House Bill Takes Aim At Prescription Costs
January 18, 2018
Pharmacists would be required to advise people about the costs of escriptions and whether the retail prices of drugs are lower than cost-sharing requirements imposed by insurers or HMOs, under a bill approved unanimously Wednesday by a House health-care panel.
Filed by Rep. David Santiago, R-Deltona, the bill (HB 351) also would require pharmacy benefit managers — often called “PBMs” — to register with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and to supply information about their chief executive officers, chief financial officers and people responsible for the day-to-day operations of the companies. Registrations would be valid for two years.
Santiago said the bill, approved by the House Health Innovation Subcommittee, “begins to shine light and accountability” on pharmacy benefit managers and their practices.
Insurers and HMOs use pharmacy benefit managers as intermediaries with other health-care companies. Among the largest are Express Scripts and CVS Caremark. Pharmacy benefit managers negotiate large customer contracts and negotiate with pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies to get the best rates.
In addition to requiring pharmacy benefit managers to register with the state, the bill would amend insurance and HMO laws to detail what is allowable in contracts with pharmacy benefit managers and what is banned.
For instance, under the contracts, pharmacy benefit managers could not limit the ability of pharmacies to substitute generic equivalent drugs for brand-name drugs.
Rep. Nicholas Duran, D-Miami, said he was concerned the bill only ties the prohibition to contracts and that Santiago should consider changing it to make sure other documents between insurers or HMOs and pharmacy benefit managers would not impede pharmacists’ ability to let patients know about the most cost-effective options.
The bill is next scheduled to head to the House Appropriations Committee.
While the bill was supported by pharmacists and physicians, Abigail Stoddard, a lobbyist for Prime Therapeutics, raised some concerns. Those concerns included amending state insurance and HMO laws with measures that are currently included in pharmacy regulations. Prime Therapeutics is a pharmacy benefits management company owned by 18 Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans.
The House Health Innovation Subcommittee also approved a pharmacy-related bill that would preclude HMOs and insurers from requiring customers to be subjected to repeated “step therapy” protocols.
As initially filed, the proposal (HB 199) would have required insurers and HMOs to authorize or deny physicians’ requests to circumvent “step therapy” requirements within three business days for non-urgent care situations and within 24 hours for urgent care situations. If the requests were denied, insurers would have been required to provide detailed written explanations of the denial.
Step therapy is a type of prior authorization where patients must first try less-expensive drugs before they can “step” to more expensive drugs.
Bill sponsor Shawn Harrison, R-Tampa, said the initial bill was identical to a Senate measure (SB 98), which he prefers. But Harrison said he agreed to changes as a way to get the issue considered in the House.
“This is a vehicle we thought we could get started with,” Harrison said. “It’s smaller and we’ll see how it goes as the process moves along.”
by Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida
Another Freeze Tonight
January 18, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday Night: Clear and cold. Low 19.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. Calm wind.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Calm wind.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 68. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 61.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 58.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.
FHP Troopers Issued Narcan To Help Fight Opioid Epidemic
January 18, 2018
The Florida Highway Patrol announced Wednesday it is issuing naloxone, an overdose-reversal drug commonly known by the brand name Narcan, to state troopers.
The troopers will be the latest law-enforcement officers to start using the drug, which revives overdose victims. The move comes as law-enforcement agencies and other first responders struggle to deal with the state’s opioid epidemic, which is responsible for at least 16 deaths each day in Florida.
The highway patrol “is part of a concerted, collaborative effort to combat the opioid crisis,” Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Terry Rhodes said in a prepared statement. Rhodes, whose department includes the highway patrol, said it is “critical that our members can safely perform their jobs to help prevent any unnecessary injuries or deaths in our state.”
Troopers in Broward, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin and Indian River counties were the first officers to receive supplies of the drug, according to a news release.
“FHP knows firsthand the seriousness of the opioid crisis and the department is taking the necessary steps to adapt our techniques and arm our troopers with the tools that will ensure the safety of the public and FHP,” Col. Gene Spaulding, director of the highway patrol, said.
The overdose reversal drug will be used to assist members of the public as well as first responders who may be accidentally exposed to potentially fatal synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and carfentanil. Miniscule amounts of such drugs “have been determined to be fatal, and even exposure from minor skin contact” can cause serious medical issues as well as death, according to the release.
by The News Service of Florida
Robert (Bobby) Wayne Henderson
January 18, 2018
Robert (Bobby) Wayne Henderson passed away peacefully on January 17, 2018. He was born on May 26, 1937 in Kynesville, Florida to William (Bill) Maxwell and Ruth Inez Henderson. He moved at an early age to Pensacola, Florida.
