Over 160 FAIFA members traveled to the state Capitol, in Tallahassee, March 10th, to meet with lawmakers and legislative staff and inform them on issues of interest to our organization.

The FAIFA members focused their discussions with Legislators on two issues that are being highlighted this Session: budget reform and healthcare reform. They took a proactive approach to informing Legislators of the potential negative effects on agents of reforming Florida’s tax structure to add a sales tax on insurance agent services. Additionally FAIFA members discussed healthcare reform options that would encourage competition in the market and potentially reduce costs to consumers.

Some of the issues the FAIFA members discussed with lawmakers included:

• Opposing a services tax on agent commissions as it would be duplicative of the premium tax already placed on insurance premiums and would act as an income tax on agents. No concrete legislative proposal exists to impose such a tax, however, AIFA members were proactive in their stance against this tax as legislators are discussing new initiatives to increase revenues to the state.

· Supporting broad-based health reform that would include market-based solutions to addressing Florida’s 3.5 million uninsured citizens. Specifically, AIFA members addressed Gov. Crist’s proposal to establish a health-flex-like voluntary program that would require participating insurers to offer a broad range of benefit options, but would be free of employer and individual mandates. They also discussed re-opening the state-operated high-risk pool with a broad-based funding source to assure that Floridians with existing health problems receive health care coverage.

• Opposing legislation mandating guaranteed rescission and full refund of annuities sold to citizens age 75 and over. The majority of annuity sales to seniors are suitable, legitimate transactions that are already subject to strong consumer protection standards.

· Supporting various measures to reduce Floridians’ potentially crippling risk of expensive assessments from the state’s hurricane catastrophe insurance fund and other similar policyholder surcharges.

In addition to delivering their message to Legislators and their staff members, the group also heard from Florida’s Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Life and Health Mary Beth Senkewicz during the Day on the Hill kick-off luncheon. Also, many legislators and staffers joined the FAIFA members for a reception, after the legislative meetings, on the 22nd floor observation deck of the Capitol.