Columns & Blogs
There’s a learning curve for healthy eating
Beth Kassab writes that when it comes to what we eat, any restriction makes a lot of us bristle. But there is no better place to teach healthy eating habits than in school cafeterias -- even if the carrots are being dumped in the trash.
In the current climate, extremism begets extremism
Mary Jo Melone writes that David Koch's philanthropy for cancer research provides a nice cover for his extremist views. But no one should have to fear death threats over their political positions.
Why does it have to be ‘either/or’?
Paul Gionfriddo writes that last week Congress agreed to cut $5 billion from the public health fund as a way to pay for its much-needed Medicare "doc fix." But he doubts most doctors would have wanted the money to be taken from public health.
GOP boldly marching backwards
Carl Hiassen writes that Republican strategists see the birth control controversy as another opportunity to bash Obama’s health reforms. And as political miscalculations go, this one could be epic.
Stand your ground on pit-bull ban, Miami-Dade
Steven Kurlander writes that, like pythons overpopulating the Everglades, lifting the longtime ban on pit bulls in Miami-Dade County would endanger safety.
FL loses by not accepting health-reform money
Stephen Goldstein writes that Florida is falling behind the rest of the country for taking the lead against the Affordable Care Act.
ERs overrun with mental health cases
Judi Evans, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Florida, writes that the consequences of untreated mental illness for society are staggering. Florida's emergency rooms are showing the strain with many people turning to them for help.
Senate DOH bill isn’t much better than House’s version
Consumer health activist Richard Polangin says that while the Senate's version of the Department of Health reorganization isn't as bad as the House's, that's not saying much.
Pit-bull ban is justified
Fred Grimm writes that the debate over pit bulls has resurfaced this week as a kind of strange canine pseudo-civil-rights campaign. But the currrent pit-bull ban wasn’t for nothing.
Listen to your body; you may learn something
Elaine Waples writes about how after chemotherapy put her digestion into a tailspin, she learned to become a label detective and now leads her body down a better path.
Health law tax credit helpful to small businesses
In a video report, a small business manager in South Florida talks about how the Affordable Care Act helps small businesses, why some businesses still oppose it, and much more.
Florida inept at protecting its most vulnerable
Daniel Shoer Roth writes that DCF’s performance appears particularly negligent in Miami-Dade, where high levels of poverty trigger child abuse. One solution, albeit expensive: Replace DCF investigators with police officers.
Where have the watchdogs gone?
Florence Snyder writes that whatever your thoughts about the death penalty, the empty seats in the press room should worry you. It is journalism's role to be society's watchdog and there are far fewer dogs sniffing around.
GOP removed from most crises of family life
Mary Jo Melone writes that most American women have used birth control and a majority of people endorse its use. But don't bother telling that to Republicans, who are expanding their war on women to include entire families too strapped or stressed to handle another child.
A slippery slope for bishops
Paul Gionfriddo writes that by creating a constitutional objection to services under the Affordable Care Act, bishops are inviting others to make faith-based constitutional objections to other provisions.
Dump the food ban, then let’s work on solutions
Nancy Smith writes that while childhood obesity is a large and growing problem, imposing a ban on sugary food for food stamp recipients isn't a reasonable solution
Would private prisons not chase escaped inmates?
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PolitiFact looked into the claim that private prisons would stop chasing escapees at their property line. Turns out state law is ambiguous, but local authorities would definately take the lead.
Why must it take tragedies to mobilize DCF?
Florence Snyder writes that corners continue to be cut at the Florida Department of Children and Families, and children continue to pay the price, even as DCF stages photo ops and punishes low-level employees.
There’s proof mental health treatment works
Bob Sharpe, president and CEO of the Florida Council for Community Mental Health, challenges Florida’s leaders to learn the real science behind mental health and substance-abuse treatment.
Komen’s missteps will hurt the cure
Pierre Tristam writes that Susan G. Komen for the Cure had a choice: Stick with neutrality or surrender to politics. Komen surrendered and put its fortune in jeopardy. Its brand is now blighted.
