TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush again has asked federal Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala to speed approval of pending Medicare HMO applications in Florida areas facing the loss of such coverage, his office said Monday.

Among the estimated 26,000 older Floridians in that predicament are nearly 10,000 residents of Hernando County, who learned in July that the last two Medicare HMOs now serving the county will pull out at year's end. Since then, two other companies, Well Care Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare, have applied to the federal agency to serve the county.

Bush's letter to Shalala said, "Your assurances of prompt action are crucial to the peace of mind of Florida's elders who are facing a series of deadlines for decisions and actions prior to their disenrollment." His office said the approval process for new managed care plan applicants could last until mid-November. His letter urged Shalala to speed up the reviews and approvals to Oct. 1, which is the opening day of the 90-day enrollment period for coverage beginning Jan. 1.

The governor made a similar request to federal authorities on Aug. 30 to expedite the reviews of Medicare HMO applicants, his office said.

Unless new Medicare HMOs begin serving areas abandoned by other companies, residents will be left with only standard Medicare coverage, which charges higher co-payments and doesn't cover prescription drugs. Or they could spend hundreds of dollars a month on supplemental insurance.

Teen dies after lightning strikes him on beach

JACKSONVILLE -- A 14-year-old boy struck by lightning Saturday near St. Augustine died at Wolfson Children's Hospital Sunday afternoon.

John Gabriel Jr., of Jacksonville, was behind the family's beach home on Florida A1A north of the St. Augustine Inlet when his father heard the lightning strike about 4:15 p.m. Saturday. The boy, who was alone on the beach, was found lying at the surf line.

Rescue workers were able to restore a pulse before the boy was taken to the hospital.

Heavy rains and lightning in the area Saturday resulted from a cold front that had nothing to do with Hurricane Gordon, said Bob Kerns, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Jacksonville.

Would-be rescuer who died in pond is identified

DAYTONA BEACH -- A passer-by who died trying to rescue the driver of a car sinking in a pond was identified Monday as 26-year-old Emmanuel E. Wynn, of Daytona Beach.

Wynn was a passenger on a city bus that stopped when the driver saw the car spin into the detention pond Saturday afternoon. As the driver called her supervisor, who called 911, Wynn and two other passengers ran off the bus and dove into the 12- to 14-foot-deep pond to help the motorist.

The motorist, Nathan Ryer, 19, of Daytona Beach, was rescued, but Wynn somehow got trapped under the sinking vehicle.

It took about 20 minutes to get Wynn out of the water. A couple who were driving by stopped and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation but could not revive him.

An autopsy was planned, police said Monday.

Ryer told police he hit a puddle with his Mazda Miata convertible and skidded into the pond.

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Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk