The fight over health care risks hurting job growth in Florida, other states

| 5/9/2017

The fight over Obamacare is hurting health care job growth

The latest effort to replace Obamacare has cast uncertainty on hiring in the health care industry, which has been a driving force in the country’s economic recovery and growth. States with a large health care workforce — like Florida — are at risk of losing the most jobs from the changes. More from Vox and CNN Money.

Florida pays more for less federal health care funding

Poor Floridians may see less access to medical care. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL, said the state is turning down billions of dollars in federal funding for health care this year because it is not expanding Medicaid. “Five billion (dollars) versus a billion and a half, all of which it is for poor people’s health care. I mean it’s just ridiculous," Nelson said. "It’s nothing but ideological partisanship and unfortunately, that’s what’s been going on.” Full story from WFSU, here.

Certificate of need, trauma bills die in Florida Legislature

Despite backing from House Republican leaders and Gov. Rick Scott, controversial bills that would have eased regulations on building hospitals and adding trauma centers died late last week. Supporters of the measures said they would lead to a more free-market approach that would increase access to care for patients.[Source: WLRN ]

Lawmakers fail to get medical pot bill; now up to health officials

Unable to bridge a gap over how many marijuana dispensaries the state should have, Florida lawmakers failed to pass legislation that would have created a framework to carry out a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana for wide variety of patients. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

Commentary: Hospital Week reason to celebrate providers

National Hospital Week was established in 1953 and this year it will be celebrated from May 7 through May 13. This year’s National Hospital Week theme is “The Healing Heart of Healthcare,” an appropriate tribute to the 5.6 million physicians, nurses, therapists, food service workers, volunteers and many more who put their heart in their work. [Source: Naples Daily News]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Tampa Bay hospitals brace for $92 million in cuts [Tampa Bay Times]
Statewide, the proposed hospital cuts total $521 million, all coming from "supplemental" money that state lawmakers put into the Medicaid program two years ago.
» Related: Legislature cuts millions from Manatee hospitals and Legislature cuts $160 million from South Florida hospitals.

› Demand for mental health counselors continues to rise on Florida campuses [Health News Florida]
Florida's universities call it a troubling trend. The need for mental health counseling services among students has gone up nearly 50 percent over the past five years.

› Costs of Zika fight rise to nearly $30M in Miami-Dade County [AP]
Miami-Dade County plans to hire a full-time entomologist in its increasingly costly fight against the Zika virus. The county's budget to combat the mosquito-borne virus is nearing $30 million.

› State regulators say Florida Blue glitch affected nearly 9,500 [WMFE]
Nearly 9,500 Florida Blue customers had excess health insurance payments automatically drafted from their bank accounts last week.

» Go to page 2 for more health care stories in your region

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