Community needs to pitch in to help homeless
Tom Tryon writes that researcher Robert Marbut's plan for alleviating chronic homelessness requires community leaders to direct plans for funding and providing shelter and work with government agencies.
Horror on I-75 could have been prevented
Remember four years ago, when fog and smoke combined to kill four and injure 38 on I-4? FAMU Assistant Professor Andrew Skerritt says that lesson was ignored.
Public health will be crippled if Rep. Hudson has his way
Health consumer advocate Richard Polangin says the Department of Health reorganization bill will strip funding away from vital disease-fighting efforts.
Florida victory on health law would have unintended effect
Health consultant Paul Gionfriddo writes that if Florida wins its suit against the health law, which expands insurance through individual and state action, a federal system will be more likely down the road.
Take some focus off fundraising, and on assistance
Deni Elliott writes that Susan G. Komen for the Cure has long been a model for fund-raising success, but it should go a step further and make financial assistance for women in need a priority.
This adoption isn’t illegal but it sure is weird
Mike Mayo writes that John Goodman, in legal trouble from a 2010 car wreck that killed a man, turned his adult girlfriend into his adopted daughter. Was it a way to shield his fortune or a way to snag trust fund money?
You earned straight answers on Social Security, Medicare
Jeff Johnson of AARP Florida writes that during the Florida Republican presidential primary, older Floridians only got brief glimpses of the candidates’ stands on Social Security and Medicare. That's not good enough.
Chronic conditions make switch to adult care tough
Colette Meehan writes that it's a rough switch, but it's tougher for those on public insurance that runs out at 18 or 21. She supports bills that would extend coverage on Children's Medical Services until age 26 and another that would provide support during the transition.
Tragedy propels car-safety message
Scott Maxwell writes that the car-crash death of high school sweethearts Eddie Culberhouse and Laura Grant is being used by their grieving parents to spread the message: Seat belts save lives.
In sunshine and in secret
David Kibbe and Brian Klepper write that looking at how two influential federal health advisory panels behave provides a lesson about the mechanisms that drive government decisions and how it can help or hinder public trust.
Republicans try to erode abortion rights
Mary Jo Melone writes that Republicans claim they are against government regulation yet are perfectly willing to stick their noses in doctors’ offices and make women get sonograms before they get an abortion.
Were things really better before Medicare?
Ron Paul likes to mention that life before Medicare and Medicaid was just fine for the elderly and poor. The Fact Checker found that vast improvements in medicine and cost increases since the 1960s make his scenario unsustainable.
Medicaid cuts will affect us all
Larry Bishop writes that proposed cuts to Medicaid won't just affect the needy. Most of the loss would come in matching federal dollars, not state funds, and our tax dollars, which were intended for use in your state, would go for someone else’s care.
Our dangerous views about homelessness, mental health
Paul Gionfriddo writes that when we ostracize the mentally ill, we set many of them on a path toward isolation and homelessness.
We need nurses to teach future ones
Kathleen Long, PhD, RN, dean of the University of Florida College of Nursing, writes that the severe nursing faculty shortage impairs our ability to educate new nurses.
Florida hysterically overreacting to pain-pill issue
Radley Balko writes that while painkiller prescriptions have soared in recent years, it's unclear that their abuse and overdoses are as dire as Florida is making it out to be.
‘Pro-life’ legislators need to look beyond birth
Scott Maxwell writes that the sanctity of life that many politicians seem committed to protecting lasts merely from conception to birth. After that, they do things like gut the Healthy Families program while protecting their own "Healthy Legislators" health plan.
Nowhere to go but up for Medicaid costs
Will Patrick writes that a disturbing trend of Medicaid waste and fraud is not being controlled by Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration.The state needs to rein costs in, and a managed care plan will do that.
Health care is driving the economy off a cliff
Brian Klepper writes that the business community, with its heft, influence and motivation, needs to be convinced to mobilize at a policy level to turn the economy around.