Bobby (Wayne) was preceded in death by his loving wife of 43 years, Shirley Harrelson Henderson. He is survived by his daughter Susan (Tony) Allender and his son Chris (Laurie) Henderson; his grandchildren: Travis (Megan) Allender and Kristen (Josh) Huss; his sisters Patricia Harrelson (Warren) Jernigan and Maxine Livingston (George) Sawyer and his brother Johnnie (Joyce) Henderson and a large extended family of nieces and nephews and close friends.
He retired from with Reichold Chemicals where he worked as an electrical instrument mechanic.
Bobby (Wayne) was a member of East Hill Baptist Church and attended Olive Baptist church.
He loved spending time with his family and friends. He spent his life playing and coaching baseball and softball. He loved hunting and working with wood. He loved helping others.
We will celebrate Bobby’s (Wayne) life during visitation which will be held at Bayview Funeral Home, Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 10:00 am. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to your local church or favorite charity.
Black Ice Tonight, Hard Freeze With Low In The Teens
January 17, 2018
There is a hard freeze warning and a wind chill advisory in effect. The National Weather Service is also warning of the danger of black ice tonight — residual snow and ice cover on roadways will quickly refreeze tonight, creating areas of black ice and dangerous driving conditions.
*What?…What is black ice? Black ice is a transparent sheet of ice that forms on highways and can be difficult to identify until you already driven over it. The source of black ice is melted residual glaze from freezing rain andor melted snow and sleet that re- freezes. Black ice can be especially dangerous on elevated roadways such as overpasses and inclines such as bridges. This is where many reports have come from.
*When and Where?…Black ice will form once again regionwide from 4 PM until 10 AM tomorrow morning south of Highway-84 and endure until Noon CST north of that Corridor. Local emergency management, working very closely with the NWS in Mobile, AL today have confirmed the black ice situation over most areas, and they are very concerned about the situation over the next day or so. So,
slow down and use extra precaution if you must drive.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 17. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 44. Wind chill values between 10 and 20. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 23. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 53. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Calm wind.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Monday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 62.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.
Escambia (FL) And Santa Rosa Schools Back In Session On Thursday, Escambia (AL) Out Again
January 17, 2018
Escambia and Santa Rosa County schools in Florida will be open on Thursday. Escambia County Schools in Alabama will be closed again.
ESCAMBIA, FL
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas has announced that Escambia County (FL) District Schools will resume regular schedules on Thursday, January 18, 2018. However, all outdoor sports/activities for Thursday, January 18 have been canceled due to continued low temperatures. In preparation for the cold temperatures, district transportation routes will be handled as promptly as possible; the District requests assistance in asking families to formulate plans tonight to limit student exposure while traveling to school or waiting at bus stops in the mornings and evenings. Weather forecasts for the rest of the week will be monitored accordingly.
SANTA ROSA
Assistant Superintendent Joey Harrell, said based on the latest reports received from Santa Rosa County Emergency Operations, and Santa Rosa County Roads and Bridges, a decision has been made to resume normal school operations, with the exception of outside activities (to include PE) for tomorrow. Please keep in mind that school start temperatures and wind chill factors will be well below freezing tomorrow morning. Parents are encouraged to be mindful of these extreme conditions, especially if your children will be waiting outside at bus stops.
ESCAMBIA, AL
Escambia County Public Schools (Alabama) will be closed Thursday, January 18, 2018 due to the potential for dangerous icy road conditions. All schools will reopen following the regular schedule on Friday, January 19, 2018. Please stay safe. Thank you for your patience. Friday, students should wear school uniforms. Any warm outerwear will be allowed.
Bridge, Road Closure List
January 17, 2018
The following roads and bridges are closed:
Drivers are advised to use caution. Most roadways/bridges have reopened.
Additionally, officials are warning drivers to user extra care from Molino north. Read more…
Pictured: Only emergency vehicles on the 3 Mile Bridge at 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Officials Recommend ‘Stay Off The Roads From Molino North’ (With Photos)
January 17, 2018
Update: Roadways are now open, but caution is still urged as there are still patches of ice from Molino north.
Escambia County Public Works Director Wes Moreno is advising drivers to stay off the roads if at all possible in the northern part of the county.
“Basically from Molino north,” Moreno said. “It would be better if people could just stay off the roads this morning.”
There are no road or bridge closures in North Escambia, but Moreno warns that there are slippery spots from ice across the area, not just on bridges. He warned that frozen conditions may continue throughout the day as temperatures are forecast to barely rise past the freezing mark.
