Adam V. Russo | June 28, 2010

Florida. The state legislature is ready to cut Medicaid funding for nursing homes and is considering cuts to numerous other health programs to balance the budget. The proposed 7% cut to Medicaid payments rates for nursing homes totals approximately $200 million. Nursing homes likely would be able to offset at least part of the $200 million in cuts during the 2010-11 fiscal year, which starts July 1. Among other things, nursing homes expect to receive additional money because of an increase in a nursing-home tax that draws down more federal matching money. For more information, visit http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/access/medicaid.shtml.

Category: Florida, Health Care Legislation, Medicaid | No Comments »
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Adam V. Russo | June 28, 2010

Twenty states so far have rejected federal funds to administer a high-risk insurance pool, as designed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The high-risk pool would extend coverage to state residents unable to purchase insurance because of preexisting medical conditions. In these states, the federal government will be responsible for creating and running a high-risk pool on behalf of the state, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The 20 states are: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Two states, Oregon and Utah, have not indicated whether they will be running their own high-risk pool or if they will let the HHS run it for them. The remaining 28 states have decided they will run their own temporary high-risk pool. For more information, visit http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/initiative/hi_risk_pool_facts.html. (more…)

Category: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Health Care Legislation, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming | No Comments »
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Adam V. Russo | June 28, 2010

NASP, www.subrogation.org

Florida attorneys and recovery specialists should be aware that the Florida Bar Association Board of Governors is looking to adopt a rule change to the fee limits that are placed on contingency fees that will allow attorneys who fight against subrogation liens to charge a fee separate from or in excess of the contingency fee caps found in the Rules of Professional Conduct. (more…)

Category: Attorneys' Fees, Florida, Subrogation | No Comments »
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Adam V. Russo | February 23, 2010

Florida. To avoid a legislative mandate on the issue, major health insurers in the state have agreed to pay for care for members diagnosed with cancer who participate in clinical trials. The “Clinical Trials Compact” ensures that cancer patients will receive continued benefits while being treated with experimental drugs and other therapies. Participating insurers are: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Humana, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Vista Healthplans, and AvMed Health Plans. In recent months, there had been a move toward legislation to eventually cover all phases of cancer clinical trials, but the health insurers wanted to avoid a legislative mandate. Florida is the fifth state to use a compact for cancer trials, after Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, and New Jersey. For more information, visit http://acscan.org/action/fl/updates/693/.

Category: Florida, Health Care Legislation | No Comments »
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Adam V. Russo | February 4, 2009

Forty-seven states ban in-network providers from billing insured patients more than their required copayment or deductible and federal law prohibits providers from billing Medicare beneficiaries for unpaid balances. Some states also ban additional charges for insured patients who seek care from out-of-network providers and emergency departments. While national statistics on the practice are unavailable, economists and patient advocates estimate that consumers pay at least $1 billion annually for medical bills that they are not legally responsible to pay. (more…)

Category: California, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont | No Comments »
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Adam V. Russo | October 16, 2008

The legislature has passed a health package that would allow insurers to offer “no-frills” coverage to the state’s 3.8 million uninsured residents. Under the plan, residents ages 19 to 64 could purchase limited health coverage for as little as $150 per month. Insurers offering such coverage would be exempt from mandates. Policies can cover preventive care and office visits but not care from specialists or long-term hospitalizations. The package also would allocate $1.5 million to establish an entity to help businesses with fewer than 50 employees negotiate health insurance rates, as well as handle premiums and claims. (more…)

Category: Florida, News | No Comments »
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