Ad on Romney health plan wrong
The pro-Gingrich ad from Winning our Future, which is spending millions in Florida, says Mitt Romney's health plan in Massachusetts is just like Obama's plan and sent health costs spiraling. PolitiFact found little to show that costs increased.
A sporting chance for homeless care
Angel Castillo Jr. writes that if a Florida senator has his way, homeless people will soon find shelter in the state's publicly funded sports arenas. If janitors can clean up after a game, they can certainly clean up after needy people.
Medicaid growth ‘will bankrupt our state’
Liz Dudek, secretary of Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, argues that Medicaid's method of paying hospitals must change.
Florida needs new government claims policy
Susan Clary writes that rather than healing the injured, the current legal process damages victims with years of red tape, expenses and deal making by lobbyists and lawyers who use the system.
There are no ‘magic pills’
Nursing professor connie Bobik writes that many patients would rather let a pill manage their health instead of changing bad habits. The overuse of prescription drugs is alarming.
Changing laws won’t stop the DUI deaths
Eric Ernst writes that the blame in DUI tragedies rests not with law enforcement, or even with alcohol. It rests with an individual who had no regard for himself or others. Changing the laws won't change behaviors.
Cursed, or a reflection of our unhealthy times?
Paul Gionfriddo tells the story of the 1994 San Diego Chargers and the early deaths of many of the players. Some call it a curse but many former NFL players are walking advertisements for premature death.
Gov’t can provide insurance for less than private sector
William L. Holahan and Charles O. Kroncke write that health resources are being drawn from the rest of the economy at an increasing rate. Our choice is either to pay taxes for Medicare and Medicaid or to pay insurance premiums 30 percent higher than those taxes would have been.
Will money sink the dispensing bill?
Joe Paduda writes that despite hundreds of thousands of dollars being sent to legislators, he feels that the physician dispensing bill will pass, reducing Florida employers' work comp premiums by tens of millions of dollars.
Ending PIP fraud requires law enforcement and better laws
Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson writes that personal injury protection fraud is not only a problem for Florida consumers, it's a major problem for law enforcement.
The biggest bang for the buck (or yen) is Japan
Brian Klepper writes that the Japanese spend the least on health care to get the longest lifespan. Having an homogeneous population and a supportive social structure are two of many variables that help this.
Blood-bank merger creates behemoth
Robert Trigaux writes that three of Florida's biggest blood supply service organizations are about to meld into a nonprofit giant. But blood banks of all sizes face a dwindling donor base.
‘Safety net’ hospitals at risk
David J. Black, M.D., writes the proposed state budget threatens to strip Shands of greater than $70 million, and this type of budgetary loss will be felt by all “safety net” hospitals in the state.
Democrats’ Medicare warning called ‘biggest lie’ of 2011
Florida-based PolitiFact says its "Lie of the Year" goes to Democrats for grossly exaggerating the impact of a proposed Medicare voucher program. This is the third year in a row that the big lie involved health politics.
Grandma and the Big Bad SGR
Florida medical groups are encouraging members to share a video with patients that explains the Medicare "SGR" pay cut for physicians in extremely simple terms.
Saddest city? Give me a break
Columnist Robert Trigaux pokes fun at Men's Health magazine for proclaiming St. Petersburg the nation's saddest city, closely followed by a bunch of other Florida towns, based on suicide rates and anti-depressant use.
Homeless kids abound in Disney’s shadow
Scott Maxwell says CBS' 60 minutes show on Florida's hordes of homeless children showed the dark side of embracing a cheap-wage economy.
Solution to cost crisis: Pay some doctors NOT to practice
David Kibbe and Brian Klepper write that Instead of trying to reform the whole system, let’s root out the bad apples and create a "physician fallow" program.
JJ. was a kid worth saving, but how?
Columnist Sue Carlton remembers when a fifth-grader accused of armed robbery was given a second chance to turn around, in a new family. It should have worked. Why didn't it?
