The Information on Health Insurance in Florida
The website in question reveals that in Florida, individuals may purchase health insurance plans utilizing several ways, which include health insurance provided by private companies, as well as those which can be obtained via federal market exchange (“Florida Health Insurance,” n.d.). In addition to that, eligible individuals should be able to make an application for getting public health insurance, such as that which is provided by CHIP (Florida Children’s Health Insurance Program) or Medicaid; or receiving assistance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, in which Florida participates (“Florida Health Insurance,” n.d.).
However, it is also pointed out that while Medicaid is active on the territory of Florida, the state decided not to expand its coverage to single adult individuals who have a low income, unlike several other states that provided such coverage (“Florida Health Insurance,” n.d.); in this respect, it is interesting to observe that the state of Florida is noted to have problems related to health, and yet the program has not been expanded to cover individuals who obviously cannot afford health insurance in most cases.
General Health Statistics of the Population of Florida
On the whole, the general health statistics about the state’s population are rather limited on the website. It is stated that as of 2014, Florida was estimated to be the 32nd healthiest state in the U.S. (“Florida Health Insurance,” n.d.). It is also highlighted that there exist some critical problems that require additional attention – for instance, the high percentage of individuals who have no health insurance at all – which virtually leaves them without any medical assistance in case of need, at least until their condition is so bad that they are eligible for emergency rooms under the federal EMTALA (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2012). The website, therefore, stresses that the critical issue to be addressed in Florida is the problem of accessibility (“Florida Health Insurance,” n.d.). It is also observed that the population can considerably increase its health statistics by practicing healthier lifestyles (“Florida Health Insurance,” n.d.).
Florida’s Position on Health Care Reform
The website does not focus on the position of the state authorities about the health care reform (“Florida Health Insurance,” n.d.). It is only stated that Florida decided to take part in the federal program when the Affordable Care Act came into effect, which permitted citizens to make applications for income-based financial help, but that Florida did not expand Medicaid to individuals who e adult, single, and have a low income when the Affordable Care Act took effect (“Florida Health Insurance,” n.d.).
The website of Florida’s Governor Richard Scott states that the Governor supports the expansion of the coverage of public health care insurance plans, but that the state is faced with issues about the financial provisions needed for such an expansion (“Governor Scott,” n.d.). From this, it is apparent that the debate is still ongoing because the insurance plans have not been expanded yet (“Florida Health Insurance,” n.d.).
The Possible Impact of Health Care Reform on My Practice in Florida
If a health care reform that offers increased insurance coverage for the residents of Florida comes into effect, it is possible to expect that this will have an impact on my practice in Florida. First of all, it is possible to assume that this will result in an increased number of patients because more individuals will be able to use medical services. However, this may also result in an increased workload; it is known that nurses often are rather overloaded in hospitals, and they may be a personnel shortage. Nevertheless, it is my opinion that if the health of the Floridian population is to be improved, expanding medical insurance coverage is paramount, as well as increasing the number of nurses to work in the health care sphere.
References
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2012). Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA). Web.
Florida health insurance. (n.d.). Web.
Governor Scott: Working for Affordable Health Care for Floridians. (n.d.). Web.