value to rebuild your home or business? Are you covered for everything you think you are? Consult with your agent or your local and trusted public insurance adjuster for a free insurance policy review to make sure you can count on your insurance policy.
  4. Be sure to review the “Duties After Loss” section of your policy. Failure to follow the provisions listed in this section could result in non-payment on your legitimate claim.
  5. Check the “Exclusions” portion of your insurance policy. Recently, some insurance companies have added new exclusions to coverage, which could affect your protection against property damage caused by a hurricane or other property loss.
  6. Don’t allow anyone, including your insurer or agent, to persuade you from seeking help with your claim if you feel you need it. Print out contact information for several public adjusters in your area that you can quickly contact in case damage occurs. For a list of licensed public insurance adjusters, visit the FAPIA website at www.fapia.net.
About FAPIA
FAPIA was founded in 1992 to protect residential and business policyholders in the wake of devastating Hurricane Andrew in South Florida. Today FAPIA consists of nearly 400 members who are committed to ensuring homeowners who suffer an insured loss receive full and fair compensation from their insurance carriers.
FAPIA members are located throughout the state and commit to a strict code of ethics as well as continuing education requirements to ensure policyholders receive the best representation. FAPIA consists of licensed
insurance professionals who use their expertise to advocate for the consumer. The association is working to grow and enhance the industry by improving laws and regulations that govern public adjusters and their services to policyholders. For more information, visit www.fapia.net.

Gov. Scott directs statewide public health emergency for opioid epidemic

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Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declaring a national opioid epidemic today, Governor Rick Scott signed Executive Order 17-146 directing a Public Health Emergency across the state. By signing the Emergency Order, it will allow the state to immediately draw down more than $27 million in federal grant funding from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Opioid State Targeted Response Grant which was awarded to Florida on April 21 to provide prevention, treatment and recovery support services. Without the order, it would have taken months for the state to distribute these funds to local communities. In addition to declaring a Public Health Emergency, Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip will issue a standing order for Naloxen, an emergency treatment for opioid overdose. This will ensure first responders have immediate access to this lifesaving drug to respond to opioid overdoses.
Governor Scott said, “Today, I issued an executive order which allows the state to immediately draw down more than $27 million in federal grant funding which will immediately be distributed to communities across the state to deal with the opioid epidemic. HHS Secretary Dr. Tom Price awarded the Opioid State Targeted Response Grant to Florida and I want to thank the Trump Administration for their focus on this national epidemic. I have also directed State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip to declare a Public Health Emergency and issue a standing order for Naloxone in response to the opioid epidemic in Florida.
“Last month, I directed the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Health (DOH) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to meet with communities in Palm Beach, Manatee, Duval and Orange Counties to identify additional strategies to fight the rising opioid usage cases in Florida. They have gotten a lot of feedback this week and we will continue to look at additional ways we can fight this national epidemic which has taken the lives of many Floridians.
“I know firsthand how heartbreaking substance abuse can be to a family because it impacted my own family growing up. The individuals struggling with drug use are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and friends and each tragic case leaves loved ones searching for answers and praying for help. Families across our nation are fighting the opioid epidemic and Florida is going to do everything possible to help our communities.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “This declaration will help strengthen our continued efforts to combat the national opioid epidemic claiming lives in Florida by providing additional funding to secure prevention, treatment and recovery support services. I want to thank Governor Rick Scott for his continued partnership in combating drug abuse in our state; from shutting down pill mills to outlawing deadly synthetic drugs, Governor Scott has long supported efforts by my office and law enforcement to raise awareness, stop drug abuse and save lives.”
See the Executive Order and Public Health Emergency HERE.

Florida College System chancellor to address DSC’s graduates

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Madeline M. Pumariega, the chancellor of the Florida College System (FCS), will address a class of more than 3,200 graduates during Daytona State College’s 57th commencement ceremonies on Monday, May 15, at the Ocean Center.

