Florida's involvement in $6.5 billion health fraud cases is staggering
When it comes to trying to rip off the government, the latest U.S. Department of Justice crackdown accuses Floridians and their conspirators for going bigger than most. Officials are calling the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown announced Tuesday, June 23, which snared 455 defendants in 45 U.S. states and territories, the biggest in U.S. history. No state shows up on the list quite like Florida. [Source: Florida Times-Union]
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» A closer look at the most outrageous Florida health care fraud cases
Florida hospitals act fast to discharge gun victims — especially if they’re not insured
How insurance affects the care of gunshot wound victims has remained shrouded in mystery — until now, due to a new analysis by The Trace and KFF Health News of data that Florida hospitals compile to collect payments from insurance companies and file with the state. When uninsured patients arrive at hospitals in Florida with gunshot wounds, on average, they spend significantly fewer days in the hospital — in some cases half the time — than those with health insurance, according to the data analysis. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Change to Florida Medicaid leads to complaints. How it could affect kids’ checkups
Pediatric Associates, Florida’s largest pediatric provider, is sounding the alarm about a change by the state that could make it difficult for doctors to treat children who are insured through Medicaid in the future. And it’s suing to stop that from happening. The group, which has over 95 locations across the state, claims in a lawsuit that the problem stems from a 2025 change the state made to the funding formula that establishes how much providers will be reimbursed for Medicaid services. More from WLRN and the Tampa Bay Times.
New Florida law requires sickle cell training for drug prescribers
A new law going into effect requires anyone prescribing any drug in Florida to get certified training on sickle cell treatment. "It's accountability," Andrea Hall, the Executive Director of Shak's Hope Foundation, said. "It's what's important." Hall's daughter Shakira, 30, died from the disease 10 years ago. Since then, Hall has led a foundation offering support to people battling sickle cell. [Source: CBS News]
DeSantis vetoes include holistic therapy oversight
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday vetoed a bill that sought to regulate the blending of conventional medical science with holistic therapies. The measure intended to create the Board of Naturopathic Medicine to assist the Department of Health with regulating naturopathic doctors (SB 688). In his veto letter to Secretary of State Cord Byrd, DeSantis noted that “Florida leads the nation in advancing medical freedom and access to care.” [Source: Health News Florida]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› How one expert hopes to expand the health span of Southwest Floridians
Sometimes conversations about our health begin after an annual checkup. Other times, they start after an unexpected moment, like waking up with sore joints after spending the evening cheering on your favorite sport team. Those conversations often lead to questions about health span. Unlike lifespan, which measures how long a person lives, health span focuses on the years they remain healthy and are able to maintain a good quality of life. Shawn Felton, dean of the Marieb College of Health and Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University, is working to expand health span in Southwest Florida.
› Housing became a healthcare problem. Fort Lauderdale's Upside just raised $20M to tackle it.
Jake Rothstein had no intention of rethinking healthcare when he helped his grandmother move out of the family home after his grandfather entered senior living. At that point, he was focused on trying to solve a housing problem. Yet that experience eventually became the foundation for Fort Lauderdale-based Upside, a startup built on the idea that where someone lives can have just as much impact on their health as the care they receive. Now, investors are betting that idea is ready to scale.
› Orlando Health plans full hospital expansion in Kissimmee
A current Orlando Health freestanding emergency room near the former Tupperware headquarters will be expanded into a full hospital. The nonprofit health system has filed plans with the South Florida Water Management District to expand its Orlando Health Emergency Room and Medical Pavilion – Osceola into a 146-bed hospital, developed in multiple phases
› Sarasota nurse's alleged 'lavish lifestyle' detailed by feds
The federal indictment against a Sarasota nurse practitioner goes beyond allegations of a $118 million Medicare fraud scheme, detailing what prosecutors describe as "lavish lifestyles" funded by the proceeds. Leigh Tesar, 44, of Sarasota, along with Walter Presha Jr., 51, of Ellenton, and Koby Evans, 31, of Apollo Beach, were accused of participating in a wound care fraud scheme that allegedly billed Medicare more than $118 million.