Florida Blue will remain in the individual insurance market

| 6/13/2017

Florida Blue will remain in the individual insurance market

Florida Blue, the state’s largest health insurer, will remain in the individual market for 2018 and offer plans this fall in all 67 counties on the Affordable Care Act's marketplace platform at healthcare.gov — assuming it still exists. The company’s decision puts to rest concerns that it might join other individual-market insurers that have recently announced pullouts from some large U.S. markets. More from Fort Myers News Press and the Orlando Sentinel. Also see the statement from Florida Blue on their plans to remain in the Marketplace through 2018.

Audit finds understaffing and lax control of medication at state mental hospitals

Florida's state-run mental hospitals are understaffed, some are unlicensed and they are failing to keep track of pharmaceuticals and seized contraband, according to a new state audit. At one North Florida hospital, more than 2,800 anti-psychotic drugs and 350 HIV antiviral drugs were misplaced, the report states. Bookkeeping at two other hospitals was so lax that auditors could not determine whether drugs were missing. Read more at the Tampa Bay Times. Also see the full report from the Auditor General: "Oversight and Administration of State Mental Health Treatment Facilities"

Florida doubles number of doctors allowed to recommend marijuana to patients

Hundreds of Florida doctors are signing up to get the state’s blessing to prescribe medical marijuana, records show. On Friday, the medical marijuana industry obtained its guidelines with the passage of a bill out of the Florida Legislature. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Florida caps in malpractice cases ruled unconstitutional

Caps on how much money patients injured by a doctor's mistakes can receive were declared unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday, a decision that strikes down one of former Gov. Jeb Bush's major policy victories. [Source: AP ]

South Florida increasing its number of doctor trainees

South Florida is becoming home to an increasing number of younger doctors, a step that will make it easier for the growing population to obtain health care. The region’s hospitals and medical schools have been expanding their resident training programs to combat a projected doctor shortage over the next decade. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› "Docs vs. glocks" legal battle ends [MyPanhandle.com]
Six years after Florida lawmakers tried to stop doctors from asking patients about guns, health-care providers have emerged victorious in a legal battle as the state did not appeal a federal-court ruling striking down major parts of the 2011 law.

› Judge ends legal battle over Florida’s care of disabled children [Miami Herald]
With the state pointing to changes it has made, a federal judge Friday dismissed a long-running legal battle about whether Florida’s Medicaid program provided proper services to children with severe medical conditions.

› Changes to Florida reporting for impaired practitioners [Lexology]
Gov. Rick Scott recently signed into law House Bill 229 (Ch. 2017-41, Laws of Florida), which made changes to the impaired practitioner program.

› Central Florida hospitals decelerate practice acquisitions [Orlando Sentinel]
Central Florida health systems are likely to slow their rate of acquiring physician groups, according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield. That’s partly because independent doctors are partnering with each other or working under larger management groups.

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