Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf ClubBlack Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park Park officials are performing a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT opens all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge are open, a year ahead of its original pedestrian sidewalk project estimate.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park Park officials are performing a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT opens all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge are open, a year ahead of its original pedestrian sidewalk project estimate.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
MIAMI (AP) – Twenty of the 50 U.S. hospitals that charge the most for their services are located in Florida – and all but one of them are for-profit, according to a study released Monday. Most states, including Florida, don’t limit what hospitals charge for their services, making it easier for hospitals to set billing rates several times higher than what Medicare charges. U.S. hospitals charged on average more than three times the Medicare-allowable costs, according to a study in the June issue of the journal Health Affairs. The study uses 2012 Medicare data to examine hospitals that charge on average more than 10 times their costs. The study comes amid a national push to increase transparency in hopes of curbing rising health costs. The Obama administration began publishing some data, including hospital spending and the costs of popular procedures, like joint replacements, three years ago in an effort to encourage consumers to compare prices. However, the study suggests there’s a long way to go and encouraged state and federal lawmakers to require hospitals to publish cost data and for state officials to legislate a maximum amount that hospitals can charge patients. Only Maryland and West Virginia regulate hospital mark-ups, according to the study. Without such protections, uninsured patients are often charged the full cost and may be sent to bill collectors if they don’t pay. Casualty and workers’ compensation insurers and even insured patients who go out of network may also get hit with unexpectedly high bills, according to the study. “Hospitals’ high markups, therefore, subject many vulnerable patients to exceptionally high medical bills, which often leads to personal bankruptcy or the avoidance of needed medical services,” according to the study written by Ge Bai of Washington & Lee University in Virginia and Gerard Anderson of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Community Health System, which posted revenue of $4.91 billion in its first quarter, owns 20 of the highest charging hospitals listed in the study, but a spokeswoman for the company said the data used in the study is based on a price list, which rarely reflects what consumers actually pay because it doesn’t account for discounts or charity care for low-income patients. “Last year, our organization provided over $3.3 billion in charity care, discounts and other uncompensated care for those who can’t afford health care services,” said spokeswoman Tomi Galin. The Federation of American Hospitals said the hospitals named in the study provided nearly $450 million in uncompensated care in 2012. The organization supports greater price transparency, but said it “will not help the average uninsured or underinsured patient. Absent coverage, the true resolution is having programs in place, like those in our hospitals, which offer discounts so that these patients do not have to prioritize concern about their ability to pay over their own health and well-being,” president Chip Kahn said in a statement. California and New Jersey are among states mandated by state laws to provide discounts for certain uninsured patients. The study comes amid criticism of public hospitals by Florida’s Gov. Rick Scott, a former CEO of a for-profit chain of hospitals. He recently suggested that all hospitals receiving taxpayer funds should agree to share profits as the state prepares to lose hundreds of millions of federal funds that help hospitals that treat Medicaid and uninsured patients. Scott has been locked in a showdown – and is even suing – the Obama administration for allegedly withholding those so-called low-income pool hospital funds because Florida won’t expand its Medicaid program. Some hospitals officials say they would be forced to shut down or cut services without those federal funds, but the governor contends the hospitals are not in as bad a financial shape as they claim; Scott has circulated hospital finance data to lawmakers to prove it. He established a commission to examine how hospitals are spending taxpayer funds, including salaries, benefits and lobbying expenses. The Republican governor has been increasingly antagonist toward public hospitals as they have pushed for Medicaid expansion, which Scott is firmly against. “The governor wants to make sure any hospital that receives tax dollars uses them in the most efficient and transparent way possible,” Scott’s spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said. Here is a list of the 50 U.S. hospitals that charge the most for their services: 1. North Okaloosa Medical CenterCrestview, FL 2. Carepoint Health-Bayonne HospitalBayonne, NJ 3. Bayfront HealthBrooksville, FL 4. Paul B Hall Regional Medical CenterPaintsville, KY 5. Chestnut Hill HospitalPhiladelphia 6. Gadsden Regional Medical CenterGadsden, AL 7. Heart of Florida Regional Medical CenterDavenport, FL 8. Orange Park Medical CenterLakeside, FL 9. Western Arizona Regional Medical CenterBullhead City, AZ 10. Oak Hill HospitalBrooksville, FL 11. Texas General HospitalGrand Prairie, TX 12. Fort Walton Beach Medical CenterFort Walton Beach, FL 13. Easton HospitalEaston, PA 14. Brookwood Medical CenterBirmingham, AL 15. National Park Medical CenterHot Springs National Park, AR 16. St. Petersburg General HospitalSt. Petersburg, FL 17. Crozer Chester Medical CenterChester, PA 18. Riverview Regional Medical CenterGadsden, AL 19. Regional Hospital of JacksonJackson, TN 20. Sebastian River Medical CenterSebastian, FL 21. Brandywine HospitalCoatsville, PA 22. Osceola Regional Medical CenterKissimmee, FL 23. Decatur Morgan Hospital-Parkway CampusDecatur, AL 24. Medical Center of Southeastern OklahomaDurant, OK 25. Gulf Coast Medical CenterPanama City, FL 26. South Bay HospitalSun City Center, FL 27. Fawcett Memorial HospitalPort Charlotte, FL 28. North Florida Regional Medical CenterGainesville, FL 29. Doctors Hospital of MantecaManteca, CA 30. Doctors Medical CenterModesto, CA 31. Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute Fort Pierce, FL 32. Lakeway Regional HospitalMorristown, TN 33. Brandon Regional HospitalBrandon, FL 34. Hahnemann University HospitalPhiladelphia 35. Phoenixville HospitalPhoenixville, PA 36. Stringfellow Memorial HospitalAnniston, AL 37. Lehigh Regional Medical CenterLehigh Acres, FL 38. Southside Regional Medical CenterPetersburg, VA 39. Twin Cities HospitalNiceville, FL 40. Olympia Medical CenterLos Angeles 41. Springs Memorial HospitalLancaster, SC 42. Regional Medical Center Bayonet PointHudson, FL 43. Dallas Regional Medical CenterMesquite, TX 44. Laredo Medical CenterLaredo, TX 45. Bayfront Health Dade CityDade City, FL 46. Pottstown Memorial Medical CenterPottstown, PA 47. Dyersburg Regional Medical Center Dyersburg, TN 48. South Texas Health SystemEdinburg, TX 49. Kendall Regional Medical CenterMiami, FL 50. Lake Granbury Medical CenterGranbury, TX