Health district rejects free land, buys $4M parcel
Stacey Singer questions why the taxpayer-funded Palm Beach County Health Care District turned down free land for the state's nursing home and bought a $4 million property owned by the district's real-estate agent.
Analysis & Opinion
Health News Florida takes no positions on issues or candidates; instead, we post links to editorials, columns and letters that appear in publications around the state. The cartoons also run the gamut of opinions; if you disagree with the one we’ve posted today, you may like the one we post tomorrow.
Credit: Jeff Parker, Florida Today
Editorials
Contraception services a matter of health
The rights and health of women must not be lost in this fight over the president's contraceptive coverage mandate.
Prison ‘brawl’ over privatization not over
Although state senators killed the prison privatization bill, Gov. Scott, a propoent of the plan, has the power to make it happen. Florida would be better served if he can find a more convincing argument to justify changing the way the state operates its prisons.
Shortsighted cuts to drug treatment
The Senate has passed a reckless budget plan would hack spending on adult substance-abuse programs by about $26 million. Preserving funding for a program that ultimately saves money is the smart investment.
Put the brakes on auto insurance fraud in FL
The fraud-related costs are startling and Florida is now the third most expensive state for auto insurance. We could become the most expensive, if something isn't done to curb staged accidents.
Federal oversight essential for Medicaid
Florida's zeal to cut costs is indicative of what would happen if Medicaid were turned into a state block grant program, which might be fine in states with more enlightened leadership, but it would harmful to the poor in states such as Florida where the bottom line is a bigger priority.
State needs to rethink Medicaid
Florida needs a better plan for controlling health costs. Medicaid cuts proposed this legislative session would exacerbate the problem. Reform can be achieved without cutting care or jobs.
Fix Medicare for good and for real
Rather than temporarily fix a broken Medicare formula, lawmakers need to scrap it. And they need to cover the cost with real Medicare cuts not creative bookkeeping.
Newborns deserve better
Florida's newborn screening process needs to include a test for congenital heart problems. State lawmakers should act now and pass the bill now in the House.
FAMU should set example in hazing prevention
Hazing incidents and their aftermath have a long history at FAMU. The university needs to turn hazing prevention into a permanent part of its culture.
A budget balanced on the backs of the poor and sick
Among the worst things about the budget proposal are the deep cuts in funding for the state's "safety net" hospitals.
Signs of slippage in tobacco prevention
The American Lung Association has called 2011 an "abysmal year for tobacco control measures at the state level." Florida received middling grades from the group, but one bright spot was a drop in high school smoking rates. More needs to be done.
Food fight in the Legislature
By proposing that food stamp recipients not be able to buy junk with their allotment, Sen. Ronda Storms simply wants funds to be devoted to nourishing food. What's wrong with that?
Birth control flap not about religious freedom
Sen. Rubio is wrong when he says the HHS ruling on contraception is an issue of religious freedom. It is about women’s access to medically recommended health care options.
‘Pillbillies’ hit the road
In a state that had become the go-to state for Oxycontin, the number of oxycodone pills purchased last year by Florida doctors plunged 97 percent, sending "pill mill tourists" -- many from Appalachia -- packing.
FL mortgages future by leaving kids uncovered
Florida could take steps to get coverage for its 500,000 uninsured children, but officials deliberately refuse.
It takes nerve for lawmakers to keep cheap health insurance
Top state officials pay ridiculously low premiums for health insurance. It takes nerve for legislators to pay that little while demanding that other Floridians tighten their belts.
Don’t rush to privatize prisons
Florida's prison privatization plan, believed to be the largest in U.S. history, is being rushed through without nearly the amount of study an overhaul of this magnitude merits. Sen. Fasano and other critics are right to object.
Drug bill is noble and deserves support
State Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, is the sponsor of a bill that would create a task force to find ways to head off the despair of newborns who must be carefully weaned from addictive drugs.
Komen takes a more defensible position
In amending its policy and restoring existing funding to Planned Parenthood, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation seemed to admit that it had failed to take into account the ease with which politically charged investigations can be launched.
