Medicaid pilot project plan posted
By wire services
Published August 31, 2005
TALLAHASSEE - Florida's much-anticipated application to rewrite how the state's poor and disabled get medical care will be posted today on the Web site of the state Agency for Health Care Administration.
State lawmakers agreed in May to a pilot project in Duval and Broward counties to convert the state's Medicaid plan there to a managed care system similar to those private insurers offer. Gov. Jeb Bush sought the change, hoping to curb exploding Medicaid costs.
But the federal government, which provides the bulk of funding for Medicaid, must approve the pilot project. The Legislature also required the agency to post, for 30 days, its actual application to the federal government.
The pilot project plan will be posted at ahca.myflorida.com.
Florida's average SAT score slipsTALLAHASSEE - Florida's SAT test results fell in 2005, leaving it near the bottom of the 50 states.
Florida's average 996 score on one of the two major college entrance exams beat only the 993 average of both neighboring Georgia and South Carolina, and Texas' 995. District of Columbia schools had the lowest average, 968.
The Florida score dropped 2 points from 998 last year. The national average was 1,028, up 2 points. Iowa topped the states with 1,204, followed by Illinois with 1,200 and North Dakota with 1,195.
State officials attributed Florida's drop to more students taking the exam. Nine of the 10 states with the highest scores had participation rates of 10 percent or less, indicating that only their most serious students took the test. In many of those states, the competing ACT is more popular.
State goal: Cut child abuse in halfTALLAHASSEE - The Department of Children and Families announced a five-year plan Tuesday to cut child abuse rates in half by working with communities and other agencies to improve prevention programs and better identify and respond to families needing help.
The agency plans to work more closely with law enforcement, health, education, employment and other officials to improve conditions that make child abuse more likely and to prevent future abuse once it has been reported.
The plan "reflects conventional wisdom and belief that plans across the state need to be connected," said Beth Englander, who directs the DCF's child welfare office.
Florida's abuse and neglect rate is 31.5 per 1,000 children. Only two other states had a rate above 20 per 1,000. The DCF wants to reduce that to 15 per 1,000.