Lee County cousins arrested for street racing at 90 mph in Lehigh AcresFort Myers activist reacts to shutdown of government reproductive rights website
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County cousins arrested for street racing at 90 mph in Lehigh Acres Lee County deputies arrested two men after witnessing them racing down Lee Boulevard at nearly 90 mph.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers activist reacts to shutdown of government reproductive rights website The website ReproductiveRights.gov, which offered resources on abortion and reproductive rights, is no longer accessible.
2 southwest Floridians involved in January 6 attack pardoned and commuted by President Trump Two men involved in the January 6th attack are now back in southwest Florida, thanks to a series of pardons from President Trump.
ESTERO Local teen golfer to play at Augusta National One drive at a time, 14-year-old Jesus Bethencourt is doing something most only dream of: playing at Augusta National.
AI traffic cameras helping Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office solve crimes Artificial intelligence has been helping the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office solve crimes.
ESTERO SWFL siblings start official Pickleball World Cup Hercilio and Miranda Cabieses love pickleball so much they make it their mission to share it with the world.
MARCO ISLAND Proposal to bring in police cameras to Marco Island Marco Island city leaders are considering a proposal for police officers to wear body cameras. The idea aims to modernize the department and increase trust with citizens.
FORT MYERS Increasing deportation raises concerns for migrant workers in SWFL With the fear of mass deportations and raids many are wondering whether any will happen here. Any mass deportations could adversely affect construction and agriculture.
Lee County schools survey parents on classroom phone restrictions Lee County Schools is considering changes to its student code of conduct regarding the use of wireless communication devices during the school day.
NAPLES New NCH technology to destroy tumors NCH is upping its cancer-fighting game by becoming the first in Florida to acquire a new technology designed to destroy tumors.
FORT MYERS Alliance for the Arts to host 39th annual All Florida Juried Exhibition The Alliance for the Arts will be hosting the 39th Annual All Florida Juried Exhibit.
ESTERO FGCU softball coach David Deiros to retire after 2025 season FGCU softball head coach David Deiros will retire from coaching at the end of the 2025 season.
Tim Aten Knows: SWFL to see expansion of Oar & Iron, Kelly’s Roast Beef The restaurant franchise group for the Boston-based Kelly’s Roast Beef and Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill recently burst out of the gate in Collier and Lee counties with aggressive expansion plans for both dining concepts.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man gets life in prison for fatal fentanyl distribution A Fort Myers man will spend the rest of his life in jail for distributing a lethal dose of fentanyl.
Fort Myers council to discuss $11.5M bid for News-Press site redevelopment The Fort Myers News-Press building, a site with a long history and untapped potential, may soon undergo a transformation.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County cousins arrested for street racing at 90 mph in Lehigh Acres Lee County deputies arrested two men after witnessing them racing down Lee Boulevard at nearly 90 mph.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers activist reacts to shutdown of government reproductive rights website The website ReproductiveRights.gov, which offered resources on abortion and reproductive rights, is no longer accessible.
2 southwest Floridians involved in January 6 attack pardoned and commuted by President Trump Two men involved in the January 6th attack are now back in southwest Florida, thanks to a series of pardons from President Trump.
ESTERO Local teen golfer to play at Augusta National One drive at a time, 14-year-old Jesus Bethencourt is doing something most only dream of: playing at Augusta National.
AI traffic cameras helping Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office solve crimes Artificial intelligence has been helping the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office solve crimes.
ESTERO SWFL siblings start official Pickleball World Cup Hercilio and Miranda Cabieses love pickleball so much they make it their mission to share it with the world.
MARCO ISLAND Proposal to bring in police cameras to Marco Island Marco Island city leaders are considering a proposal for police officers to wear body cameras. The idea aims to modernize the department and increase trust with citizens.
FORT MYERS Increasing deportation raises concerns for migrant workers in SWFL With the fear of mass deportations and raids many are wondering whether any will happen here. Any mass deportations could adversely affect construction and agriculture.
Lee County schools survey parents on classroom phone restrictions Lee County Schools is considering changes to its student code of conduct regarding the use of wireless communication devices during the school day.
NAPLES New NCH technology to destroy tumors NCH is upping its cancer-fighting game by becoming the first in Florida to acquire a new technology designed to destroy tumors.
FORT MYERS Alliance for the Arts to host 39th annual All Florida Juried Exhibition The Alliance for the Arts will be hosting the 39th Annual All Florida Juried Exhibit.
ESTERO FGCU softball coach David Deiros to retire after 2025 season FGCU softball head coach David Deiros will retire from coaching at the end of the 2025 season.
Tim Aten Knows: SWFL to see expansion of Oar & Iron, Kelly’s Roast Beef The restaurant franchise group for the Boston-based Kelly’s Roast Beef and Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill recently burst out of the gate in Collier and Lee counties with aggressive expansion plans for both dining concepts.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man gets life in prison for fatal fentanyl distribution A Fort Myers man will spend the rest of his life in jail for distributing a lethal dose of fentanyl.
Fort Myers council to discuss $11.5M bid for News-Press site redevelopment The Fort Myers News-Press building, a site with a long history and untapped potential, may soon undergo a transformation.
Credit: MGN The cost of giving birth in America has skyrocketed in recent years — even for women with employer health insurance. A major study looking at women with employer-provided health insurance found that the average new mom spent $4,500 out-of-pocket to give birth in 2015, the most recent year data are available. That’s a 50% increase from 2007, when the typical new mom paid out just over $3,000 of her own money. It’s also more than three times the rate of inflation over that time period. “I don’t know a lot of patients who have this kind of funding lying around,” said Michelle Moniz, an assistant professor in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan and the study’s lead author. Moniz, a practicing physician, added: “These expenses are coming at a time when most of my patients are thinking of everything else on their baby list — a crib, a car seat, everything they need to keep their newborn safe — and they aren’t expecting a bill like this.” The cost of one birth — in itself the most common reason for a woman to be hospitalized in her lifetime — is now more than the typical woman earns in a month. The average full-time worker in America makes just over $41,000 a year, or around $3,400 a month, according to the U.S. Labor Department. And the more than 650,000 women in the study, which was published this week in the academic journal Health Affairs in many ways represent a best-case scenario: They are in large employer-sponsored health insurance plans, which are typically more generous than plans offered by small businesses or purchased individually. These plans cover about half of U.S. births. Moniz and her coauthors found that the actual cost billed for the birth stayed mostly steady over the seven years in the study period. What changed was the growing portion paid by patients: The typical deductible payment rose from just over $1,500 to nearly $2,500, while the typical coinsurance (a portion the insured patient pays after meeting their deductible) rose about $300. “I was completely surprised that the phenomenon of having to pay something out of pocket for maternity care was almost universal,” said Moniz. “98% of people had some out-of-pocket cost by the end of the study.” The study takes aim at a common misconception that the Affordable Care Act, which mandated coverage for maternity benefits, made it cheaper to have a baby. “For people who talk about the ACA, there seems to be this misconception that ‘Oh, maternity’s covered,'” Moniz said. In fact, while large employers are required to provide maternity-care coverage, that coverage can include significant payments from the patients. That concerns Moniz, especially as the maternal mortality rate is increasing in the U.S. “Our hope is that policymakers take note now and change the situation,” she said. “We want every family to get off to the best start in life, and this is an irremediable barrier.”