Madeline M. Pumariega

This year’s commencement will take place in two parts, with ceremonies for associate of science (AS), certificate and adult education students at 2 p.m. and for associate of arts (AA) and baccalaureate degree students scheduled at 6:30 p.m. The event will include a job fair for DSC graduates, set for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Pumariega presides over the 28 colleges that make up the FCS, which serves nearly 1 million students annually and is rated among the nation’s best. Appointed as the first female and Hispanic chancellor in August 2015, she is herself a product of the FCS, having earned her AA degree from Miami Dade College.
She is the past president of Miami Dade’s Wolfson Campus, where she earned acclaim for nurturing community partnerships and for her work in developing innovative approaches to ensure that thousands can access and complete college.
Pumariega is a member of the Florida Prepaid College Board, Higher Education Coordinating Council, Florida Council of 100, the Center for Postsecondary Success at Florida State University, City Year Miami and an advisory board member of the Florida College Access Network. She was a Kellogg Fellow for the League for Innovation’s Expanding Leadership Diversity in Community and a graduate of Leadership Florida Class 33. Chancellor Pumariega holds a bachelor’s in political science from St. Thomas University, a master of education from Florida Atlantic University and is a doctoral candidate at Barry University.
The Class of 2017 features over 1,400 AA graduates, including 177 expected to complete their AAs this summer. Many will continue their studies in a DSC baccalaureate degree program or smoothly transition as juniors to the University of Central Florida through DSC’s Direct Connect to UCF partnership, or other universities.
Nearly 1,400 students will have earned their AS or certificate credentials, including candidates for summer 2017 graduation.
DSC’s commencement exercises include 455 bachelor’s degree recipients, including those expected to complete their degree this summer. Among them are 282 graduates of Daytona State’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management degree, which the college began offering over a decade ago, and 74 graduates of the college’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which DSC launched in 2014.
This year, 1,370 students across programs are graduating with honors, including 429 with high honors, and 64 have been inducted into the international honor society Phi Theta Kappa, based on their leadership skills, scholarship and community service. An additional 24 graduates were inducted this year into Sigma Beta Delta, the highest international recognition a business student can receive at a college or university. Sixty-three Associate Degree Nursing graduates this year were inducted into the Alpha Delta Nu national honor society, and eight students were inducted into the Kappa Delta Pi international honor society for education graduates.
Forty-seven Falcons this spring were named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges, and 15 students were inducted into the Daytona State College Hall of Fame, the highest honor that faculty can bestow upon a student.
More than 200 veterans earned their academic credentials this year, including those who completed their programs at the end of fall semester.
Over 150 graduates are earning their AA, AS or program certificate days before they receive their high school diploma, through Daytona State’s popular dual enrollment program, which provides opportunity for high school students to earn college credits free of charge and get a head start on their college education.
And over 462 students will have earned their adult high school diploma or GED as part of the Class of 2017.
This commencement marks over 100,000 degrees and certificates awarded by the college since its founding in 1957 as Florida’s first comprehensive community college.

Sen. Linda Stewart's Privacy Bill Protecting Identities of Homeless Passes Florida Senate

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Legislation sponsored by state Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) that would safeguard the dignity of those who have fallen on hard times won the unanimous endorsement of the Florida Senate on Tuesday.
SB 1024 is designed to protect the homeless population of the state by exempting their personal identifying information from public records requests. The bill also seeks to maximize the response rate to surveys conducted by the state from a population of Floridians that are particularly concerned with their privacy, suffer from mental illness, or have undergone the trauma of domestic violence or substance abuse.
“The release of individual identifying information could lead to discrimination, injury, and pose a barrier to homeless persons receiving services,” said Sen. Stewart. “At the same time, accurately collecting this data for funding purposes ensures that we are able to better assist our communities in the struggle to end homelessness in Florida.”
SB 1024 creates an exemption to the public records requirements for individual identifying information in homelessness surveys and databases. Unless re-enacted, the exemption would expire on Oct. 2, 2022.