The Florida Highway Patrol is warning that there is snow and ice all over the roadways in North Escambia, with a specific warning about Highway 4 from Highway 29 in Century to Highway 97 in Davisville.
Further south, the 3 Mile Bridge and the Bob Sikes Bridge (to Pensacola Beach) are both closed.
Pictured: Highway 4 between Bratt and Century, including at Canoe Creek (top). Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pictured: Florida Ices Over
January 17, 2018
Here are photos of the accumulation of sleet and ice in Bratt, FL, about 3:45 a.m. Wednesday. A thin layer of ice covered most exposed surfaces. A few flurries were coming down, but the precipitation had mostly passed at the time, according to radar (pictured 3:45 a.m.). NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Have photos? Email news@northescambia.com and include your location.
North Escambia Area Weather Closure List
January 17, 2018
The following closures have been reported to NorthEscambia.com for Wednesday, January 17 due to anticipated snow and ice conditions.
This closure list focuses on the North Escambia area only and will be updated frequently. Return to this page for the latest updates.
To add a closure to this list, submit in the comments below or email news@northescambia.com from an agency or company email and include a contact phone number.
ESCAMBIA & SANTA ROSA, FL
Public Schools, Daycares, Preschools
- Escambia & Santa Rosa Counties
- Escambia County (FL) Schools
- Byrneville Elementary charter school
- Santa Rosa County Schools
- Pensacola Christian Academy
- University of West Florida
- Pensacola State College
- Trinity Learning Center at 3400 Bayou Blvd
- Little Ones Learning Academy
- Camp Fire USA Child Centers (including Century)
- All Catholic schools
Other Escambia (FL) Area Closures
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners (all departments)
- Escambia County Property Appraiser
- Escambia County Tax Collector
- Escambia County Area Transit administrative offices, ECAT bus and trolley service
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office
- Escambia County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s office
- Escambia County Animal Shelter
- First Judicial Circuit Courts (Escambia & Santa Rosa only)
- West Florida Library (all locations)
- NAS Pensacola non essential personnel and visitors
- Corry Station, Saufley Field closed to non essential personnel and visitors
- Pensacola Airport — open, but check airline – some flights canceled
- Council on Aging Senior Dining Sites
- City of Pensacola — all offices
- Town Of Century — all offices/departments (essential personnel on call)
- Escambia County Dept. Of Health (all offices)
- Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County & child care
- ECUA offices open at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Wednesday pickup on Thursday, Thursday pickup on Friday, Friday pickup on Saturday
- Escambia Extension Council Meeting canceled
- City of Milton, all offices
- City of Jay, all of offices
- Northwest Florida Clean Cities Coalition meeting canceled.
- Nemours Children’s Specialty Care
- Escambia Community Clinics — all locations
- Escambia County Sheriff Neighborhood Watch Academy canceled.
- Ray’s Chapel Baptist — no evening service
- Abundant Life Assembly Of God (Century) – no evening service
- First Baptist Church of Cottage Hill – no evening service
- Highland Baptist Church — no evening services
Other Santa Rosa Area Closures
- Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners, including the library system
- Santa Rosa County Animal Shelter (including the animal shelter night box)
- Central Landfill (trash collections will not take place on Wed., Jan. 17. Waste Pro will collect Wednesday’s routes on Thursday, Thursday’s routes on Friday and Friday’s routes on Saturday. If your normal collection day is Saturday that will not be collected until Wednesday next week. ECUA collections will continue on Thursday as scheduled. For more information, call Waste Pro, 850-365-1900 or ECUA, 850-476-0480.)
- Santa Rosa County Clerk of the Court
- Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser
- Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections
- Santa Rosa County Tax Collector
- Santa Rosa County Schools
- First Judicial Circuit Court, Santa Rosa County – First appearances on Jan. 17 will be conducted at the Santa Rosa County Jail at 9 a.m. Judge Rimmer’s docket day has been rescheduled to Thurs., Jan. 18. Domestic violence injunction hearings originally scheduled for January 17th will be rescheduled to January 24 at 8:15 a.m., unless otherwise notified.
- Santa Rosa County Health Department
- City of Milton offices closed EXCEPT for police and fire. City trash pickup will NOT operate tomorrow. The City of Milton Florida will notify residents of the new pickup schedule.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, AL
- Escambia County (AL) Schools
- Escambia Academy
- Brewton City Schools
Pictured: Our December North Escambia storm with two inches on the ground in Century. Photo Copyright 2017 NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.