Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonMay 31, 2018

Political committees tied to incoming Senate President Bill Galvano and Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson have pulled in more than $100,000 combined so far in May. Galvano’s committee, Innovate Florida, has received four checks for a combined total of $55,000 raised so far this month. Topping the donor list is Opa Locka-based Dosal Tobacco Corporation, […]

Drew WilsonMay 24, 2018

The two-person shop run by Richard Heffley and Kelly Horton had a lucrative start to the year according to newly filed lobbying compensation reports. Heffley & Associates brought in at least $350,000 in total compensation for legislative and executive branch lobbying last quarter and could have earned as much as $590,000 if their clients topped […]

Drew WilsonMay 22, 2018

The Florida Medical Association on Tuesday endorsed Stuart Republican Rep. Gayle Harrell in the race to succeed Senate President Joe Negron in Senate District 25. “Gayle Harrell has been a wonderful friend of medicine during her public service in the Florida House. We are thrilled to support her in her quest to serve in the […]

Drew WilsonMarch 7, 2018

A last-minute attempt to strip out a narrow requirement for the continuing education course required by the bill combatting the opioid epidemic failed in the Senate Wednesday. Both HB 21 and the Senate opioid bill, SB 8, would require all physicians who prescribe controlled substances to take a two-hour continuing education course every two years […]

Drew WilsonMarch 7, 2018

The Senate appears to be lining up behind the sole-source continuing education requirements in the opioid bill passed by the House last week, according to a newly-filed amendment. HB 21 contains a number of provisions aimed at putting a dent in the opioid epidemic, including limits on prescriptions and new reporting requirements to prevent doctor […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 16, 2018

Since the dawn of the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s, public health experts have advocated for syringe exchange programs as one the most powerful tools to reduce the spread of viral infections — including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C — by removing contaminated syringes from circulation. They have documented time and again that […]

Peter SchorschDecember 14, 2017

The Florida Medical Association is teaming up with a Sunrise-based tech company to help patients better understand the cost of medical care by swiping a card after an appointment. The deal, announced Thursday, gives FMA doctors access to “ezVerify,” a software platform from Automated HealthCare Solutions that promises to identify patient-specific health insurance information in […]

Staff ReportsJune 22, 2017

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The Florida Medical Association is throwing its support behind Jose Felix Diaz in the special election to replace Sen. Frank Artiles in Senate District 40. The FMA PAC announced Thursday it was endorsing Diaz in the upcoming special election. In a statement, Dr. Mike Patete, the political committee’s president, said the association has worked closely […]

Guest AuthorJune 6, 2017

The United States is in the midst of a public health crisis. Opioid addiction is taking mothers, fathers and children; destroying lives, breaking up families. The problem is particularly insidious in Florida, which has become a destination for rehabilitative services and sober home living. In the first part of 2016, approximately 2,600 people died from opioid overdoses in […]

Phil AmmannMarch 23, 2017

Florida’s “Eyeball Wars” between ophthalmologists and optometrists could soon be spilling onto the House floor. On Monday, Speaker Richard Corcoran removed HB 1037 — a controversial bill to allow optometrists to perform surgery, among other things — off the agenda of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee. A representative for Corcoran told POLITICO Florida that […]

Tag: Florida Medical Association

Bill Galvano, Wilton Simpson raise more than $100K in May

Heffley & Associates nets $390K in Legislative Session earnings

Gayle Harrell gets clean bill of health from FMA

Senate rejects changes to course requirement in opioid bill

Senate keeps national accreditation requirement from House opioid bill

Kasha Bornstein, Austin Coye: Expand syringe exchange; all Florida deserves Miami miracle

FMA using new software to boost healthcare cost transparency for patients

FMA PAC endorses Jose Felix Diaz in SD 40 special election

Timothy Stapleton: Fighting the opioid epidemic in the exam room

Speaker moves Eyeball Wars closer to House floor; docs say optometrist testimony ‘patently false’

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.