Florida doctors are offering patients a new way to pay. But there’s a catch
In recent years, medical credit cards have made their way into the Florida offices of dentists, ophthalmologists and other doctors as one way people can finance their care. These are not the typical credit cards you use to buy groceries or your next plane ticket — they’re specifically meant for medical care at participating providers. But consumer advocate Patricia Kelmar is sounding the alarm over how the cards actually work. “They’re called credit cards, but they are actually an installment loan” with a bank, not the healthcare provider, said Kelmar, senior director of healthcare campaigns at PIRG, a nonprofit that advocates for consumer protections and public health. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Will the end of TPS for Haitians lead to a caregiving crisis?
Experts said the TPS healthcare workforce exodus will be felt most acutely in New York, Massachusetts and Florida. Florida, with its high populations of older people and immigrants, will be particularly hard hit. About 158,000 Haitians in Florida have TPS, the majority of whom are in South Florida. The Sunshine State has the largest population of TPS recipients in the U.S., nearly 404,000 people. [Source: Health News Florida]
Is AI ready to take over your prescriptions? Doctors are wary of automated refill program
A prescription refill program that quietly launched in Utah earlier this year has kicked off a big medical debate: Is artificial intelligence ready to take over tasks that, until now, could only be performed by doctors? The program allows Utah residents to skip the doctor’s office and get their prescriptions refilled online by an AI chatbot called Doctronic. It’s a seemingly simple step toward making healthcare more convenient for patients and prescribers. But it’s also a precedent-shattering milestone that has set off alarm bells for doctors, lawyers and public health experts. [Source: Click Orlando]
Are your hearing aids and fitness tracker spying on you? Florida senator raises alarm
Are your hearing aids helping China spy on you? How about your heart monitor? As more Florida seniors use wearables like continuous glucose monitors, remote blood pressure monitors, smartwatches and fitness trackers, concern grows about who has access to the data these devices collect. Sen. Rick Scott, chair of the Senate Aging Committee, wants the Federal Communications Commission to investigate whether China-made wearable health devices pose security risks to Americans — even when they don’t realize it. [Source: Miami Herald]
Parasite flares up in Florida. Here’s what to watch for
A microscopic parasite making waves across the country has now been identified in Florida, according to the CDC. That parasite — Cyclospora cayetanensis — is responsible for an intestinal illness called “cyclosporiasis,” which can cause watery diarrhea with potentially explosive bowel movements. Health officials explained that Cyclospora spreads when people eat or drink water that was contaminated with feces. However, the CDC noted that in the U.S., cyclosporiasis outbreaks have been linked to various types of fresh produce. [Source: Click Orlando]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› BayCare announces plans to begin medical drone delivery service in Tampa Bay area
A prescription for antibiotics or a test tube of blood bound for a laboratory could soon arrive by air instead of land in the Tampa Bay area. BayCare announced plans Wednesday to start the Tampa Bay area's first healthcare drone service for delivery of medications, lab samples and critical supplies. The nonprofit health system said it was partnering with Zipline to launch the on-demand system, beginning in late 2027 in Pinellas County before expanding into Hillsborough.
› St. Cloud Hospital launches new cardiac cath lab
Each year, approximately 350,000 people die from cardiac arrest in Florida, and it remains the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital has taken a step to try to prevent those deaths here in our area. The hospital has announced it's launched a STEMI (ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction) program with a cardiac care team available 24/7 to treat the most serious types of heart attacks in the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab.
› UF Health Shands Hospital, nurses union reach labor agreement
UF Health Shands Hospital and its nurses union, the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 713/Florida Nurses Association, have ratified a new three-year contract that will provide registered nurses with more than $18 million in wage increases and compensation enhancements.
› Like retailers before them, Northeast Florida health providers are chasing growth corridors
The trend of healthcare providers chasing population growth by investing in outpatient facilities, urgent care and freestanding emergency departments isn’t a new one. The strategy at play, according to one Florida expert, is an adoption of something that looks like retail expansion rather than traditional hospital development: follow the rooftops, identify service gaps and establish smaller locations before committing to major investments.