CS/CS/HB 119 - Motor Vehicle Personal Injury Protection Insurance

• Medical Benefit Restrictions: Excludes massage and acupuncture from reimbursable medical benefits; distinguishes between initial services (within 14 days of accident) and followup services with specific provider requirements; adds physical therapists as eligible providers.

• Health Care Clinic Licensing: Entities claiming exemption from clinic licensure must still be licensed to receive reimbursement under Florida's No-Fault Law, with narrow exceptions for physician-owned entities and hospital-affiliated facilities.

• Fraud Prevention Measures: Creates insurance fraud offense for submitting false clinic licensure documents; establishes "Automobile Insurance Fraud Strike Force" direct-support organization to investigate and prosecute motor vehicle insurance fraud; licensed health care practitioners convicted of PIP fraud lose license for 5 years and cannot receive reimbursement for 10 years.

• Claims Payment Procedures: Requires insurers to pay claims within 30 days of notice; establishes mandatory demand letter process before litigation; allows insurers to conduct fraud investigations for up to 90 days with interest penalties for non-payment; requires creation and maintenance of benefit payment logs.

• Rate Filing Requirements: Mandates insurers writing personal injury protection insurance to file rate reductions with Office of Insurance Regulation (10% by October 2012; 25% by January 2014); requires comprehensive data call on personal injury protection market conditions by January 2015.