In November 2013, the Foundation invited a group of journalists with a strong focus on health policy and state health reform to participate in a week-long fellowship program focused on how the Affordable Care Act is shaping Florida’s health care environment. The site visits in Miami gave journalists the opportunity to hear from a variety of experts and stakeholders, including former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, hospital leaders, insurance executives, community health leaders, and ACA certified application counselors. The program covered a range of issues including the State’s decision not to expand Medicaid, efforts to enroll Florida residents in the health insurance marketplace, providing care for Florida’s ethnically diverse and aging population, and the statewide rollout of Medicaid managed care.

2013 Florida Site Visit Agenda

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured published a fact sheet that summarizes Florida’s Health Care Landscape. The Foundation also has a State Health Insurance Marketplace Profile on Florida, which is continually updated to reflect the latest information on the state’s health insurance marketplace implementation.

Mary Sheddon from The Tampa Tribune takes notes during a site visit to Jesse Trice Community Health Center led by CEO Annie Neasman, RN.

Participants

Patricia Borns, consumer healthcare reporter, The Miami Herald

• “Don’t look for Florida to expand Medicaid anytime soon, says hospital executive,” The Miami Herald, Nov. 22, 2013

Sarah Boseley, health editor, The Guardian (London)

• “Healthcare advocates seek new approaches to convince healthy young adults to sign up for insurance through the marketplaces,” The Guardian, Nov. 25, 2013
• “Florida in secret talks to accept funding for Medicaid from Affordable Care Act,” The Guardian, Nov. 21, 2013

Jonathan Cohn, senior editor, The New Republic

Daniel Chang, healthcare reporter, The Miami Herald

Amy Driscoll, editor for healthcare, environment, The Miami Herald

Marissa Evans, web reporter, Kaiser Health News, Washington, D.C.

• “Florida Moves to Better Manage Healthcare for Foster Kids,” Kaiser Health News/The Miami Herald, Feb. 11, 2014
  

Phil Galewitz, correspondent, Kaiser Health News, Washington, D.C.

• “Nonprofit Health Centers Go Into For-Profit Insurance Business,” Kaiser Health News/USA Today, Jan. 7, 2014
• “Medicaid Puts More Clients In Managed Care,” Kaiser Health News/USA Today, Feb. 11, 2014

Carol Gentry, editor, Health News Florida/WUSF Public Media, Tampa, FL

• “FL Seen as Unlikely to Expand Coverage to Poor in 2014,” Health News Florida, Nov. 22, 2013

Gisele Grayson, health policy senior producer, science desk, NPR

Marni Jameson, health reporter, The Orlando Sentinel

Anna Maria Barry Jester, editorial producer, Univision, Miami

Sammy Mack, reporter, WLRN Miami

Jason Millman, health reporter, Politico

• “Rick Scott’s Medicaid push stalled in Florida,” Politico, Nov. 25, 2013
• SHALALA: FLORIDA WILL EXPAND MEDICAID … SOMEDAY – Former Clinton health secretary Donna Shalala thinks that Florida eventually will expand Medicaid, but it just may take a while. “Even if it’ll take a little longer, we’ll figure it out,” Shalala told Kaiser Media Fellows traveling through Miami on Tuesday. Shalala predicted other Southern states would sooner opt into the expansion and Florida may end of being one of the last. The Florida Senate earlier in the year did pass a form of expansion, but the House took a hard line against it. “I think there are all sorts of conversations going on so that we don’t leave this money on the table,” she said. (Politico Pulse Email, Nov. 20, 2013)

Carolina Salazar, reporter, El Sentinel, Orlando

Stacey Singer, health reporter, The Palm Beach Post (+Rick Christie, editor, Thursday 21)

Mary Shedden, health reporter, The Tampa Tribune

• “Bilingual counselors help bridge health law gap,” The Tampa Tribune, Nov. 24, 2013

Skyler Swisher, health reporter, News Journal, Daytona Beach