North Port man accuses insurance carrier of fraudAdopt a Mangrove event helps protect Sanibel’s shoreline
NORTH PORT North Port man accuses insurance carrier of fraud A North Port man went on 60 Minutes to accuse his home insurance carrier, Hertigate Insurance of fraud and worse.
Adopt a Mangrove event helps protect Sanibel’s shoreline Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation invited you to adopt your very own mangrove tree. The program allows volunteers to adopt and grow mangrove seedlings to help the island’s storm surge defense.
BOKEELIA Community comes together to help Bokeelia fish house The owner of Capt’n Con’s Fish House recently said she didn’t think they would be able to keep their doors open.
Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive ahead of heavy rain Fort Myers Beach is projected to receive inches of rain on Saturday, a little over a week after Helene. A Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive despite losing so much during Helene.
Lee County School District announces Helene makeup days Hurricane Helene canceled school days across Southwest Florida, and now schools are making up for the lost days.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors worried about future rain in Port Charlotte Flooded streets and road closure signs. These aren’t from a hurricane. Just an afternoon rain shower.
Charlotte Sheriff opposes Amendment 3 A highly debated topic that is going to be on the ballot in the state of Florida this November is Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana.
CAPTIVA Sanibel and Captiva picking back up after Helene It’s a race against the clock for all of Southwest Florida as communities pick up from Hurricane Helene. Rain is in the forecast again.
FORT MYERS BEACH A village helps a man rebuild on Fort Myers Beach With Helene on our minds, it’s hard to miss the impact Hurricane Ian still has on so many people two years later.
Charlotte County says they don’t have drainage issues in Port Charlotte A community left water logged over and over again is ready for it to end.
Bank of America says outages have been fixed Bank of America said an apparent glitch that caused widespread outages has been fixed.
TICE Second woman dead after September stabbing in Tice A second woman is dead after a stabbing. It happened on Sept. 20 on Montgomery Avenue in Tice.
VILLAS WINK News Game of the Week: Oasis at ECS Our WINK News Game of the Week brings us to Evangelical Christian School as the Sentinels host the Oasis High School Sharks.
FORT MYERS WINK News Player of the Week: Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith Our week six Wink News player of the week is one of the best in Lee County and the country: Bishop Verot High School quarterback Carter Smith.
FEMA offering disaster survivor assistance for those impacted by Helene If your home flooded during Hurricane Helene, you’re probably gutting the drywall and drying everything out as best you can, but what else do you need to do to get the help you need?
NORTH PORT North Port man accuses insurance carrier of fraud A North Port man went on 60 Minutes to accuse his home insurance carrier, Hertigate Insurance of fraud and worse.
Adopt a Mangrove event helps protect Sanibel’s shoreline Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation invited you to adopt your very own mangrove tree. The program allows volunteers to adopt and grow mangrove seedlings to help the island’s storm surge defense.
BOKEELIA Community comes together to help Bokeelia fish house The owner of Capt’n Con’s Fish House recently said she didn’t think they would be able to keep their doors open.
Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive ahead of heavy rain Fort Myers Beach is projected to receive inches of rain on Saturday, a little over a week after Helene. A Fort Myers Beach couple remains positive despite losing so much during Helene.
Lee County School District announces Helene makeup days Hurricane Helene canceled school days across Southwest Florida, and now schools are making up for the lost days.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors worried about future rain in Port Charlotte Flooded streets and road closure signs. These aren’t from a hurricane. Just an afternoon rain shower.
Charlotte Sheriff opposes Amendment 3 A highly debated topic that is going to be on the ballot in the state of Florida this November is Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana.
CAPTIVA Sanibel and Captiva picking back up after Helene It’s a race against the clock for all of Southwest Florida as communities pick up from Hurricane Helene. Rain is in the forecast again.
FORT MYERS BEACH A village helps a man rebuild on Fort Myers Beach With Helene on our minds, it’s hard to miss the impact Hurricane Ian still has on so many people two years later.
Charlotte County says they don’t have drainage issues in Port Charlotte A community left water logged over and over again is ready for it to end.
Bank of America says outages have been fixed Bank of America said an apparent glitch that caused widespread outages has been fixed.
TICE Second woman dead after September stabbing in Tice A second woman is dead after a stabbing. It happened on Sept. 20 on Montgomery Avenue in Tice.
VILLAS WINK News Game of the Week: Oasis at ECS Our WINK News Game of the Week brings us to Evangelical Christian School as the Sentinels host the Oasis High School Sharks.
FORT MYERS WINK News Player of the Week: Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith Our week six Wink News player of the week is one of the best in Lee County and the country: Bishop Verot High School quarterback Carter Smith.
FEMA offering disaster survivor assistance for those impacted by Helene If your home flooded during Hurricane Helene, you’re probably gutting the drywall and drying everything out as best you can, but what else do you need to do to get the help you need?
NCH will host an open house on Tuesday to update the public on contract negotiations with Florida Blue. CREDIT: WINK News With less than two weeks until the Sept. 30 deadline, NCH and Florida Blue still haven’t reached an agreement on contract negotiations. To keep the community informed, NCH will host an open house on Tuesday to update the public and discuss these ongoing negotiations. During this open house, representatives will address concerns regarding continuity of care for established patients with qualifying conditions and other potential changes that could impact patients with Florida Blue insurance. NCH said this meeting will provide clarity and transparency, which patients have been hoping for since contract negotiations started. “Our goal is to protect our patients and ensure we can continue providing them with the care they need,” said Matthew Stacell, NCH’s Chief Performance Improvement Officer. “We’ve been trying to work with Florida Blue for months to reach a fair agreement, but with the Sept. 30 deadline approaching, time is running out before NCH may be forced out of network for Florida Blue members.” NCH and Florida Blue have been going back and forth on contract negotiations for months and still haven’t reached an agreement. The two sides have less than two weeks to get on the same page and reach a solution. NCH’s most recent statement to WINK News says, “The system is seeking fair reimbursement from the insurance company to cover the rising cost of patient care and preserve local access to doctors and vital services for families across Southwest Florida.” Florida Blue responded to that statement saying in part, “Florida Blue believes in value-based care that prioritizes keeping people healthy. If NCH chooses to leave our network, we’ll ensure a seamless transition to other high-quality providers in the area.” With the deadline approaching, patients feel they’re stuck in the middle. “Somehow, NCH and Florida Blue need to come to a resolution on this so I don’t lose my NCH health coverage,” said Rich, an NCH patient and Florida Blue customer. “We are the ones that are kind of trapped and tied to both of them,” said Marcel Ebersbach, another customer. The open house will begin on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Telford Auditorium at the NCH Downtown Baker Hospital. It is scheduled to end at 6 p.m. WINK News will bring you updates from the meeting.