For more than a decade, the spouses of Tampa police officers killed in the line of duty have been offered a choice of health insurance plans at no cost to them – three this year. Last, the city sent a letter to the widows of three fallen officers explaining that that the because of budget constraints and rising insurance costs, it would only pay the full cost for one plan. Another plan would be offered but the families would have to kick in some money. ...more

November 20, 2009

The health insurance industry offered Tuesday for the first time to curb its controversial practice of charging higher premiums to people with a history of medical problems. ...more

March 24, 2009

Looking for happiness - it's family-friendly communities for some, tropical paradise or the rugged West for others. A survey of Americans' well-being, conducted by Gallup in partnership with Healthways and America's Health Insurance Plans, gives high marks to Utah, which boasts lots of outdoor recreation for its youthful population. ...more

March 11, 2009

Some of the Tampa area's largest hospitals are starting to modernize one of the most meaningful and important milestones in a baby's life: getting a birth certificate. St. Joseph's Women's Hospital and others are starting to use a new portable computer system to generate a birth certificate in the mother's hospital room – dramatically speeding up a vital, but sometimes cumbersome, bureaucratic process. ...more

October 8, 2008

Lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Crist are trying to find a way to get coverage for more of the nearly 4 million Floridians without health insurance, but how successful they are may depend on how much leeway they're willing to give insurance companies to craft low-cost plans. ...more

April 18, 2008

"Experience has shown that increasing taxes on cigarettes is one of the most effective strategies for reducing the level of smoking, especially among adolescents ..." ...more

February 19, 2008

The influx of convenient care clinics continues in the Tampa Bay area. Walgreens will open nine Take Care Health Clinics in the Tampa market as part of a nationwide push to add 400 centers to its 6,000 locations in the next year. The local clinics should open by November, company spokeswoman Tiffani Bruce said. She declined to identify specific locations. ...more

October 3, 2007

TAMPA - The influx of convenient care clinics continues to rise in the Bay area. Walgreen Co. will open nine Take Care Health Clinics in the Tampa market as part of a nationwide push to add 400 of the centers to its 6,000 locations in the next year. The local clinics should open by November, said company spokeswoman Tiffani Bruce. She declined to identify specific locations. ...more

October 2, 2007