More Original Stories From HNF

ORIGINAL STORIES FROM HEALTH NEWS FLORIDA

FL plan wins top Medicare rating

By Lottie Watts
7/28/2010 © Health News Florida 
Florida is one of just three states with a top-rated, five-star Medicare Advantage plan. But most of the state’s 3.3 million beneficiaries can’t enroll in it. 

Health-care quality meter for FL hugs the line

7/27/2010 © Health News Florida
A federal agency that tracks measures of health-care quality lists Florida's as "average," but barely. The arrow hovers right on the line above "weak."  

Healthy Kids: WellCare cheated on drugs, owes $2.1M

By Carol Gentry
7/23/2010 © Health News Florida
The program for uninsured children says an independent audit found WellCare owes another $2.1 million in repayments, most of it for "double dipping" in the pharmacy program. 

Johns Hopkins chief-doc-to-be in FL reassures locals

By Carol Gentry
7/22/2010 © Health News Florida
Jonathan Ellen, the Johns Hopkins professor in line to become physician-in-chief at All Children’s Hospital, says local doctors and USF faculty and residents should not be concerned about the hospital's planned acquisition. But confusion abounds.

FL Medicaid HMO claims under scrutiny

By Jim Saunders and Carol Gentry
7/21/2010 © Health News Florida
Federal prosecutors in Tampa are reportedly checking whether Medicaid HMOs other than WellCare Health Plans submitted less-than-honest claims in past years. Meanwhile, independent audits of eight Medicaid HMOs found that all owed the state money; more audits are planned. 

Father of Medicaid 'Reform' returns to Florida

By Carol Gentry and Dave Gulliver
7/20/2010 © Health News Florida
Alan Levine, the man most responsible for changing the direction of Florida Medicaid, is coming back to the state as a high-ranking executive for Health Management  Associates, a hospital corporation based in Naples. 

Patient-protection watchdogs didn't bark; were they right?

By Carol Gentry
7/16/2010 ©  Health News Florida
In journalism, we write about things that happened, not about what didn't happen. So I have been flummoxed in how to approach the subject of Peter Gleason, a psychiatrist who was disciplined in three other states. Not Florida.

Uninsured family faces ruin as lawyers debate new health law

By Mary Jo Melone
7/16/2010 © Health News Florida
Joanie Pape of Navarre lost her job as a bank branch manager in January, and with it went health insurance for her and two college-age kids. In March, both suffered serious injuries in a traffic accident. They now owe $100,000. 

Health officials concerned about food safety after inspections lapse

By Cynthia Washam
 7/15/2010 © Health News Florida
Public health officials are concerned that the July 1 end of their food-safety inspections of day-care centers, hospitals and nursing homes will lead to more food poisonings. Lawmakers say other agencies inspect the same facilities.

Shands hopes to get funds restored in special session

By Jim Saunders
7/13/2010 © Health News Florida
Warning that it will otherwise have to cut services, Shands HealthCare wants to use a special legislative session next week to reverse Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of $9.7 million for the Gainesville hospital.