Patients, doctors and pharmacists share tips for lowering costs as prescription drug prices soar
With Florida ranking fourth in the nation for prescription medication spending, residents are scrambling to find innovative ways to reduce their costs. Last year, prices increases for more than 4,200 drugs with an average hike of about 15%, according to Definitive Healthcare, a healthcare data analytics company. Floridians living with cancer, prediabetes or diabetes, and heart disease incur some of the highest out-of-pocket costs for medications. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Orlando Sentinel.
State warns of penalties against providers not applying abortion ban exceptions
Florida’s health agencies will take regulatory action against health care providers who don’t give life-saving medical care to mothers without delay as defined in the state’s abortion law, according to alerts sent on Thursday. The warnings to providers from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and Florida Department of Health came two days after a report from Physicians for Human Rights concluded that the state’s six-week abortion ban created an “unworkable legal landscape.” More from the Florida Phoenix and the Click Orlando.
See also:
» Abortions in Florida declined sharply after the six-week ban, but not as much as expected
Opinion: The future of AI in healthcare depends on patient trust
The healthcare industry is on the brink of a technological revolution. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a disruptive force with the power to transform the delivery and experience of care. For Floridians, integrating AI into healthcare will bring about better care and improved health outcomes. This disruption comes at a critical time for Florida’s healthcare sector. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]
New ad campaign encourages older Floridians to watch for STDs
Floridians 55 and older are increasingly testing positive for sexually transmitted diseases and infections. A new ad campaign from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation aims to encourage testing and treatment in Florida and across the U.S. "Sometimes you gotta take an in-your-face kind of approach to wake people up to recognize that something is disproportionately impacting them," said Imara Canady, a foundation spokesperson. [Source: Health News Florida]
Florida faces $40 million in fines for failing to submit Medicaid reports
Florida could be forced to pay $40 million in fines to the federal government over its handling of the state’s Medicaid program. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Director of State Demonstrations Group Jacey Cooper sent a letter Thursday to two top Florida Medicaid officials advising them that the state faces fines and being placed under a corrective action plan unless the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) submits the status reports by the end of the year. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› What consumers can do while clock ticks on Florida Blue and Baptist Health negotiation
The grinding talks between Florida Blue and Baptist Health on a new insurance contract have left thousands of Florida Blue customers who use Baptist hospitals and physicians waiting to learn if they'll still have in-network costs for medical bills after Sept. 30.
› New neuroscience institute launches in St. Pete
Orlando Health, the private non-profit that runs Bayfront Hospital, announced Tuesday the latest addition to the St. Pete Innovation District: The Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute – Bayfront. With a new facility expected to be fully complete in 2025, the already-in-operation Neuroscience Institute will bring together existing local resources such as Bayfront’s Level 4 Epilepsy and Comprehensive Stroke Centers with additional staff, a new neuro ICU facility and new resources.
› Iron Man? No, it's Florida West Hospital Rehab Center's new robotic exoskeleton rehab tool
Fifty years ago, HCA Florida West Hospital Rehabilitation Center staff probably couldn't imagine using a robot to assist people who have suffered spinal cord or brain injuries, stroke survivors and people who use wheelchairs to not only stand, but actually walk.
› Southwest Florida mental health organization continues post-Ian comeback
The people who help other people in Southwest Florida in some of life’s most difficult situations — like mental health and substance abuse treatment — remain, to some extent, an internal crisis two years after Ian. The organization, SalusCare, was founded in 2013 after the merger of Lee Mental Health Center and Southwest Florida Addiction Services.