Florida Blue snagged a third of all new policies under Obamacare, but rates are going up due to a lack of younger and healthy enrollees and a greater-than-expected surge in people seeking expensive health services.
Health & Society
Florida Inverse: 2nd Highest Level of Uninsured, Dead Last in Affordable Care Grants
Judging by the grant totals of other states, Florida appears to have forfeited at least $100 million and possibly $300 million or more, not even including $51 billion the state is forfeiting by saying no to Medicaid expansion.
John Morgan Has $6 Million in Pledges for Medical Pot Amendment, Not Including His Own
Renewed support from Morgan — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist’s boss and close friend — comes as opponents of the measure, aided by Sheldon Adelson, a Las Vegas casino magnate and supporter of Republican Gov. Rick Scott, double down on efforts to kill it.
Why Obtaining Your Own Medical Records May Now Cost You a Small Fortune
For-profit companies in the new “release of information” or “disclosure-management” industry now charge $1 a page, in paper or digital format, for what used to be free, while the Florida Board of Medicine is looking to make the $1-a-page standard for all.
Hobby Lobby and Religion’s
Assassination of Common Sense
The Supreme Court’s decision granting some companies authority to deny contraception to employees is a reminder that women-hating, science-bashing and religiously-based bigotry veiled as “faith” are alive and well in America.
Regulators Draw Sharp Criticism Over Controls On Florida’s New Pot Industry
At the top of the complaint list: concerns about a proposed lottery system to award five organizations the chance to grow, manufacture and dispense a type of medical marijuana approved by Florida’s Republican-dominated Legislature this spring.
Florida Giving Up 63,800 Jobs By Rejecting Federal Medicaid Expansion
Florida has not accepted the offer of federal funds — estimated at $51 billion over a decade — provided in the Affordable Care Act to cover uninsured people who fall into a gap. Florida has about 850,000 of them.
Thank You EPA: Satellite Imagery Shows Dramatic Air Quality Improvements
An animated map created from NASA satellite data shows stunning improvements in air quality in U.S. cities between 2005 and 2011.
Birth Control Coverage: Hobby Lobby Decision May Not Be The Last Word
The Supreme Court’s decision Monday saying that “closely held corporations” do not have to abide by the contraceptive coverage mandate in the Affordable Care Act may not give those firms the ability to stop providing that coverage after all.
Corporate Religious Liberty: The Supreme Court’s Misguided Decision
When companies have clear policies on religious discrimination, their employees are less likely to be looking for a new job. The Hobby Lobby decision may undercut such successes when companies opt to follow its dictates, writes Joyce S. Dubensky.
On Tuesday, 158 New Laws Go Into Effect in Florida. Here Are the Highlights.
Here’s a run-down of the most important of the 158 new laws going into effect in Florida on Tuesday, from granting parents power to contest textbook selection to the “Florida GI Bill” which is intended to make Florida the most military-friendly state in the nation, to lowering college costs.
My Child Can Beat Your Child: How To Make Competitive Parents Shut Up
The next time a competitive parent approaches you with a story about their overachiever who has done so much, and wants to compare your children’s intellect, athletic ability and grade point average, just smile at the mom or dad and say, What have YOU done lately?
At Flagler Drug Court Graduation, Gratefulness Humbled By Clean Living’s Demands
Graduating in a ceremony at the Flagler County Courthouse Friday, drug court participants–most had suffered of prescription-drug abuse–spoke of lives changed by the demanding program, which keeps two-thirds of participants from re-offending.
For Floridians, Affordable Care Act Lives Up To Its Name: Average Monthly Premium Is $68
The $68 a month average premium is considerably less than the national average of $82. The plans are subsidized through tax credits taken in advance. Ninety-one percent of those who enrolled in Florida received the financial help, averaging $278 a month.
