Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryMay 19, 2015

Tampa icon Helen Gordon Davis passed away yesterday after being in poor health for awhile. She was 88. Reading about her life and political history again last night, I realized how much this woman kicked some ass working for positive change in Florida. “She was a phenomenal spokesperson for women and human rights,” former USF President and […]

Mitch PerryMay 18, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott‘s call for Florida hospitals to share their profits if the federal government refuses to authorize $2.2 billion in health-care spending has been greeted as a form of socialism by critics, including some from his own party. “That’s government price controls,” Niceville-based GOP state Sen. Don Gaetz said in a recent radio interview. “That really brought […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 18, 2015

The Florida Hospital Association has a message for Florida Gov. Rick Scott: don’t increase our taxes. In a May 18 two-page draft letter, the association has written the governor a letter making clear that the hospitals don’t believe a way to plug the loss of the federal Low Income Pool program is through a tax […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 15, 2015

Nine days after announcing the dates, the Florida Legislature issued the proclamation for the special session. The call is wide open, including Medicaid expansion, elimination of certificate of need law, direct primary care, state group health insurance changes,the budget and conforming bills from the 2015 regular legislative session and tax relief. As previously announced, the […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 16, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott‘s announcement that he will sue the federal government for withholding Low Income Pool dollars caused a firestorm on Thursday, rounding out what has been topsy turvy health care week in Tallahassee. The announcement drew praise from conservatives such as Koch-brothers backed group Americans for Prosperity which issued a release saying, “the Obama […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 14, 2015

What started out smoothly a few months ago now appears to be falling apart as leading Republicans in the House and Senate began finger-pointing over a health care dispute that appears likely to derail the 2015 session. The latest evidence that the May 1 session will not end on time came after the Department of […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 13, 2015

Nurses will be authorized to order in a hospital setting under a bill approved at the last Senate Finance and Tax Committee of the regular 2015 session. The bill — CS/CS/SB 532 — allows an advanced registered nurse practitioner to order any medication — including a controlled substance — for administration to a patient in […]

Mitch PerryApril 8, 2015

A bill that would make it much easier for doctors to test patients for the HIV virus made its way through a Florida Senate Committee on Wednesday. The measure (SB 512) is sponsored by Orlando Democrat Geraldine Thompson. She said it would eliminate paperwork that “burdens doctors” when they test in a health screening, such […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 1, 2015

Doctors and insurers battled over balance billing in the Florida Legislature on Tuesday. While the House Appropriations Committee advanced a bill, CS/HB 681 by Rep. Carlos Trujillo that would prevent insured patients from being balanced bill by providers for emergency care and place into statutes reimbursement options the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee took a pass […]

Christine Jordan SextonMarch 18, 2015

It was the insurance industry versus the provider community when a House subcommittee took up a bill that prohibits balance billing for emergency services on Wednesday, with the insurance and HMO industry emerging the victor. Over the objections of the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Hospital Association, the Florida Radiological Association, and the Florida Chapter […]

Tag: Florida Hospital Association

Mitch Perry Report 5.19.15 – RIP, Helen Gordon Davis

Rick Scott defends call for Florida hospitals to share wealth

Hospitals tell Rick Scott in a draft letter: don’t tax us

Special session called by Senate and House and it’s wide open on health care, budget

Rick Scott’s decision to sue the feds over Medicaid gets mixed reactions

House, Senate, feds stick to guns on Medicaid as session slips away

Nurses can order meds in inpatient settings under bill approved by Senate panel

Bill aimed to make HIV testing easier passes Florida Senate committee

House OKs, Senate delays balance billing ban for emergency care

Round one of emergency care and billing tussle goes to insurers over docs