What the potential death of the Affordable Care Act means for Florida

| 10/6/2020

What the potential death of the Affordable Care Act means for Florida

If the election goes one way, your health care will be taken away. If the election goes another, President Donald Trump will unveil an alternative that’s so great, you wouldn’t believe it. That is the state of the rhetoric around health care as we approach Nov. 3. Few states would be more affected than Florida by the demise of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The Trump administration is currently arguing before the Supreme Court that the entire law should be terminated. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Mayo expert: Florida will suffer ‘unnecessary deaths’ as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted

An infectious disease specialist is warning that as Florida pulls back on business and capacity restrictions, more people are likely to die of the coronavirus. Dr. Pritish K. Tosh, M.D., is an infectious disease physician and researcher at Mayo Clinic. He typically tries not to comment on policy decisions, but he said reducing social distancing and mask use will inevitably lead to rising cases. [Source: Health News Florida]

Welcoming new life in a pandemic: Florida midwives see surge of inquiries

Just because the world has seemingly stopped for a little while doesn’t mean that life (or its creation) has too. Women are still getting pregnant, still giving birth and still need all the support they can get. The novelty and unknowns about COVID-19 have led to reconsideration about the need to give birth in a hospital setting. That’s why for many expectant mothers, the opportunity for midwifery care can look like a bright light in a dark time of uncertainty and fear. [Source: WUFT ]

Board of medicine refuses to waive doctor license fees

Worried that the proposal would deplete their operating budget, members of the Florida Board of Medicine on Friday overwhelmingly shot down a request for the state to waive physician licensure renewal fees for two years. Waiving the renewal fees would reduce revenues by $33.8 million over two years and by $16 million this year, according to a Board of Medicine analysis. The Florida Medical Association requested the waiver, but the board rejected it, with only two board members - Fort Lauderdale physician Kevin Cairns and consumer member Nicholas W. Romanello - dissenting. [Source: News Service of Florida ]

Mental health suffering? This Florida woman wants you to know you’re not alone

As early as April, mental health specialists across the country were warning about how the coronavirus and lockdown would cause more people to struggle with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. A Gallup poll released that month showed 60 percent of American adults reported feeling stress, up from 46 percent the previous summer. The polling company called the findings “unprecedented.” [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Hospital group acquires 12-location medical practice [Business Observer]
AdventHealth, a nonprofit community health and hospital system, has signed an agreement to acquire Tampa-based Exodus Women’s Center and its affiliated entities. The agreement includes the purchase, or lease, of all 12 Exodus Women’s Center medical office locations in Hillsborough and Polk Counties, as well as an administrative office, according to a statement. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

› Florida law enforcement officials, OneBlood call on coronavirus survivors to donate convalescent plasma [WMFE]
FBI special agent Rachel Rojas says she still can’t taste or smell months after getting coronavirus twice. But Rojas says giving back to the community and saving lives by donating convalescent plasma has offered her new hope. “But it was painless. It was professional. The staff were tremendous, comforting. It was just a great opportunity. And I’m very fortunate that I had the opportunity to donate.”

› UF researchers get sickle cell therapy grant [WUSF]
Researchers at the University of Florida College of Nursing have been awarded a $2.6 million grant to determine whether relaxation therapy can help reduce pain and manage stress for patients with sickle cell disease, negating the need for opioids. The National Institute of Nursing Research awarded the grant to Miriam O. Ezenwa, an associate professor in the college of nursing.

› Orlando radiologist: Mammograms are safe during a pandemic [WMFE]
The coronavirus pandemic has affected the number of Floridians who are getting screened for and diagnosed with breast cancer and other diseases. However, women and men who catch breast cancer early have a five-year survival rate of 90 percent, according to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

Tags: Health Care eNews

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