An auto-insurance company owned by the founder of the “1-800-Ask-Gary” referral service has been barred from writing new policies, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports. Dr. Gary Kompothecras’ Sarasota-based AGIC Inc. is fighting with the state Office of Insurance Regulation over allegations that it doesn't have enough funds to pay future claims.
In other business news:
- The insurer for Universal Health Care Group’s executives, RSUI Indemnity Co., is suing to get out of its obligation to pay for their legal defense, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reports. The lawsuit accuses the executives and company of lying on their applications for liability coverage.
- The whistleblower in a Medicare fraud case is urging a judge not to accept the $3 million proposed by the government to settle allegations against the non-profit Hospice of the Comforter in Altamonte Springs, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Douglas Stone, who used to serve as the hospice’s vice president of finance, also accuses Adventist Health of misrepresenting its profits so it could garner a lower fine. For his role as the whistle-blower, Stone could get 20 percent of the funds recovered.
- HCA West Florida has purchased three Tampa Bay hospitals for $63 million, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reports. HCA bought Palms of Pasadena Hospital, Memorial Hospital of Tampa and Town & Country Hospital from Iasis Healthcare LLC.
- A workers’ compensation case involving a city of St. Petersburg firefighter that could make waves is before the Florida Supreme Court. The city has challenged a ruling from the First District Court of Appeals, which said the firefighter’s temporary disability benefits were wrongly stopped, the Miami Herald reports. Bradley Westphal suffered a catastrophic spinal injury while on the job but did not qualify for permanent total disability status when the city stopped his disability payments.
