Florida ranks 28th in health care affordability scorecard

Florida ranks 28th of the states in a new survey examining health care affordability in the U.S. by the national nonprofit Altarum.

“Florida has an average level of healthcare spending per person and an average rate of spending growth,” according to the report. “A high percentage of residents report affordability problems, suggesting a need for policymaker attention.”

The scorecard gave Florida several recommendations, including establishment of strong price transparency requirements and Medicaid expansion to all low-income residents.

Florida is among 14 states that have not expanded Medicaid, leaving people who earn too much to quality for Medicaid and too little to qualify for subsidies on the Affordable Care Act marketplace without affordable health insurance coverage options.

The report showed that “many states are taking steps to increase access to coverage, but far fewer are taking other actions to address affordability of health care for residents.”

In Maryland, the best-performing state in the scorecard, 24% of adults face affordability burdens while in Mississippi, the worst-performing state, about 60% have problems affording health care. In Florida, more than 55% of survey respondents said they affording health care was an issue for them.

“This variation in burden appears to be tied to policies enacted at the state level, particularly those that extend coverage or reduce out-of-pocket costs,” according to a news release.

Florida once again led the nation in the most recent Affordable Care Act open enrollment period with nearly 2 million signups. Texas was second with 1.1 million enrollees, followed by North Carolina, which had 500,000.

Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said in a recent statement that “Far from undermining the Affordable Care Act – as some hysterical and inaccurate claims would have it – the Trump Administration is making the very best of what remains a failed experiment. For all our successes, too many Americans who do not qualify for subsidies still cannot afford premiums that remain in the stratosphere – constituting a new class of uninsured. The Affordable Care Act remains fundamentally broken and nothing less than wholesale reforms can fix it.”

In brief

Osceola Community Health Services, which operates a network of eight community health centers, is partnering with Osceola Council on Aging, which provides services to seniors and disadvantaged and disabled adults, to expand services in the county. Specifically, the two hope to create a seamless system that will link patients to care and social services such as housing, utility assistance, job placement and food, according to the organizations.

Grace Medical Home’s Dental Center, which opened last October with the support of Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation and AdventHealth, has treated 75 patients with the help of more than 15 dental volunteers. The organization, one of the main providers for Orange County’s uninsured population, moved last year to a 19,000-square-foot building on East Concord Street, tripling its space and increasing its patient capacity by 60 percent.

Serving Children and Reaching Families, or SCARF, a community-based substance abuse and behavioral health provider, has leased a 2,500-square-foot suite in a building on Patrick Street in Kissimmee. The organization also has a location in Orlando, according to Hold Thyssen, a commercial property firm in Winter Park.

Gastro MD, a gastroenterology practice by Dr. Vishal Gupta, is expanding from Orange City to Lake Mary. The practice recently negotiated a long-term lease agreement for a medical office space off Rinehart Road, according to NAI Realvest, a commercial real estate company.

Albertsons Companies Specialty Care has joined the Specialty Pharmacy Network of Orlando-based technology company AssistRx, which simplifies the steps for patients who are prescribed specialty medications. The company will provide features including e-prescribe, e-eligibility, e-enrollment and financial support.

AdventHealth has name Justin Birmele as the CEO of AdventHealth Winter Park. He replaces Jennifer Wandersleben, who has been promoted as president and CEO of acute care services for AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division - South Region.

Dr. Michael Westerveld, a neuropsychologist at AdventHealth for Children, has been recognized as the Distinguished Neuropsychologist of 2020 by the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology for his advocacy and research.

nmiller@orlandosentinel.com.

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