Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County communityDr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
Joe and Sandy Germain (Credit: WINK News) In March 2020, before the world completely changed, Sandy Germain and her husband Joe were at Daytona Bike Week. When they started coming down with cold and flu symptoms, the COVID-19 virus had started to spread in Florida. They returned home to Naples, and at the advice of their physician, went to the closest hospital to get a COVID test. “At any other point in history, we would not have gone to the hospital with cold symptoms,” said Sandy Germain, a retired teacher. When they arrived at Physician’s Regional Medical Center’s south Collier County location, they weren’t actually given a COVID test. The Germains explained that they were swabbed for the flu virus and sent inside for chest X-rays. They claim a physician told them there weren’t enough testing supplies for people with less severe symptoms such as theirs. However, they were told they had the COVID virus and should go home and quarantine. “I don’t have a little certificate that says I had COVID, but if I didn’t have COVID, why the hell did I sit inside my house for a month,” said Joe Germain, who said he still has long-haul symptoms from COVID-19. They fought off body aches, chills, and the symptoms of the virus at their home for the next month. But that’s when something unexpected happened: Bills for the testing started arriving. First, Joe received a bill that showed his Medicare plan was charged a few thousand dollars for the visit. His out-of-pocket responsibility was very small. But Sandy’s bill indicated that she owed around $1,200 for the ER visit and an additional charge for the physician. She said a quick call to the physician’s office resolved the charge. “They said, OK, this is for COVID? No problem, we will resubmit this to your insurance to indicate that,” she recalled. The physician’s portion of the bill was waived, but for the past year, she said she’s been battling with Physician’s Regional to recode the hospital bill. She said her insurance company told her if the bill was submitted differently, it would be covered at 100%. However, Physician’s Regional has a different version of events. A spokesperson for the hospital told WINK News that the Germains did not actually receive a COVID diagnosis and that the bill accurately reflects the services performed. Based on Sandy’s Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plan, the bill is what she owes out of pocket. “We share Ms. Germain’s frustration. As I’ve shared before, insurance companies and employers who provide benefits determine what portion of the bill their members will pay. In this case, Ms. Germain’s insurance determined that she was responsible for her deductible,” wrote Brittney Thoman, the marketing director for Physician’s Regional. But the Germains contend the only reason their trip to the hospital elevated to an ER visit was because the hospital claimed it did not have enough testing supplies. They only went there for a COVID test, which should have been free. The federal CARES Act passed last year required that COVID testing be performed with no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. Insurance companies were also required to cover treatment for the virus. Out-of-pocket cost-sharing for COVID treatment and diagnosis was being waived by insurers and hospitals for many months. According to Jon Hess with Athos Health, WINK”s Healthcare Hacker, insurance companies sort of stopped this grace period of waiving out-of-pocket costs in February. He started hearing from patients at the beginning of 2021 who were receiving bills for their deductibles and co-insurance related to COVID treatment. By phone, a representative with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said she would try to work something out with the hospital for Germain since the intent of the visit was to get a COVID test. She confirmed that she had previously told Germain that the testing should be covered at 100%. However, Germain’s insurance is not opting in to cover COVID treatment at 100%. A spokesperson for Physician’s Regional claimed the hospital was not permitted to waive the cost-sharing portion of the bill based on the terms of its contract with the insurance company. But the Anthem representative said that was not true. As of publication, Germain still has an outstanding bill and neither Anthem nor Physician’s Regional has provided additional information on the status.