Lawmakers push for Medicaid block grants

| 2/28/2017

Lawmakers push for Medicaid block grants

Top Florida Republican lawmakers are heading to Washington D.C. soon to discuss potential healthcare changes with their Congressional counterparts. They want President Donald Trump’s administration to block grant Medicaid funding. Florida Senate President Joe Negron says he thinks Washington will likely pass a form of block grants for Medicaid. That could mean the federal government gives states a fixed amount of money and leaves it to them to determine who gets what services. Full story from WUSF, here.

Health care's future: Turning patients into savers, shoppers

The U.S. government may soon lean on someone new to help lower health care costs: you. The idea is that when your money is on the line — and not the insurance company's — you'll look for the best value and do your part to curb national health care spending. [Source: AP]

Gov. Scott pushing health care reform to President Trump

After years battling Obama administration directives on health care, the environment and other federal programs, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has been treated like a close pal by President Donald Trump the past few days. [Source: TCPalm ]

Florida health group CHAIN issues legal warning to new rival

For 18 years, Florida’s voice for expanding health-care coverage has been a group known as Florida CHAIN. But now two of CHAIN’s former employees are launching their own non-profit, called Florida Consumer Health Alliance. That has set up a power struggle among former colleagues. Full story from Health News Florida, here.

Florida may make it easier to sue doctors over abortions

Women who have abortions in Florida would find it easier to sue the doctors who performed the procedure, under a contentious bill now moving through the state House. More from CBS Miami and the AP.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Commentary: Future for paramedicine in Southwest Florida? [Naples Daily News]
It seems counterintuitive: Southwest Florida is one of the healthiest areas in the country, ranked near the top in terms of life expectancy of its residents. Yet our emergency response systems and our hospitals are strained to the breaking point, barely able to keep up with illness and injury.

› New data shows South Florida's syphillis surge continued through 2016 [WUSF]
New estimates through mid-2016 show Florida's surge in syphilis cases continued last year, with cases of infectious syphilis jumping statewide by 36 percent by the middle the middle of year.

› Senators ask for halt to pre-claim before Florida start date [Home Healthcare News]
Lawmakers in Florida have teamed up to ask Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price to delay the implementation of the Pre-Claim Review Demonstration (PCRD) in the state.

› Florida physicians earn more than $2.1 million in bonus payments [Miami's Community Newspapers]
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Florida awarded more than $2.1 million in bonus payments to 263 physician practices statewide last year for improving the quality of care for people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s Medicaid plans.

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