Florida's health care cost markup among nation's highest

A newly released report by Johns Hopkins University, Hospital Prices in the United States: An Analysis of U.S. Cities and States, shows that seven out of ten of the states with the highest health care markup ratios are in the south - including Florida. Health News Florida's Daylina Miller spoke with Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon, New York Times bestselling author, and Health Policy Advisor to the Obama and Trump administrations about the report, which featured information published in his book, "The Price We Pay." [Source: WJCT]

Florida is one of the least-vaccinated states

The Sunshine State outperformed only Texas and Mississippi, which ranked 50th and 51st, respectively, in a list that includes the District of Columbia. Florida ranked low in a number of ways. The state is 50th for its influenza vaccination rate in children, 49th for the number of adults who have been vaccinated for tetanus, and 46th for overall flu vaccination coverage among adults. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Five Florida hospitals face maximum Medicare readmission rate penalty

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will penalize 2,583 hospitals for having too many Medicare patients readmitted within 30 days, according to federal data analyzed by Kaiser Health News. Five Florida hospitals will get the maximum penalty of a 3% cut to reimbursement rates. The minimum is 0.01%. [Source: Health News Florida]

Florida medical board backs ‘Brazilian butt lift’ rules

A medical board on Friday took steps to carry out a new law related to so-called “Brazilian butt lift” procedures, but one top regulator said a growing danger still needs to be addressed: liposuction. Board of Medicine Chairman Steven Rosenberg said Florida consumers must have a better understanding of dangers associated with liposuction, and physicians need to “really think twice about providing those services.” [Source: CBS Miami]

Tampa, Orlando areas part of Walmart test to find best doctors

Worried its employees aren’t getting good enough care from doctors in their insurance networks, Walmart next year will test pointing workers in northwestern Arkansas, central Florida and the Dallas-Fort Worth area toward physicians it has found provide better service. If the employees use these “featured providers,” they will pay less out of pocket, Walmart officials said. More from Kaiser Health News and the Tampa Bay Times.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Acupuncture tax fight headed to high court [WUSF]
A legal battle about a property-tax exemption for a Gainesville acupuncture school is headed to the Florida Supreme Court. Academy for Five Element Acupuncture, Inc. filed a notice this week that is a first step in asking the Supreme Court to take up the dispute with Alachua County Property Appraiser Ed Crapo, according to the 1st District Court of Appeal website.

› Flu season underway, Florida doctors prepping after record 2018 season [WFLA]
October is here and flu season is officially underway. Flu activity peaks between December and February, and can last as late as May. But last year’s flu season was record-setting across the country, with a length of 21 weeks between November and April.

› Naples family makes big donation for FSW nursing students [WINK News]
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are coming to nursing students in Southwest Florida. They will graduate free of student loans. It is part of a donation from a Naples family. There are grateful handshakes between the future nurses of Collier County and Karl and Alice Sheffield. “Our students will be able to graduate debt-free,” said Dr. Deborah Selman, director of nursing for Florida SouthWestern State College.

› Lawmakers call for investigations into Wesley Chapel psychiatric hospital [Tampa Bay Times]
State and federal lawmakers are asking for reviews of North Tampa Behavioral Health after the Tampa Bay Times found that it exploits patients held under the state’s mental health law. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, sent a letter Thursday asking federal regulators to investigate the Wesley Chapel psychiatric hospital for possible misuse of taxpayer dollars.