George Will’s Sex Assault Chauvinism
The oft-reported number of sex assault in college is likely too inflated, but when columnist George Will insisted that women who say they have been raped assume a “coveted status” on campus, it was as nasty a remark as Steve Robinson imagines has ever made it past Will’s editors. A counterpoint.
Jitter Echo: Opponents of Amendment 2 Launch “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot” Campaign
Opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana launched the “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot” campaign Tuesday, warning that passing the measure would lead to widespread abuse. Proponents of the measure are discrediting the campaign.
Palm Coast Council Looks to Regulate Potential Medical Pot, But in a Cloud of Misinformation
Saying he wants to be “pro-active,” Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts wants to explore regulations of potential medical pot dispensaries, should medical marijuana be legalized by Amendment 2, similar to those Palm Coast imposed on pill mills and intenet cafes. But those regulations will be primarily in the Department of Health’s hands, possibly pre-empting cities from such regulatory powers.
Bright Spot in Florida’s Budget:
A Forward-Looking Agenda on Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is the most costly disease to Medicare and Medicaid — and for a state like Florida with high ratios of older residents, this spells an impending crisis for state budgets. Gov. Rick Scott signed a record-sized state budget that included record-sized wins for the Alzheimer’s community.
Firefighters Hurt on the Job: Florida Justices Will Decide Legality of 2-Year Limit on Benefit
A firefighter who was severely injured on the job got two years of total disability, but was denied more when he applied. His attorneys argue that the two-year limit on temporary benefits is unconstitutional.
Lobbyists, Lawyers and Investors Line Up to Cash in on Florida’s Nascent Pot Industry
Lawmakers broadened eligibility for medical marijuana to include cancer patients as well as those suffering from severe muscle spasms or seizures, thereby opening up the market for potential sellers. The strain of marijuana is high in cannabidiol (CBD) and low in euphoria-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Department of Children and Families Intentionally Hid Reports on 30 Dead Kids
After an embarrassing article appeared in The Miami Herald in September, a regional supervisor for the Department of Children and Families ordered workers not to file required incident reports on the deaths of children who were supposed to be safeguarded by DCF, the Herald reports.
An Uncomfortable Question: Are Your Death Papers in Order?
In the wake of Rebekah McCloud learning of the death of a friend of 30 years, her friend’s family called a number of times to ask if she knew where she kept her “papers”–life insurance policies, will, deed to the house, bank-account information, etc., which made McCloud think about her own papers. They were not in the order they should be in.
Angling For Military Vote, Rick Scott Looks to Sue Feds for Blocking VA Hospital Inspections
The state Agency for Health Care Administration, at Scott’s urging, said Wednesday it will file a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeking to allow state inspectors access to Florida-based VA hospitals so they can determine if the health care needs of veterans are being met.
Flagler Gun & Archery Club Raises $3,150 for American Cancer Society
The Flagler Gun & Archery Club’s Cancer in the Crosshairs fundraiser on May 4th raised $3,150 for cancer research in the name of Marlene Germain, who died in December of pancreatic cancer, the club announced.
Double-Killing in Ormond Beach:
Not Murder-Suicide, But Mercy and Heroism
Shortly after midnight today John Poucher, 89, shot his wife Barbara, 86, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s, then shot himself. The killings will be logged inaccurately as a murder-suicide. The crime is that we live in a society still too barbaric to give assisted suicide and mercy killing its due.
Democrats Push to Restart CDC Funding for Gun Violence Research; NRA Calls It “Unethical”
Since 1996, when a small CDC-funded study on the risks of owning a firearm ignited opposition from Republicans, the CDC’s budget for research on firearms injuries has shrunk to zero. Two Congressional Democrats are unveiling legislation Wednesday that would restart such research, for $10 million.
When Guns and Mental Health Intersect: Cops Seize Arsenals on Two Occasions in 5 Days
For the second time in five days Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies have seized, with consent, two unrelated individuals’ weapons for safekeeping after incidents involving excessive grief or hallucinations, and fear among cops or relatives of the individuals involved that they could harm themselves if their weapons were left in their possession.
