Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 1/7/2015

Private job growth accelerated in December

U.S. private employers added 241,000 jobs in December, beating the median forecasts of analysts and bringing their annual hiring to 2.5 million for 2014, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday. More from Reuters and the AP.

Florida hospitals aim to boost medical tourism

A Florida Taxwatch report ‘Medical tourism in Florida’ concluded that Florida has an opportunity to bolster economic development by investing in medical tourism. It reveals that the majority of inbound medical tourists to the USA come from the Middle East, South America, and Canada. More at the International Medical Travel Journal.

Traffic tangles Miami office market

Florida Law
2014's biggest-impact law cases

From Chinese drywall to voting districts, we explain some of Florida's biggest law cases in 2014.

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Drivers’ frustration with ever-lengthening commutes and snarled traffic has a direct effect on Miami’s office leasing market. “Everyone is becoming more concerned about the time it takes to commute,” said Doug Okun, senior vice president at Continental Real Estate Companies. More at Miami Today.

Doctors, dentists react to Medicaid ruling

Florida healthcare providers and advocates recently won a lengthy court battle against the state Medicaid’s program. Florida doctors and dentists argued Medicaid was shortchanging them on reimbursement rates. U.S. appellate Judge Adalberto Jordan agreed. More at Health News Florida.

Florida No. 3 for savviest health exchange customers

Floridians fare better than consumers in most other U.S. states as far as selecting a health insurance plan through the exchanges, according to Putting Patients First. Florida came in at No. 3 on the list of states with the savviest health exchange consumers, trailing only California and Texas. More at the Orlando Business Journal.

Education
Why small schools might be better for students than small classes

It’s been 12 years since Florida voters passed the class size amendment, limiting the number of students in certain classes. Overall, the research on the effectiveness of small classes is mixed. Florida’s traditional public elementary and middle schools have the highest average enrollment in the country, and high school enrollment in Florida is almost twice the national average.