House fire in downtown Fort Myers causes major scene overnightVeterans Memorial Parkway in Cape Coral reopens after hit-and-run
FORT MYERS House fire in downtown Fort Myers causes major scene overnight There was a massive scene overnight close to Downtown Fort Myers from a house fire with smoke visible from the home.
CAPE CORAL Veterans Memorial Parkway in Cape Coral reopens after hit-and-run An access point to Midpoint Bridge getting into Fort Myers has reopened after a hit-and-run early Friday morning.
FORT MYERS Road closures in Downtown Fort Myers due to Festival of Trees Due to the return of the Downtown Fort Myers Festival of Trees, First Street between Jackson and Lee Street will be closed on Friday and Saturday.
FORT MYERS Micro Wrestling Federation makes its way to Fort Myers Professionals with the “Micro Wrestling Federation” put on an amazing show at the ranch in Fort Myers on Thursday.
ESTERO Estero man claims his golf equipment burned on flight An Estero man claims Delta Airlines ruined his golf equipment. His golf bag was destroyed by fire and his clubs are charred.
Volunteers come together to deliver Christmas cards to veterans In an effort to make spirits bright this holiday season, volunteers came together to deliver Christmas cards to veterans.
NAPLES Dentists argue over fluoride in water at Naples City Council meeting Several dentists at the Naples City Council meeting gave their reasons why fluoride should be in the water on Wednesday.
Digging Deeper: Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget One Lee County Commissioner wants to change how taxpayers view the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget following a possible federal investigation and a grand jury meeting.
A new way to identify snakes There’s a new tool to identify locations of the slithering beasts overtaking the Everglades and other invasive snakes.
Car crashes into canal in Lehigh Acres Authorities are investigating a crash after a car became fully submerged in a canal Thursday night.
SB lanes on US 27 shut down due to 3 vehicle crash Hendry County Deputies, along with first responders, are currently on the scene of a traffic crash near Sky Valley at the intersection of South US 27 and Bass Road.
FORT MYERS BEACH Times Square clock reinstalled on Fort Myers Beach The famous Times Square clock on Fort Myers Beach returns just in time for the holidays! It was removed before hurricanes Helene and Milton to protect it.
Flag planting debate takes over college football Flag planting at the end of rivalry college football games sparked fighting on the field and debates away from it.
FORT MYERS Daycare burglarized in Fort Myers One business owner is recovering after a burglar broke in and stole from her daycare.
Hurricane debris still lines road in Fort Myers Shores Over 70 feet of memories formed a giant pile of debris at the end of Aruba Avenue in Fort Myers Shores.
FORT MYERS House fire in downtown Fort Myers causes major scene overnight There was a massive scene overnight close to Downtown Fort Myers from a house fire with smoke visible from the home.
CAPE CORAL Veterans Memorial Parkway in Cape Coral reopens after hit-and-run An access point to Midpoint Bridge getting into Fort Myers has reopened after a hit-and-run early Friday morning.
FORT MYERS Road closures in Downtown Fort Myers due to Festival of Trees Due to the return of the Downtown Fort Myers Festival of Trees, First Street between Jackson and Lee Street will be closed on Friday and Saturday.
FORT MYERS Micro Wrestling Federation makes its way to Fort Myers Professionals with the “Micro Wrestling Federation” put on an amazing show at the ranch in Fort Myers on Thursday.
ESTERO Estero man claims his golf equipment burned on flight An Estero man claims Delta Airlines ruined his golf equipment. His golf bag was destroyed by fire and his clubs are charred.
Volunteers come together to deliver Christmas cards to veterans In an effort to make spirits bright this holiday season, volunteers came together to deliver Christmas cards to veterans.
NAPLES Dentists argue over fluoride in water at Naples City Council meeting Several dentists at the Naples City Council meeting gave their reasons why fluoride should be in the water on Wednesday.
Digging Deeper: Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget One Lee County Commissioner wants to change how taxpayers view the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget following a possible federal investigation and a grand jury meeting.
A new way to identify snakes There’s a new tool to identify locations of the slithering beasts overtaking the Everglades and other invasive snakes.
Car crashes into canal in Lehigh Acres Authorities are investigating a crash after a car became fully submerged in a canal Thursday night.
SB lanes on US 27 shut down due to 3 vehicle crash Hendry County Deputies, along with first responders, are currently on the scene of a traffic crash near Sky Valley at the intersection of South US 27 and Bass Road.
FORT MYERS BEACH Times Square clock reinstalled on Fort Myers Beach The famous Times Square clock on Fort Myers Beach returns just in time for the holidays! It was removed before hurricanes Helene and Milton to protect it.
Flag planting debate takes over college football Flag planting at the end of rivalry college football games sparked fighting on the field and debates away from it.
FORT MYERS Daycare burglarized in Fort Myers One business owner is recovering after a burglar broke in and stole from her daycare.
Hurricane debris still lines road in Fort Myers Shores Over 70 feet of memories formed a giant pile of debris at the end of Aruba Avenue in Fort Myers Shores.
Credit: WINK News. Employers will pay more in 2020 to keep their employees insured. “We are seeing average premium increases in the 5% to 10% range for 2020 plans,” said Gray Davis, the senior vice president for McGriff Insurance Services. Davis estimated that a business employing 100 people will pay $1 million to buy coverage. He said insurance companies tweak plans to keep monthly premiums lower, manipulating deductibles and total out of pocket costs for employees. The deductible is the amount of money the insured is required to pay before their insurance picks up any of the bill. The out-of-pocket maximum is an individual or family’s total amount of financial responsibility after deductible. For 2020, by law, a family’s out-of-pocket maximum is $16,300. “So if that’s your out of pocket, do you really have insurance?” Davis questioned. Economist Dr. Victor Claar at Florida Gulf Coast University said everyone should try to utilize health saving accounts to save for the cost of their deductibles and out of pocket maximums. Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that an American family will spend an average 10% of their income on insurance costs, making saving for care increasingly difficult. Davis offered this advice for families to try to save money on health costs in 2020: Negotiate health care charges Pay in cash Stay in network Use Mail Order Prescription drug option Get second opinions Stay out of the ER. Use the walk-in clinics whenever possible Use your free benefits. Get an annual physical Review your explanation of benefits letter (EOB) Know that Florida HB221 protects us from surprise — or balance billing Review costs in advance by using apps such as OneRx for prescription drug pricing and discounts and RealTimeChoices for the cost of local medical procedures Stay or get healthy and avoid lifestyle bad behaviors such as smoking and obesity Follow the instructions from your health care provider to eliminate gaps in treatment Participate in employer wellness programs if offered. Many offer incentive discounts, FitBits, and healthy lifestyle training and education WINK News will be taking an in-depth look at our medical system for the next year. If you have a story you want to be heard, whether it’s a high medical bill, an insurance dispute or a medical procedure gone wrong, send us an email to investigations@WINKnews.com.