National Data Blank: Why Don’t We Know How Many People Are Shot Each Year in America?
While the number of gun murders has decreased in recent years, there’s debate over whether this reflects a drop in the total number of shootings, or an improvement in how many lives emergency room doctors can save. We don’t even know if the number of people shot annually has gone up or down over the last 10 years.
Suicide Averted off Hammock Dunes Bridge as Deputies Talk 19 Year Old Man Off a Ledge
The Hammock Dunes Bridge in Palm Coast was closed for almost two hours midday Sunday as Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies talked 19-year-old Dylan Mulligan out of committing suicide as he stood on a narrow concrete ledge jumping from a concrete ledge, 60 feet high.
Sheriff Manfre on Medical Marijuana: “I Am Receptive to the Arguments Favoring the Amendment’s Passage”
“For me,” Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre writes, “it comes down to whether medical marijuana has a medically beneficial effect and if it could help my Mom or any of our loved ones from the debilitating side effects of radiation treatments or the other diseases it claims to affect.”
Early Learning and KidCare Shortchanged as Children Take Back Seat in $77.1 Billion Budget
Children’s issues were in the spotlight during the 2014 legislative session, frequently contentious and ultimately a very mixed bag. Given the size of the $77.1 billion budget — the largest in state history — many advocates said lawmakers could and should have done more for kids.
Support for Medical Marijuana Surges to 88% in Florida, Stoking Prospects for Amendment 2
The prospects for Amendment 2 don’t stop with pot. The Amendment is expected to draw out voters who support it. The turnout may influence the outcome of the governor’s race pitting incumbent Rick Scott against former Gov. Charlie Crist, whose boss, John Morgan, is leading the battle to legalize medical marijuana.
How Donald Sterling’s Apologists Give Private Bigotries a Pass
If racism and intolerance are learned, it is the Donald Trumps of the world who are the teachers. Our country can only move beyond its present ugly divisions when people who have attained power and influence actively work to promote tolerance. Doing nothing is no longer acceptable.
Legislature Approves Medical Marijuana Bill Narrowly Targeting Epilepsy and Other Seizures
The proposal would make Florida one of a handful of states that allow “Charlotte’s Web,” a low-THC strain of marijuana that proponents say doesn’t get users high but can end or dramatically decrease potentially fatal seizures in children who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy that can cause hundreds of seizures a week. The allowance would extend to some forms of cancer and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
As Florida House Opens Schools to Guns, Lawmaker Declares Gun-Free Zones “The Most Dangerous Places in America”
In a debate that showed sharp divisions about how best to protect children and teachers, the Florida House on Monday approved a bill, 71-44, that could lead to some public-school employees or volunteers carrying guns on campus.
“Growing Up Fisher” Is Perpetuating Stereotypes About Blind People
“It’s hard for me not to cringe,” writes Kathi Wolfe, a legally blind writer, when the main character on Growing Up Fisher “does things that most blind people in real life would rarely, if ever, do. He hits cars in crosswalks with his white cane, checks his guide dog into a restaurant cloakroom, chops down trees with a chainsaw, and takes his clients’ cars for rides.”
Pit Bull That Killed 3 Dogs Last Week Attacks a Cat, Then a Cop, Before Being Shot
David LaBrie Jr., a Palm Coast resident, is a two-tour veteran of the war in Afghanistan and a seven-year veteran of the Ormond Beach Police Department. His very brief encounter with a pit bull early this morning went less well than his tours, and ended with LaBrie sustaining several bites and the dog dead from two gunshots.
0-For-5: In latest Blow to Scott, U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Appeal on Drug-Testing State Workers
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to take up the case means that the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling stands: Drug tests can’t be justified constitutionally for many of the 85,000 workers who would have been subject to Scott’s policy. The two sides continue to carry out a painstaking process of looking at different categories of workers to determine whether some could be subject to drug testing — a process stemming from the appeals court ruling.