Tonight: CRC Holds Public Hearing at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City

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Tonight beginning at 4:00 PM Central Time, the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) invites all interested Floridians to participate in a public hearing at Gulf Coast State College (GCSC).
Members of the media wishing to attend are asked to bring their press credentials. The event will also be live-streamed by The Florida Channel on www.TheFloridaChannel.org.
WHAT: Public hearing of the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC)
WHEN: Wednesday, May 3, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Central Time (Doors open at 3:00 PM)
*End time is tentative depending upon attendance and public interest in speaking before the CRC. All Floridians wishing to speak before the CRC will be given an opportunity to be heard.
WHERE: Gulf Coast State College (GCSC)
Amelia Center Auditorium
5230 West Highway 98
Panama City, FL 32401
GOOGLE MAP LINK
PARKING: Parking will be available on the GCSC campus. Signs directing visitors will be posted on campus.
Individuals requiring an accommodation to participate in public hearings (such as a sign language interpreter) are requested to notify the Constitution Revision Commission five days prior to the scheduled meeting date at [email protected] or 850.717.9550.

What Parents Should Know When Considering Summer Camp Programs

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Parents, it is Your Turn to do Your Homework

The school year is almost over and summer time is quickly approaching. As their children finish the school year, parents across Florida are beginning to research summer camp offerings. The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is asking parents to do their homework when choosing a safe summer camp for children to attend.
“Summer is a time when parents have to take curriculum as well as safety into account when making summer camp selections.” Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Mike Carroll said. “It is very important for parents to thoroughly research prospective camps before signing their children up.”
Florida law requires all camp owners, operators, employees, and volunteers submit to background screens for state and federal criminal histories. In an effort to help parents, DCF publishes a list of summer camps that have reported state screening requirements on the department’s website. Additionally, parents should visit the summer camp in advance to meet staff, view activities, and find out information regarding child safety procedures.
Parents are also encouraged to create a list of questions that are relevant to making their selection. Examples include what the program’s health and safety policies and procedures are, what the staff to child ratio is, and how staff are trained in the case of a child emergency. The links below can assist with other ideas for questions.
www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/childcare/docs/2014SummerChecklist.pdf
Parents can find the camp listings and the complete summer camp checklist at www.myflfamilies.com/summercamps.
Though summer camps are not licensed or inspected by DCF, the department investigates complaints and concerns related to background screenings. If anyone has concerns that a summer camp is being operated without background screening of required employees, it can be reported to the department by calling 1-888-352-2842 or emailing [email protected] .

Office Update on Florida Blue’s Payment Processing Issue

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The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (Office) is aware that many Florida Blue customers experienced multiple fund withdrawals from their bank accounts to pay for what should have been a one-time scheduled payment of their May health insurance policy premium. Florida Blue advised this was a processing error by the company’s third-party vendor.
The Office has been in regular contact with the company since Monday morning, May 1, as it looks at the adequacy of the refund and reimbursement process and conducts a complete review of this error.
Florida Blue has provided the following information:

  • 9,480 Florida Blue customers were impacted statewide by this payment processing error.
    • 8,177 are Affordable Care Act (ACA)-Compliant Individual Plan policyholders
    • 453 are Pre-ACA-Compliant/Transitional Individual Plan policyholders
    • 850 are Medicare policyholders
  • As of 2:00 p.m. on Monday, May 1, Florida Blue’s primary banking institution reversed these transactions to refund all affected customers. Florida Blue has received confirmation from several large banks that these refunds have been returned to the accounts of their members, but it may take more time for other banks to complete this process.
  • Customers will be advised on how to obtain reimbursement for overdraft bank fees or other expenses as a result of this error.
  • For more information, customers are asked to email [email protected] or call the phone number listed on the back of their insurance card to reach the appropriate call center for their policy.

