Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bandsCharlotte County Sheriff’s Office investigating shooting in Punta Gorda
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office investigating shooting in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a road rage/shooting in the Punta Gorda area on Saturday night.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office investigating shooting in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a road rage/shooting in the Punta Gorda area on Saturday night.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
MGN (CBS MONEYWATCH) Now that health care experts and consumer advocates have had a chance to review a plan by Republican lawmakers to replace Obamacare, answers to burning questions — especially from health care exchange members — are starting to take shape. The proposed changes in the bill, called the American Health Care Act, are by no means final. House Republicans are expecting the Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees to take up the legislation this week and move the bill to the full house by early next month. But Republicans have launched the bill with no information from the Congressional Budget Office, which analyses legislation on behalf of lawmakers. As a result, Congress and health care experts are having trouble estimating how much the changes will cost and what effect the changes may have on the number of Americans covered. In short, however, the bill eliminates tax penalties for the uninsured and replaces income-based government subsidies with refundable tax credits based on age. It also makes several changes to the ACA Medicaid expansion program. Here’s a closer look at what the new legislation may mean for health care consumers. If you have a pre-existing medical condition Under the House plan, insurers would not be able to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions, and they must charge the same premium as they charge those patients without preexisting conditions. What’s more, like the ACA, the bill calls for no lifetime or annual limits on coverage. What is new The bill requires insurers to charge a 30 percent increase in premiums for consumers who allow their health care coverage to lapse. While this applies to all consumers, it could end up affecting more consumers who sign up for insurance once they have an accident or are diagnosed with an illness. If you opt for no coverage Tax penalties for consumers who refuse to buy health insurance — the individual mandate, as it is known under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — would disappear. Again, if you let your previous insurance policy lapse, you would be subject to the 30 percent surcharge for premiums when and if you decide to buy more coverage. If you buy coverage in the individual market Many of the standards that were mandated by the ACA, including those concerning maternity and preventive care, remain intact under the House bill. However, the measure eliminates the federal premium subsidies for low- and middle-income people, making insurance for many consumers more expensive. The bill would also eliminate the ACA subsidies for out-of-pocket expenses currently available to some people. In place of the subsidies, the House bill provides for refundable tax credits ranging from $2,000 for people below age 30 and $4,000 for people over age 60, with an annual limit of $14,000. The bill also expands the types of coverage eligible for tax credits, which may translate into people using credits to pay for catastrophic or limited care plans. Tax credits would not be available for individuals with $75,000 or more in annual income and married couples with annual income above $150,000. According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a man in his 60s would qualify for more than $6,000 in ACA subsidies, compared to the $4,000 in refundable tax credits. And while the ACA limited the amount insurers could charge older customers to three times what they charge younger participants, the House bill allows insurers to charge five times that amount. If you are part of Medicaid or the Medicaid expansion program U.S. states that opted for Medicaid expansion under the ACA can stick with the expansion until 2020. People who are enrolled at that time would continue to get coverage. New enrollees would not be accepted, and people who move out of the coverage, because of an employment opportunity or other reason, would not be able to return to expanded coverage. In addition, the House bill calls for Medicaid funding to move to a per capita basis, instead of the current system of matching state Medicaid expenditures with federal funding one for one. The per capita formula “sets up payments based on average costs for children, adults, seniors and people with disabilities using 2016 medical costs and trending forward using the medical consumer price index,” explained Michael Miller, strategic policy director at Community Catalyst, a health care advocacy group. Health advocates worry this formula is flawed and could seriously reduce the number of people who receive Medicaid coverage. If you’re covered by your employer Some large employers would no longer be required to offer health insurance under the House bill. It’s unclear what ramifications this would have in the employer-based market and how many people could lose coverage. In addition, the so-called Cadillac Tax may be alive and well under the House bill, at least for the short term. In 2020, the ACA was set to impose a 40 percent excise tax on employer plans that cost more than $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families. The House bill would delay this tax until 2025. If you are eligible for a Health Savings Account: The amount you can save in these accounts would increase in 2018 to $6,550 for an individual and $13,100 for a family. If you win the lottery We’re not being facetious. A good number of pages of the House bill are devoted to denying Medicaid payments to lottery winners. That make some sense, but may not be health care consumers’ top priority. The Associated Press contributed to this report.