DeSantis describes the crisis

Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL)

Gov. Ron DeSantis was wise to ask for federal aid under emergency disaster programs. Florida is going to need all the help it can get.

The letter of more than four pages includes some interesting descriptions of the hardships that Florida faces. Some of those hardships will be worse due to poor decisions of past leaders in state government.

The letter, dated March 22, states that Florida has "allocated all available resources" in responding to the COVID-19 illnesses.

It's a public health disaster for the state and an economic disaster for businesses and governmental units.

"COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, a drastic effect on community infrastructure," DeSantis wrote. "Hospitals, medical facilities and first responders are facing challenges rarely experienced.

"The process of triaging and isolating potentially affected individuals is significantly disrupting lifesaving and life-sustaining services. Additionally, the insufficient medical resources and capacities of medical personnel will only continue to rapidly deplete as the impacts of COVID-19 continue to spread."

Florida businesses have already reported many closures and severe reductions in sales and income.

A recent survey of 6,617 businesses shows that about half of them have already laid off a total of 40,438 employees due to the impact of the epidemic, DeSantis wrote.

The state's jobless services have been overwhelmed. Calls to the Department of Economic Opportunity increased from 28,000 for an entire week to 130,000 calls for just Monday through Thursday of the following week.

Florida is proud of its senior citizen population, which represents about 20 percent of the state's population. That age group is most at risk from the illnesses caused by the coronavirus. In fact, nursing homes and assisted living centers have been hot spots for COVID-19 illnesses.

"It is extremely likely that COVID-19 will continue to spread and impact the elderly population statewide," DeSantis wrote.

At least the senior citizens have access to Medicare. As for Florida's uninsured adults, the state's leaders have cruelly refused to take federal money to expand Medicaid.

Florida's uninsured rate is about 13 percent compared to 9 percent for the nation.

About 16 percent of Florida's under-65 population do not have health insurance, DeSantis stated in the letter.

Florida has long had the largest number of citizens signing up for the Affordable Care Act, but Obamacare has holes, too. Unless people qualify for a subsidy, the costs often are too high to be affordable.

Florida's leaky safety net extends to sick days. About 30 percent of private sector workers don't have sick days, but in Florida the rate is 47 percent, reports the Center for American Progress in the Tampa Bay Times.

Meanwhile, some states have reopened their marketplaces for the Affordable Care Act. Normally, signups must take place late in the year. But states that run their own marketplaces like Maryland and New York, have that option.

The federal government, which runs the Florida marketplace, ought to follow suit.

As a health industry marketing officer said, in a pandemic the response will be only as effective as the most vulnerable people, the weakest link in the chain. The weaknesses in Florida are often due to terrible policy decisions.

The fact that health insurance coverage is not universal and cost is often unaffordable is a national disgrace.

Some of the increases in health care costs represents the increasing number of senior citizens and more treatment options for Americans. But too many of the high prices are due to broken market factors: rent-seeking, monopoly power and too much unnecessary care.

Surprise billing, ridiculous increases in drug prices and wildly uneven charges continue to plague Floridians.

Now all of the flaws in the system are coming home to roost thanks to the coronavirus epidemic.

Let's hope this crisis leads to real reforms.

It's simple: Health literally supports the health and well-being of American lives.

We are now learning that a statement made in a paper by The Hamilton Project was prophetic: "The health care sector is in many ways the most consequential part of the United States economy."

___

Visit The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) at www.jacksonville.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.