Decisions Could Be Nearing On The Affordable Care Act
February 19, 2013
A Senate select committee could make recommendations March 4 about key parts of the federal Affordable Care Act, including whether Florida should move forward with a major expansion of the Medicaid program.
Sen. Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who is chairman of the select committee, said Monday he expects an opportunity to hear “closing arguments” during a meeting March 4 — a day before the start of the annual legislative session. Negron said his goal has always been to make recommendations during the first week of session.
A House select committee also appears to be on a similar schedule. That panel has scheduled a meeting Feb. 28, an off week for the Legislature, and probably will meet at least twice during the first week of session, said Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes.
“We’re trying to keep pace with the Senate,” Corcoran said after his committee heard more than three hours of presentations Monday.
Lawmakers face a series of decisions during the upcoming session about the Affordable Care Act, with the potential Medicaid expansion the most controversial. The Senate select committee Monday rejected any remaining possibility that Florida would run a health-insurance exchange in 2014, another issue that has drawn heavy attention.
Legislative leaders have said for weeks that they expected the federal government to run the state’s exchange, which will serve as an online marketplace for people to shop for health-insurance coverage. Republicans and Democrats on the Senate panel agreed Monday to formally recommend that the Obama administration run the exchange, a move that came after Florida had missed deadlines for notifying the federal government of plans to operate a state exchange.
“I’m still looking for a valid reason why we would ever want to start our own exchange,” said Senate Health Policy Chairman Aaron Bean, a Fernandina Beach Republican who serves on the select committee.
Other lawmakers said Florida could operate an exchange in later years if it decided to do so. Sen. David Simmons, R-Maitland, said questions remain unanswered about the exchanges and that Florida should let the federal government “show us the way.”
“If there are going to be mistakes made, we can learn from their mistakes,” Simmons said.
The select committees have been listening to testimony and gathering information for weeks, and their positions could be an important indicator as the full Legislature gets ready to tackle the Affordable Care Act. Among other things, lawmakers will have to resolve complicated insurance-regulatory issues and a question about expanding the state’s health-insurance program to offer coverage to many temporary employees.
But the Medicaid issue — and particularly its potential costs for the state — has drawn the most scrutiny. As an example, supporters of the Medicaid expansion accused Republican Gov. Rick Scott earlier this year of inflating the estimated costs of such an expansion. Scott has been a longtime critic of the federal law, which President Obama and congressional Democrats approved in 2010.
Also, groups such as the hospital industry are lobbying heavily for the expansion. Three hospital executives told the House select committee Monday that enrolling more people in Medicaid would reduce the amount of uncompensated care they have to provide when uninsured people show up in emergency rooms.
But Corcoran said after the meeting that the executives lacked data to show how their hospitals would be affected.
The Affordable Care Act says Washington will pay 100 percent of the costs of expanding Medicaid eligibility during the first three years and 90 percent of the costs later. The expansion could provide coverage to hundreds of thousands of people in Florida, primarily childless adults who don’t currently qualify for Medicaid.
Amy Baker, coordinator of the state Office of Economic & Demographic Research, said state analysts will meet March 1 to revise cost estimates. That information then will go to the select committees, which will hold a joint meeting during the morning of March 4 before holding separate meetings later in the day.
The analysts will have to wade through issues such as projecting how many newly-eligible Medicaid beneficiaries would actually enroll in the program and trying to figure out how much it would cost to provide coverage to them. While the federal government would pay most of the costs in the coming years, the state would eventually have to pick up part of the tab.
Analysts also will grapple with estimates for people who are currently eligible for Medicaid but have not enrolled in the program. Baker said there is wide-ranging agreement that some of those people will enroll in Medicaid as the Affordable Care Act takes effect.
By The News Service of Florida
Four Homeless After Fire Damages Century Home
February 18, 2013
A resident managed to escape an afternoon house fire in Century Monday that left four people homeless.
The fire was reported about 2:45 at the corner of North Century Boulevard and Hattie Boulevard. The resident was reportedly asleep inside the home when the fire broke out and managed to escape without injuries due to individuals banging on the door of the home.
The exact cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
There were no injuries reported in the blaze that left four adults homeless. The American Red Cross is assisting the four with temporary shelter.
The Century, McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Flomaton Fire Department, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the blaze.
Pictured above and below: Fire heavily damaged this Century home Monday afternoon, displacing four residents. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
County Names Finalists For Library Board Of Governance
February 18, 2013
The Escambia County Commission will choose three applications from a list of ten to serve on the new West Florida Public Library Board of Governance. Two of the individuals will serve an initial three-year term, effective March 1, 2013, through April 30, 2016, and one individual to serve for an initial two-year term, effective March 1, 2013, through April 30, 2015:
- Alexa Canady-Davis, M.D.
- David J. Bryant
- Frances Yeo
- Grant Erbach
- Joe Vinson
- Lynne C. Tobin
- Rodney P. Guttmann, Ph.D.
- Rodney L. Kendig
- Steve Marvin
- Tristessa C. Osborne — Declared ineligible as a non-resident of Escambia County
The Library Board of Governance was established to oversee the management of the West Florida Public Library System and to make recommendations to the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners regarding the library annual budget.
The Library Board of Governance will be composed of five voting members – three members appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, one member appointed by the Pensacola City Council, and one member appointed by the mayor of Pensacola.
The Escambia County Commission will pick their three Library Board of Governance members on February 21.