Regulating sugar leaves a sour taste
Some say that like tobacco and alcohol, sugar should be regulated by the federal government. The "sugar police" can claim some science on their side, but consumers should be able to make the decision to cut back on their own terms.
A dangerous stretch of road
Interstate 75 between Ocala and Gainesville has a long and dangerous history. Early Sunday, 10 people lost their lives, covered in dense fog and smoke. Steps need to be taken to reduce the risk to the public.
Cruise-ship safety factors remain unclear
A congressional panel, set to meet in February, needs to examine whether there’s anything about U.S. safety rules and procedures, above and beyond the international safety code, to avoid another disaster like that of the Costa Concordia.
Many similarities between Romney, Obama health plans
What Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich don't admit is that before they jumped into the presidential race, they favored many provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which they now oppose at every turn.
Too much time on ‘hot button’ issues
Spending time trying to erode abortion rights plays well to the conservative base, but it does little to solve Florida's problems. Lawmakers should instead focus on jobs, budget cuts and redistricting.
A healthy partnership for uninsured care
For the 80,000 Marion County residents who lack health insurance, the partnership between the county Health Department and the Heart of Florida community-based health center is a way to rein in costs yet provide quality care.
Program vital to at-risk mothers and the community
Funding for the "Save My Life" program -- which targets mothers and babies at the greatest risk of health problems -- will expire at the end of February. Fund-raisers have been scheduled but it warrants even greater investments for the long term.
A wise move to fluoridate
The town of Pinellas Park wisely rejected the fears of a small minority and ensured the city will once again have the medical benefits of fluoride in its water.
Legislature doesn’t want to play by its own rules
Lawmakers, intent on privatizing prisons in 18 counties, aren't willing to play by the same rules they demand for everyone else in state government.
Contraception rule a slap in the face to religious groups
By not revising the health law mandate that insurance plans must cover contraception without charge, the Obama administration is signaling that HHS rules take precedent over church doctrine.
Paying for insurance better than layoffs
A 5 percent contribution from the paychecks of Miami-Dade County workers would avoid layoffs while keeping the county’s self-insurance health fund healthy.
Smokers need to step up for tests
Jacksonville, with its high lung cancer rate, is prime territory for finding people at high risk of developing the disease. Because of that, Jacksonville could become a center for finding screening tests that save lives, if only oeople would get past the shame of their smoking addiction.
DCF making strides
In its annual report, the local office of the Florida Department of Children and Families has noted some impressive improvements.
Long-overdue protections for home health workers
Home care workers have had too little political influence to obtain labor protections, but the Obama administration has proposed regulations to bring them under the Fair Labors Standards Act.
CVS right to act, but needs to explain
CVS Pharmacy Inc. is showing leadership by refusing to fill narcotics prescriptions from certain high-prescribers, but it owes the doctors an explanation of how it fingered them and opportunity to respond.
Secret ghost-writer for GOP bills needs exposure
Big business has set up a ghost-writing group for Republican legislation throughout the country, including Florida. Lawmakers should come clean about ALEC's influence.
Disputing the death penalty
A federal judge ruled Florida's death-penalty process unconstitutional because jurors don't have to write out why they recommend the punishment. The ruling highlights one of several flaws with the state's death-penalty process.
Gay-marriage ban will hit FL in the wallet
New York is now the sixth state to give gay couples the same rights as everyone else. And as other states embrace marriage equality, it will be harder to lure businesses to Florida.
DUI justice denied
If CMI officials want to build confidence in its breath-test machine, they should recognize that secrecy is the wrong approach.
Letters from HNF Readers
In railing against one-payer system, doctors cut their own throats
Mental-health, substance-abuse treatments are cost effective
Pharmacists stand up to over-prescribers
Booted for not towing the party line
Patients use acupuncture because it works
Use caution when sanctioning doctors
Healthy Families’ mission transcends politics
Letters Around The State
Employer’s beliefs shouldn’t determine care
Big pharma should aid in pill mill fight
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