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Associated PressFebruary 18, 2016

The heads of 10 Florida state agencies will keep their jobs. The Florida Senate voted Thursday to confirm top officials appointed by Gov. Rick Scott. They also confirmed Rick Swearingen who was appointed the head of Florida’s law-enforcement agency by Scott and members of the Florida Cabinet. The vote was important because state law would […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 18, 2016

Dozens of state officials whose appointments need Senate approval will be considered Thursday by the Florida Senate, records show. Among Gov. Rick Scott‘s top officials on the docket are Corrections Secretary Julie Jones, Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Mike Carroll, and Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Rick Swearingen. Swearingen replaced former Commissioner Gerry Bailey, forced […]

Jim RosicaOctober 5, 2015

The former top staffer to Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) Secretary Liz Dudek has joined a law and lobbying firm as a “corporate affairs advisor.” Jennifer Ungru is now with Jones Walker LLP’s Tallahassee office, according to an announcement on the firm’s website. Before her stint as AHCA chief of staff, Ungru was deputy chief of staff to Gov. […]

Jim RosicaAugust 24, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott gave Attorney General Pam Bondi a heads up on Monday that some of the 129 hospitals being audited for Medicaid fraud or waste could be referred to her office for criminal prosecution. Scott is on the warpath against hospitals that participate in the statewide Medicaid Managed Care program, concerned that some are over-billing […]

Mitch PerryJuly 29, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday he has asked the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to immediately begin investigating the 16 Planned Parenthood offices in Florida that perform abortion procedures to ensure they are in full compliance with the law. His statement is in reaction to undercover videos that show Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 16, 2015

While hospitals financials have been under the microscope during the Regular and Special Legislative Sessions, another player in Florida’s Medicaid delivery system — managed care plans — have escaped much of the scrutiny. But a report of the health plans shows that the plans lost a cumulative $542.9 million in 2014 in their Medicaid line […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 16, 2015

More than $300 million in additional revenue was plowed into the budget late Monday night but, apparently, leaders did not agree to spending any more money on Medicaid. That’s a disappointment to the managed care plans participating in Florida’s mandatory Medicaid managed care program. They were hoping for an increase of $57 million in “grants […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 15, 2015

Health plans that have been participating in the mandatory Medicaid managed-care program unfurled in Florida a little more than one year ago will be getting some pay increases in the coming months. A draft copy of the new rates shows that for the non-elderly population plans will, on average, have a 6.4 percent increase in rates […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 15, 2015

The “Spotlight Transparency Tour” starts in Tampa on Wednesday with at least two local hospital executives and Marty Makary, medical doctor and author of Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won’t Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Health Care, slated to address Gov. Rick Scott‘s blue ribbon commission on the subject. Makary, associate professor of health policy […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 6, 2015

After making quick progress early on Saturday, legislative health care budget writers announced at 4 p.m. they won’t meet again until Sunday. House and Senate legislative leaders have agreed to pour $400 million in recurring general revenue into hospitals in an attempt to absorb the loss of $1 billion in supplemental Medicaid funding known as […]

Tag: Liz Dudek

Florida Senate confirms 10 agency heads appointed by Rick Scott

It’s confirmations day in Florida Senate

Top AHCA staffer headed to private sector

Gov. Rick Scott: Hospitals may be referred for fraud investigations

Rick Scott calls for investigation of Planned Parenthood offices in Florida

Florida Medicaid HMOs having trouble meeting state financial solvency requirements

Lots added to budget but not more money for Medicaid HMOs

Medicaid managed care plans getting rate increases

Physician-writer to help debut health care panel’s traveling “transparency tour”

Rick Scott’s office on health care funding: “We are continuing to watch the process”