Healthier Schools Donate French Fries To Non-Profits
February 18, 2013
The Escambia County School Board has voted to donate 138 cases of shoestring French fries to three area non-profits. In a push for healthier eating, the county’s school cafeterias are no longer frying foods, making the french fries unusable to to the school district.
The surplus frozen fries, valued at $2,310.12 were donated to the Escambia County Waterfront Rescue Mission, the Escambia County Salvation Army and Manna Food Pantries.
Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month
February 18, 2013
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month from January. They are (left to right) Lexxi Baggett, 6th grade; Jessica Stacey, 8th grade; and Cody Kite, 7th grade. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Food For America: Northview FFA Officers Share With Elementary Students
February 18, 2013
Members of the Northview High School FFA officer team recently visited several area elementary schools to read ag-related books to students.
The FFA officers visited Bratt, Jim Allen and Molino Park elementary schools. Reading to the students and sharing information about food-related agriculture is part of the events leading up to Northview’s award-winning Food for America program in March.
Northview’s Food for America program has been name the best in the state . Each year, the program gives hundreds of elementary school students a chance to learn about agriculture firsthand up close and personal with farm animals, farm equipment and more as they visit displays on the Northview campus.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man’s Medical Problem Causes I-10 Crash
February 18, 2013
Three people were injured, two of them seriously, in a morning accident that backed up traffic on I-10.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 34-year old Gerald Dominque James of Cantonment was eastbound on I-10 near the Davis Highway exit about 5:50 a.m. when he drove across the center median into oncoming westbound traffic due to an unknown medical condition. His 2004 Nissan Altima collided with a 2007 Honda Accord driven by 55-year old Billy Johnston of Gordon, Ala.
James’ Altima was then struck by a 1996 Ford F150 driven by 74-year old Henry Matowitz of Milton who then continued off the roadway and struck a tree.
James and Johnston were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition. Matowitz suffered minor injuries and was transported to West Florida Hospital.
All westbound lanes of I-10 at the 13 mile maker were blocked by the wreck, according to the FHP. The roadway has since reopened.
No charges were filed in connection with the accident.
Pictured: Three people were injured in this accident early Monday morning on I-10 near the Davis Highway exit. Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Leads Nation In Foreclosures For 5th Month
February 18, 2013
Move over California. Florida led the nation in January in the percentage and total number of properties in foreclosure, according to monthly figures released by RealtyTrac,
For the fifth month in a row, Florida had the highest rate of foreclosures in the nation, with one in every 300 Florida housing units under some type of foreclosure filing. That’s more than twice the national average and 20 percent higher than a year earlier.
Florida also had the dubious honor of bypassing California for the total number of foreclosure filings for the month, marking the first time that California has been out of the top spot since 2007.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties accounted for the bulk of homes under foreclosure. But Ocala held the top spot among metropolitan areas, with one in 223 homes involved in foreclosures during the month.
Nationally, the number of foreclosures dropped 28 percent in January from the year before.
By The News Service of Florida
School Board Set To Hire Contractor For New Ernest Ward Middle School
February 17, 2013
The Escambia County School Board is set to approve a contractor at their Tuesday meeting to manage the rebuilding of Ernest Ward Middle School.
A school district committee ranked five qualified firms for the job, with Greenhut Construction Company of Pensacola receiving the nod. If approved by the school board, Greenhut will provide “Construction Management at Risk Services” for the project — the overall planning, coordination and control of the project from beginning to completion.
The $16.5 million, 115,202 square foot building is currently being designed by Sam Marshall Architects of Pensacola.
The new facility will replace the entire Ernest Ward campus, with the exception of the current gymnasium and football stadium. The oldest buildings at Ernest Ward, including the main classroom wing, were constructed in 1945.
A few portable buildings and the Ag Building will be demolished as early as this summer to be replaced by temporary portable buildings during the construction process. The new school is expected to open in the fall of 2016. The current administration building is slated to become a maintenance facility.
In addition to Ernest Ward, the district will rebuild A.K. Suter Elementary in Pensacola for $21.5 million. Tuesday, the school board is expected to approved the Morette Company of Pensacola as the construction management firm for the Suter project.
Pictured top: The gymnasium at Ernest Ward Middle School will receive some updates, but will not be demolished, as a new school is built on the Walnut Hill campus. The Ag Building (interior pictured inset, exterior below) could be demolished as early as this summer. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Walnut Hill Fire Grows To 53 Acres
February 17, 2013
Early Sunday afternoon, the Florida Forest Service estimated that a wildfire about about eight miles southwest of Walnut Hill had grown to 53 acres.
The fire was initially reported about 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon to be a wind-fueled 20 acre grass fire off Ryals Lane west of Pineville Road.
FFS firefighters said the blaze started from a bush hogging operation and burned through a pasture and into the woods. The fire is mostly contained and crews will continue to monitor, and the Forest Service said the fire still has some internal smoke.
No structures were threatened by the fire, and there were no injuries reported.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service responded to the blaze and remained until about 6 p.m. By 7 p.m., the Forest Service reported the fire wost mostly contained and had burned toward a swamp. Dozer lines were created around the fire, with Forest Service firefighters returning on Sunday morning.
“Despite recent rains, today’s high winds dried brush, grass and other flammable vegetation and helped fan the flames. Florida experiences a year round wildfire season and these blazes serve as reminders that homeowners and landowners always should use caution when burning yard debris,” Zwierzchowski said.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.