The biggest nonexpansion states are Florida and Texas, where expansion would add a total of 2.6 million uninsured residents to the Medicaid rolls. But both the Florida and Texas legislatures are dominated by Republicans, and expansion remains a long shot.
Children and Families
Child Thrown From Bridge in Tampa Prompts New Look at DCF’s Porous Safety Net
Records of the case reveal that many answers were already available — in the form of arrests that could have raised alarms at the state abuse hotline operated by the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Group Homes for Children: More Expensive, Less Beneficial Than Foster Parents
Group homes, considered less effective than foster homes, cost taxpayers more than $37,000 per child, compared to $6,180 per year in a foster home, a study found.
Flu Visits to Flagler ER Spike 33% Over Last Season, But Officials Aren’t Calling It an Epidemic
Flu visits to the ER were especially pronounced in November. They leveled off a bit in December. But the first week of January saw the numbers spike again, especially compared to last year,
With 800,000 Floridians in Health Insurance Limbo, Hopes Return for Medicaid Expansion
A coalition of businesses groups, local officials and healthcare industry representatives has rolled out a plan to insure nearly one million low-income Floridians who fall in the so-called Medicaid coverage gap.
Flagler Opens 1st Secure Site For Supervised Children’s Visits in Sally’s Safe Haven
It took three years and $400,000 from a federal grant, but on Monday county officials dedicated the safe haven in the old Bunnell Post office location, ensuring that parents don’t have to travel to Volusia or St. Johns to execute court-ordered, supervised children’s visitations.
Florida Tries Again to End Decade-Old Lawsuit Calling State’s Children’s Health Care Inadequate
The state Agency for Health Care Administration is making a renewed attempt to scuttle a nearly decade-old lawsuit alleging the state’s Medicaid program has not provided adequate care for low-income children.
Advocates Call for DCF to Give Up Child Safety Oversight to Local Cops After Mass Murders
Roy Miller, spokesman for the Children’s Lobby, said last month’s mass murder-suicide involving six children in Gilchrist County amounted to the last straw in the department’s response to a series of child deaths stretching back many years.
Despite 18 Investigations, DCF Claims Man’s 7 Murders in Bell Couldn’t Have Been Foreseen
The murders drew national attention to the small town of Bell and led to questions about whether the Department of Children and Families could have done more to protect the children. The department and the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office visited the family’s home as recently as Sept. 2.
Family Insurance Premiums Rise Modestly For 3rd Year, But Still Approach $17,000
While both critics and supporters of the Affordable Care Act are likely to find fodder for their positions, the report portrays 2014 as a relatively stable year for employer coverage, with little change in the type of plans offered or their costs.