The Office’s primary focus at this time is working closely with the Department of Financial Services and Florida Blue to ensure consumers are made whole as soon as possible.
For additional assistance, consumers may also contact the Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services, via email at [email protected] or through the statewide toll-free helpline at 1-877-693-5236 (in-state callers) or 850-413-3089 (out-of-state callers).

Nelson calls for increased funding for State Veterans Homes

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and a bipartisan group of senators are urging Senate appropriators to increase funding for a federal grant program that allows states to repair and construct long-term care facilities for our nation’s veterans.
The State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program provides federal funds to states for critical upgrades or construction of new facilities to serve local veterans. Due to budget constraints, the program funded only 10 of its 57 highest-priority projects this current fiscal year.
Two of the 47 unfunded projects are in Florida, including the renovations of the Alexander “Sandy” Nininger Veterans Nursing Home in Pembroke Pines and the Douglas T. Jacobson State Veterans Nursing Home in Port Charlotte. Nelson is urging his colleagues to increase funding for the program to help get the two Florida facilities renovated sooner.
“State Veterans Homes have a long history of helping ensure that veterans disabled by age, illness, or other conditions continue to receive the respect and dignity they have earned through their service,” Nelson and others wrote in a letter today to Senate appropriators. “These grant opportunities are important to ensure that each State Veterans Home facility continues to meet VA’s standards and delivers the highest caliber of care to veterans.”
State Veterans Homes are operated by state governments and partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide nursing home and adult day care services to elderly veterans and those with special medical needs.
In addition to Nelson, the letter sent today was signed by Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and others.
Below is the full text of the letter, and a signed PDF copy can be found here.
Dear Chairman Moran and Ranking Member Schatz:
As the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies considers appropriations for the 2018 fiscal year, we respectfully ask that you provide robust funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) State Home Construction Grant Program. Continued federal support for VA State Homes will build on the success of these facilities in serving the long-term care needs of our country’s veterans.
State Veterans Homes have a long history of helping ensure that veterans disabled by age, illness, or other conditions continue to receive the respect and dignity they have earned through their service. Operated by state governments, these facilities play important roles in the effort to address the unique health and quality of life needs of each state’s veteran population. The VA partners with certified state homes to provide nursing home, domiciliary, and adult day care services to critical segments of the veteran population with continuing or special medical needs, including thousands of elderly veterans.
Federal funds made available through the VA State Home Construction Grant Program allow states to make critical renovations and upgrades to existing facilities and construct new facilities to serve the aging veteran population. These grant opportunities are important to ensure that each State Veterans Home facility continues to meet VA’s standards and delivers the highest caliber of care to veterans. The growing backlog of more than 100 construction and renovation projects across the country, the majority of which have already secured matching state appropriations, presents challenges to meeting the long-term care needs of these veterans, particularly in rural states or states lacking alternate VA-certified facilities.
We recognize the difficult budgetary decisions that the Subcommittee is facing. However, we want to underscore that robust funding for the VA State Home Construction Grant Program will allow State Homes to continue to provide high-quality care for our country’s elderly veterans and veterans with long-term medical needs. Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your continued support in ensuring our nation’s veterans live with dignity.

