Florida made it easier to keep your therapist from another state

| 6/13/2023

Florida made it easier to keep your therapist from another state

Floridians who leave the state will now be able to keep their mental health therapists under a new law. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill May 25 that authorizes Florida to join an interstate compact allowing psychologists to keep treating patients when they leave the state. And it allows people who come to Florida for college or other reasons to stay with psychologists they’re comfortable with from home. Proponents say the compact allows for more continuity of care and helps lessen the burden on a strained mental health care industry. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida families face confusion after judge's ruling on gender-affirming care law

Florida families are trying to figure out what a federal judge's ruling on gender-affirming treatments for minors means for them. In scathing terms, Judge Robert Hinkle eviscerated the reasoning behind the new Florida ban on such care and he indicated that going forward, it will likely be found unconstitutional. But when he issued his preliminary injunction last week, Hinkle only listed three adolescents who challenged the law to access care while a lawsuit is underway. That's caused both confusion and hope for other families, and for the medical providers who treat minors. [Source: Health News Florida]

Florida homeless people duped into Affordable Care Act plans they can’t afford

Potentially hundreds of homeless people in Florida have been approached by commission-seeking agents and brokers, who sign them up for zero-premium health plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, according to state insurance regulators, doctors, and enrollment counselors. The presumption is that dishonest agents and brokers are signing up homeless people to earn a sales commission and that they are engaging in fraud by lying about the enrollees’ income and home addresses. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Can treatment ‘disrupt’ Alzheimer’s in the brain? Help these Florida doctors find out

A study is underway in South Florida to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and hospitals are looking for patients to participate. Broward Health Medical Center, Baptist Health South Florida and Delray Medical Center, along with other hospitals in the country, are recruiting for the clinical trial patients ages 50 to 85 who have been diagnosed with likely having Alzheimer’s. Researchers want to test whether they can safely and effectively use focused ultrasounds to temporarily open or “disrupt” the barrier that surrounds the brain in areas where there’s an abnormal build-up of Alzheimer-causing proteins. [Source: Miami Herald]

How do Florida assisted living facilities prep for hurricane season? Here's what to know

Hurricane season is upon us. Are your elderly loved ones ready for the storm season? An estimated 71,000 Florida residents live in an assisted living facility, according to the Florida Healthcare Association, and most of the Hurricane Ian deaths were elderly Floridians with 140 seniors accounting for two-thirds of all storm-related deaths. Here are some things to consider when looking to keep a loved one safe while making sure they receive quality care. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› FSU College of Nursing researchers are joining forces with partners in Vietnam [WFSU]
Researchers from Florida State University’s College of Nursing are partnering with colleagues in Vietnam to help teach about sexual health and HIV testing — especially among gay and bisexual men. The researchers see this as a chance to address both HIV and the need for more cross-continent relationships among health care experts.

› Bitten by relative, Tampa Bay man infected with flesh-eating bacteria [Tampa Bay Times]
The small raised bump, maybe the size of a quarter, on his left thigh was a surprise to Donnie Adams when he first felt pain there. The only explanation the Riverview man could come up with was that it happened when he intervened to stop a fracas at a family gathering two days earlier.

› Animal-veterans interactions at Naples sanctuary help heal traumas for both [WGCU]
Humans and animals may seem worlds apart on most levels, but both can sustain trauma when confronted by war or physical abuse. The Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education & Experience Center in Naples is partnering with a nonprofit supporting veterans and that shares a similar mission — helping to heal the unseen wounds of such traumas.

› Orange County issues mosquito advisory after Eastern Equine Encephalitis discovery [WMFE]
The state Department of Health issued an advisory to Orange County residents urging caution as area mosquitoes are testing positive for a deadly disease. Orange County Mosquito Control found 50% of a sentinel chicken coop tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis disease along the perimeter of the county. The disease is rare but is deadly and can cause serious neurological problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Library of Medicine reports about four to eight cases throughout the U.S. a year.

Tags: Health Care eNews

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