Which states have the best and worst healthcare systems? See how Florida ranks

| 10/31/2023

Which states have the best and worst healthcare systems? See how Florida ranks

How good is Florida’s healthcare system compared to other states? While Florida isn’t the best, it’s not the worst state to get care, with the Sunshine State ranking 22 out of 50, according to a Forbes Advisor analysis of states with the worst and best healthcare. The lower a state’s overall ranking, the worst it performed in 24 metrics spanning four categories: healthcare access, healthcare outcomes, healthcare cost and quality of hospital care. [Source: Miami Herald]

Genetic test offers hope for undiagnosed kids, but few insurers offer to pay. Florida Medicaid will

Few hospitalized babies with an undiagnosed illness undergo whole-genome sequencing — a diagnostic tool that allows scientists to quickly identify genetic disorders and guide clinicians’ treatment decisions by analyzing a patient’s complete DNA makeup. That’s largely because many private and public health insurers won’t cover the $4,000-to-$8,000 expense. But an alliance of genetic testing companies, drugmakers, children’s hospitals and doctors have lobbied states to increase coverage under Medicaid — and their efforts have begun to pay off. [Source: WLRN]

The FDA's decision on Canada drug imports to Florida faces another delay

Florida likely will have to wait a little longer to find out if it will be able to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had been expected to issue a decision by the end of October about the proposed program, which the state has been pursuing since 2019 and has spawned two lawsuits. But a court document filed this week said a back-and-forth between state and federal officials about details of the proposal will prevent a decision this month. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Cancer is rising in Central Florida’s young adults, doctors warn

Cancer diagnoses before age 50 used to be rare, but they are becoming all too common, and Orlando doctors are sounding the alarm. According to the Florida Cancer Connect Collaborative’s annual report, rates of new cancer diagnoses in people ages 20-39 rose to 91.9 per 100,000 in 2020, the latest figures available. In 2010, it was 79.4 per 100,000. County-specific trends in cancer diagnoses by age were not available on the Florida Department of Health’s cancer incidence database. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Ransomware attack shuts down imaging center with dozens of Florida locations

Akumin, a large South Florida-based outpatient diagnostic imaging services company, has been hit with a ransomware attack that has compromised the health information of hundreds of thousands of patients. Along with imaging, the company headquartered in Plantation performs medical scans as well as radiology and oncology services for about 1,000 hospitals, health systems and physicians groups in 48 states, according to its website. In Florida it has offices in the South, West, Central and North areas of the state. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Health News Florida.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› UF leprosy symposium addresses increase in Florida cases [WUFT]
Nationally, 263 cases of leprosy were reported in 2022. Florida was among the top five states accounting for most cases. Around 95% of people have natural immunity to M. Leprae, the bacteria that causes the infection, and are not at risk of infection. But the increase in cases has caused some concern among experts. This has led to educational events like the one held at the University of Florida on Friday. The Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy) Symposium seeks to spread information and educate people about the disease.

› ‘Making too much money’: Inside Miami-Dade’s plastic surgery post-op underground [Miami Herald]
Miami — ground zero in the United States for the Brazilian butt lift, the mommy makeover, breast enlargement and other plastic surgery specialties — has achieved another distinction: It is home to a cottage industry of illegally operating recovery centers for post-op patients who need to hunker down and heal, sometimes for days. Embedded in suburbia, the homes are engaged in a game of whack-a-mole with authorities.

› Building on $1 billion in recent investment, Jacksonville's Mayo Clinic still expanding [Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville's Mayo Clinic is expanding its Southside campus, having added 210 acres on its northwest side to be developed for potential medical and related residential and hotel uses. Mayo spokesman Kevin Punsky said he did not yet have a dollar-value on the expansion. But it comes on top of the at least $1 billion in projects the hospital has undertaken over the last few years at its San Pablo Road campus.

› Tampa philanthropist Kiran Patel tapped to expand Boston health insurance firm [Tampa Bay Times]
Tampa businessperson and philanthropist Kiran Patel is getting back into the health insurance business through a new venture with eternalHealth, a Boston-based company. Patel is an investor and major shareholder of the company, which operates Medicare Advantage health plans in six Massachusetts counties, according to an announcement this week.

Tags: Health Care eNews

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