Sincerely,

Upcoming Public Hearing for SR 426 in Orange County

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will hold a public hearing regarding plans to improve safety in the area of State Road (SR) 426/Aloma Avenue at the intersection of North Goldenrod Road, in Orange County. The project addresses operational and safety concerns in the area by converting the full median opening to a directional median opening at North Goldenrod Road, closing the median opening at Hibiscus Avenue, and extending the westbound to southbound left turn lane at North Goldenrod Road. This modification reduces traffic conflict points at the intersection, improving safety.
The public hearing will be 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, 2017, at The Praise Place Church at Slovak Garden, 3110 Howell Branch Road, Winter Park, FL 32792. There will be an open house at 5 p.m. during which staff will be available to discuss the project and answer questions, followed by the formal hearing presentation at 6 p.m., after which participants may provide their verbal comments to all present.
Participants may provide verbal comments directly to a court reporter before and after the formal presentation. Written comments can be submitted at the hearing, sent by mail to Dave Mixon, Florida Department of Transportation, District Five Traffic Operations, 719 S. Woodland Boulevard, M.S. #562, DeLand, FL 32720, or emailed to [email protected], no later than May 22, 2017. All comments written and oral will become part of the project’s public record.
The draft project documents and other information will be available for public review from April 19, 2017 to May 22, 2017 at the Winter Park Public Library, 460 East New England Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789, Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Persons with disabilities who require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Kelly Hiden, Public Involvement Coordinator by phone at 407-508-0839, or via email at [email protected] at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.  If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact us by using the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (Voice).
Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status.  Persons wishing to express their concerns relative to FDOT compliance with Title VI may do so by contacting Jennifer Smith, FDOT District Five Title VI Coordinator by phone at 386-943-5367, or via email at [email protected].
For more information about the project, please contact the FDOT Public Information Office at 386-943-5473 /[email protected].

UT to Hold Spring Commencement Saturday, May 6

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The University will honor nearly 1,500 graduates at its 144th commencement on Saturday, May 6. For the first time the University will host two separate ceremonies at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall.
The ceremony for graduates of the Sykes College of Business and the College of Arts and Letters will take place at 9:30 a.m., and the ceremony for graduates of the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education, and College of Natural and Health Sciences will follow at 2 p.m.
Between the two ceremonies, there are 1,209 bachelor’s degree candidates and 288 master’s degree candidates —1, 497 in all.
At the morning ceremony, William B. Rutherford ’86, chief financial officer and executive vice president at HCA Holdings Inc., will give the address, and Alan Randolph ’90, Florida state president at Bank of the Ozarks, will receive the 2017 Alumni Achievement Award. James Scudero ’17, a digital arts major from Hauppauge, NY, will introduce the speaker, and Khadijah Khan ’17, a journalism major from Tarpon Springs, FL, will deliver the challenge to the graduating class.
In the afternoon ceremony, Aileen Black ’83, executive director, industry lead and group leader U.S. government at Google, is the speaker, and Tammy Charles ’12, MBA ’14, senior manager of corporate relations at Metropolitan Ministries, will receive the 2017 Young Alumnus Award. Talia Ashby ’17, a sociology major from Tampa, FL, will introduce the speaker, and Jennifer Sanchez, a government and world affairs major from Tampa, FL, will deliver the challenge to the graduating class.
Several graduate programs have hooding ceremonies scheduled in the days leading up to commencement:

  • Thursday, May 4:
    • Department of Nursing hooding and pinning ceremony, 6 p.m., Plant Hall, Fletcher Lounge (by invitation only)
    • Department of Education hooding ceremony, 6 p.m., Martinez Athletics Center, Sword & Shield Room
  • Friday, May 5:
    • Department of Health Sciences and Human Performance hooding ceremony, Noon, Martinez Athletics Center
    • Sykes College of Business hooding and awards ceremony, 6 p.m., Martinez Athletics Center

Friday, June 23:

  • MFA in Creative Writing hooding ceremony, 5:30 p.m., location to be announced

UT Graduates by the Numbers:
Total graduates = 1,497
Countries represented = 58
% of graduates from Florida = 44%
Undergraduates
Total bachelor’s degree candidates = 1,209
Summa cum laude (GPA 4.0) = 4
Magna cum laude (GPA 3.75 or higher, but less than 4.0) = 99
Cum laude (GPA 3.5 or higher, but less than 3.75) = 186
Top 3 most popular undergraduate majors in this class = Criminology, Management and Marketing
Graduate students
Total master’s candidates = 288
With honors (GPA 3.9 or higher, but less than 4.0) = 10
With highest honors (GPA 4.0) = 12
MBAs awarded = 110