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Florida awards funding for youth mentoring services

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis announced $1 million for youth mentoring services with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice on Wednesday.

According to the governor’s office, the $1 million builds off of nearly $13 million for mentorship at the Department of Children and Families. It also comes after the first lady has expanded her “Hope Florida” program.

“Investing in mentorship is an investment in Florida’s future and one that will empower and strengthen the next generation,” the first lady said. “Mentoring isn’t just about providing guidance to young people; it’s about unlocking their unique potential and helping them build skills and resilience that will shape them as our emerging leaders in Florida and our country.”

The program “One Mentor One Child” was launched in 2022 within the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

The increased funding will go to multiple organizational partners via that program.

Proposed House bill would provide liability protection for corporations following cybersecurity breaches

Amid a rash of recent statewide cybersecurity attacks, Rep. Mike Giallombardo introduced legislation on Wednesday that would protect counties, municipalities, commercial entities, and third-party agents from liability in the event of a cyberattack, provided they comply with designated cybersecurity standards.

The core of the bill requires that the included entities align with established cybersecurity frameworks, such as those from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Compliance requirements vary based on the size of the entity and the sensitivity of the data they handle.

Entities under specific regulations, like those bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), would be required to tailor their cybersecurity measures to meet these regulations, should the bill be adopted.

“A sole proprietorship, corporation, association, or other commercial entity that acquires, maintains, stores, or uses personal information is not liable in connection with a cybersecurity incident if the entity substantially complies with [cybersecurity frameworks],” reads the bill.

Medicaid enrollment in Florida continues to drop

Enrollment in Florida’s Medicaid program has dropped by more than 670,000 people after the end of a federal public-health emergency, as a potential class-action lawsuit continues about the state’s handling of the issue.

Newly posted data by the state Agency for Health Care Administration showed that 5,105,874 people were enrolled as of an October count, down from a high of 5,778,536 in April. Decreases are expected to continue in the program, which provides health care to low-income people.

The federal government declared a public-health emergency in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began. Medicaid is jointly funded by the federal and state governments. As part of the emergency, Washington agreed to pick up more of the tab for the program.

But in exchange for the extra money, states had to agree that they wouldn’t drop people from the Medicaid rolls during the emergency. Florida’s program grew from about 3.8 million beneficiaries in January 2020 to the nearly 5.78 million in April of this year. At least in part, the increase stemmed from the program being unable to drop people who otherwise might not qualify because of their income levels.

Positive Healthcare is leaving Florida, causing an insurance scramble for HIV/AIDs patients

Pete Povoli has more voicemails than time to respond and people lined up outside his Fort Lauderdale office seeking his help.

As a case manager at the AIDS Health Foundation, Povoli must work fast to find new insurance for Broward County residents whose low-cost health plan will be gone at the end of the year. Close to 900 patients in Florida are scrambling for insurance after Positive Healthcare, also known as PHP, has announced it will no longer offer coverage in Florida after Dec. 31. The insurer has been in the state for 15 years in Miami-Dade, Broward and Duval counties.

PHP is a Medicare Advantage health plan that also includes prescription drug coverage for people who have HIV or AIDS.  The plan is backed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and members get all of the regular Medicare benefits and access to specialists at no additional cost. Their prescription drugs, especially HIV medications, are also covered at a low cost.

The insurer will continue to be operate in California, but a Positive Healthcare executive says Florida has become too costly to continue to offer its plan after changes to  Medicare reimbursement.