National HeadlinesUpcoming EventsBoard of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling May 10 - 11, 1 p.m., Orlando Department of Health's Division of Medical Quality Assurance May 11, 9 p.m., Tampa Cancer Control Research and Advisory CouncilMay 12, 10 a.m., Tampa Family Care CouncilMay 13, 12 p.m., Lakeland Board of Dentistry May 14, 5:30 p.m. Patient Safety Corporation May 15, 9 a.m. Board of Osteopathic Medicine May 15, 10 a.m. Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association May 16, 1 p.m., West Palm Beach Enhanced Benefits Panel under Medicaid ReformMay 16, 1 p.m., Tallahassee Board of Nursing Home Administrators May 17, 10 a.m., Tallahassee Correctional Medical Authority May 17, 1 p.m., Tallahassee Children's Medical Services Network Advisory Council May 18, 1 p.m., Tallahassee Board of Medicine Credentials Committee May 19, 8 a.m., Orlando Sate Consumer Health Information and Policy Advisory Council Data Transparency Steering Committee May 21, 10 a.m., Tallahassee Hemophilia Medical Advisory Panel May 22, 3 p.m., Tallahassee Drug Wholesaler Advisory Council May 22, 9:30 a.m. SHINE Professional Spring Training May 24, 8:30 a.m., Orlando Health Information Exchange Coordinating Committee May 27, 10 a.m., Tallahassee 2008 Governor's Conference on Women's Health May 27-28, Lake Buena Vista Florida Substance Abuse & Mental Health Corp. Board of Directors Meeting Implementing Innovative Projects in Nursing HomesJune 17, 10 a.m., Tallahassee |
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StudiesNow, where did that story go? Try this
We're looking for stories about the uninsured and under-insuredOne in four Floridians under age 65 lacks health insurance. Countless others are "under-insured," which means their coverage won't meet their needs if they get seriously ill or hurt. You'd think they'd be easy to find, given their numbers, but they don't stand out until they get sick. Reporters need to find them (see Steve Nohlgren's account below). If you know any, please have them call Carol Gentry, Editor, at 727-410-3266 or write Carol.Gentry@FloridaHealthNews.org.
The greatest challenge of health reporting: finding faces for the storyThe hardest thing about covering the health system isn’t necessarily the ordeal of figuring out how it works.
Check out whether nursing homes have been in troubleFloridians have a new source for checking the quality of nursing homes. The Medicare Nursing Home Compare Web site now offers a note under the name of any facility with a history of poor performance. Site visitors can search the Special Focus Facility list by name, state, county, city or zip code.
Medicare, which already pays plans more in Miami-Dade, to give 13% boostThose who say taxpayers overspend on private Medicare health plans may want to scrutinize the 13 percent hike in the 2009 benchmark rate for Miami-Dade, which will rise to $1,238 per member per month. Miami-Dade already has one of the highest pay rates in the nation. Don't miss this account by Florida Health News' Washington correspondent, Susan Jaffe, and a chart that shows the rates for all the counties in Florida. -- Carol Gentry, editor
Frontline: Other countries cover everyone, spend less
Discussions of how to provide universal access to health care in this country always begin with the assumption that it will cost billions of additional dollars and founder on the question of how to pay for it. A documentary on public television's Frontline, which aired April 15 but is available online, shows that's the wrong question. It explains how other democracies provide coverage for everyone, while spending considerably less than the U.S. Their citizens live longer,healthier lives and no one ever declares bankruptcy from medical bills. In fact, there areno bills. This show is too good to miss.-- Carol Gentry, editor
The more you spend, the less you get, and Florida spends a lotThe Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care 2008 says too much medical treatment not only wastes money, but can lead to worse results. In some parts of Florida, it says, there appears to be substantial overtreatment caused by excessive numbers of doctors and hospital beds. The Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota areas were listed as highest in the nation for spending on outpatient care. Read more...
Sarasota reporter's data-crunch on hospitals can be used by othersAs we reported in late March, a nationwide patient-satisfaction survey showed Florida hospitals' scores averaged 5 to 8 percentage points lower than the national average in all 10 categories.
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Here's a question that comes up a lot: How do you find a story that we ran several days or weeks ago? If it's a Florida Health News story, click on the "Our Stories" tab. If not, go to the Search box just above this column and try likely search terms until you find it. If the publication still has that story posted, no problem. If it's been archived, you won't be able to read it. Alas, there's nothing we can do about that; we don't own the copyright. -- Carol Gentry, editor
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