Raising Hope: Indian Trails Guardian Angels Lift Awareness of Teen Suicide and Depression
The Guardian Angels, one of two Indian Trails Middle School Service Learning groups doing projects in conjunction with Palm Coast’s annual Arbor Day celebration on May 3, are raising money to dedicate a walkway at the Children’s Memorial Garden in Waterfront Park.
Despite Parental Notification Law, Court Finds Room for Teens to Protect Privacy When Seeking Abortion
Florida voters in 2004 approved a constitutional amendment that requires parents to be notified before their minor daughters can have abortions. But an appeals court ruling released Friday shows how far teens can go to challenge the law–and preserve their privacy when seeking an abortion.
Rocky Mountain High or Reefer Madness? Legal Pot Comes with Risks
Legal pot is attracting new and possibly naïve users — creating risks that some don’t bargain for. Second, the public health system’s desire to protect people may be well-intentioned, but regulation and efforts to track the health effects have a ways to go.
Mega Health Bill Favoring Nurse Practitioners, Trauma Centers and Drs. Without State License Clears House Panel
The bill would protect private for-profit trauma centers, allow for independent practice for nurse practitioners and allow out-of-state doctors to participate in telehealth without a Florida license. The Florida Medical Association opposes the latter two.
Abortion Restrictions May Tighten in Florida as “Viability” Bill Diminishing Women’s Rights Moves Forward
Under current law, third-trimester abortions are allowed if they are necessary to save a pregnant woman’s life or preserve her health, The proposals would make that standard more restrictive, and would exclude a woman’s psychological health as a reason to perform an abortion.
Health Groups Oppose Bill Banning E-Cigarettes to Minors, Calling It a Stealth Favor to Big Tobacco
The American Lung Association of Florida and other groups are fighting the measure because it would also ban local efforts to restrict the sales of cigarettes and other tobacco-related products.
Lawmakers Poised to Kill Florida KidCare Expansion for 25,000 Children of Legal Immigrants
The proposal (HB 7 and SB 282) would eliminate a five-year waiting period for lawfully residing immigrants to be eligible for KidCare, a subsidized insurance program that serves children from low- and moderate-income families. Senate President Don Gaetz would vote against it.
Sweeping Child-Welfare Reform Bill Calls For “Moral Outrage” and More Money
The legislation got its start last fall, after media reports about a wave of child deaths from abuse and neglect — and gained momentum as it became clear that many of the victims were already known to the Florida Department of Children and Families, which had failed to protect them.
Obamacare Tally: Florida Subsidies Average $3,000, But Some Families Complain of Costly Exclusion
And yet only one in four Floridians who qualifies for a subsidy had enrolled in a plan by March 1, leaving 1 million eligible residents uninsured. A mother describes how the law’s employee-insurance provision barred her family from subsidies.
Lawmakers’ Proposal to Ban E-Cigarettes for Youths Lights Up Local Governments Over Additional Strictures
Health groups and local governments are criticizing a bill (HB 169) that would ban e-cigarette sales to minors because the measure also would prevent cities and counties from passing their own regulations on the sales of electronic cigarettes and tobacco products.
As March 31 Deadline Nears: Going Without Health Insurance Will Likely Cost You At Tax Time
If you thought you could get health coverage later this year, you may not get that chance until November, which means that you’ll most likely have to pay a penalty of 1 percent of your income at tax time, even if only a single member of your family is not insured. Penalties rise in subsequent years.
Pot’s Uphill Toke in Florida, CIA Torture Cover-Up, Obama Between Two Ferns, Dieudonné: The Live Wire
Florida’s medical marijuana amendment is no sure thing, a senator reveals a CIA torture cover-up, Bill O’Reilly attacks Obama’s Between Two Ferns appearance, Kevin bacon offers up 1980s awareness, Dieudonné heats up the hate on France’s comedy circuit.