News for all of Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Justices Agree To Take Up 'PIP' Fee Dispute

The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to take up an appeal by Allstate Insurance Co. in a dispute about fees paid to health providers who treat patients injured in auto accidents. Justices issued an order saying they will hear the case, which comes after the 4th District Court of Appeal ruled in August in favor of medical providers.

The ruling, which involved 32 consolidated cases, involves the state's personal-injury protection, or PIP, insurance system. A key issue is whether policies were clear that Allstate would reimburse the providers under a fee schedule from the Medicare program, which includes limits on payments for services.

The providers argued that the policies were "ambiguous" on the issue, and a majority of a three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal agreed.

The PIP system requires motorists to carry minimum levels of coverage to help pay medical bills after accidents.

The Supreme Court has not set a date for oral arguments.

Copyright 2020 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7. To see more, visit .

News Service of Florida
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Spanish Moss is familiar to anyone who has visited Florida. It can appear anywhere as a result of the wind dispersing its seeds as it does the seeds of dandelions. But development of the draping clusters of Spanish Moss depends on the seed landing in the right place – on a horizontal limb of a rough-barked tree near water or in a very humid environment. Most Spanish Moss plants only grow to a bit over a foot long, but as they reproduce, one plant becomes many plants linked together by their limb-like scaly-surfaced leaves.There is safety and a future for the plants in such a mass. The cluster of plants holds moisture in – allowing them to survive dry times and also facilitating pollination as insects move from a flower on one plant to a flower on another in the cluster. A mass of Spanish Moss plants appears gray during dry times as the plant shrinks, but is green in appearance as rains allow the plant to swell with water and expose bare areas between the scales.
  • North Port is hosting a Hurricane Expo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at the George Mullen Activity Center, 1602 Kramer Way.
  • A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was seriously injured by debris after another driver hit his parked patrol vehicle along I-75 Sunday morning. The driver, Jonathan Munas, 32, of Sarasota, was charged with driving under the influence.