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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
After Cleveland Clinic expanded to Florida, patients say surprise fees followed
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — When the Cleveland Clinic started acquiring hospitals and medical offices in this palm tree-lined region six years ago, many Floridians were excited. The Ohio nonprofit, ranked among the top hospitals in the world, pledged to bring expert care and an infusion of cash to the state's Treasure Coast, an area north of Boca Raton brimming with 55-and-up gated communities. But in the years after the Cleveland Clinic's blue and green signs popped up outside dozens of medical offices, patients began receiving unexpected bills: an additional $95 for a consultation with a neurosurgeon. An extra $112 to see a family medicine physician. And $174 more for a neurologist appointment that previously cost only a $50 co-pay. Baffled, the patients contacted their doctors' offices and insurers and learned that the new costs were 'facility fees' — charges that hospitals have traditionally billed for inpatient stays and emergency room visits but are now increasingly charging for routine appointments in their outpatient clinics. The fees, which are often not fully covered by insurance, are meant to support the higher level of care that these doctors' offices provide, according to hospitals. For blindsided patients, that can mean paying a hospital fee — even if they never set foot in a hospital. 'My heart dropped,' said Brandy Macaluso-Owens, 43, a social worker who lives in Port St. Lucie. She received a $174 facility fee after a visit in March with a Cleveland Clinic gastroenterologist. 'I probably met with the doctor maybe as little as 15 minutes.' The Cleveland Clinic defended facility fees in an email, saying they are an 'appropriate practice' that align 'with government regulations and industry guidelines.' 'These fees help support just some of the costs of maintaining outpatient facilities so that we can continue providing high-quality, compassionate care to all patients,' the Cleveland Clinic said. The Cleveland Clinic is far from the only hospital charging facility fees, which amount to billions of dollars annually for patients across the country. The fees have become pervasive in recent years as major health systems have snapped up doctors' offices, making it harder for patients to find independent practices: More than half of all physicians nationally are now employed by hospitals or health systems, up from just a quarter in 2012. For more on facility fees, watch NBC's 'Nightly News with Tom Llamas' at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT and 'Top Story' on NBC News NOW at 7 p.m. ET. At the same time, facility fees have become more noticeable because of a rise in high-deductible health insurance plans, which leave patients paying a larger share of their medical bills before their insurance kicks in. A study last year found that the average deductible for employer-sponsored coverage had risen about 47% in a decade. These factors are affecting many patients who are already teetering financially. About half of adults in the U.S. say they would be unable to pay an unexpected $500 medical bill or would have to go into debt to pay it, according to the health policy group KFF. Facility fees can run into the hundreds of dollars, and even small amounts can quickly add up. Did your doctor's office charge you a facility fee? Here's what to know 'People are getting really high bills for simple, routine care,' said Christine Monahan, an assistant research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University who has studied the issue. 'They don't expect to be paying high bills for this. And it's not realistic to expect people to be able to afford this.' Opposition to outpatient facility fees is a rare area of agreement between patient advocates and insurance companies, which argue that hospitals are unnecessarily inflating the cost of care. While efforts to restrict facility fees have drawn bipartisan support at the state and federal levels, the hospital industry has pushed back, arguing that the fees are necessary to help fund core services like 24/7 emergency departments, and that insurers should cover them. These national forces are all colliding in southeast Florida, where 11 patients told NBC News that the Cleveland Clinic had charged them unexpected facility fees in the past several years. For some, the fees were a mere annoyance, a sign of the escalating cost of health care. For others, the bills were a financial burden too big to shoulder. And some are refusing to pay them. Billie Paukune Boorman, a waitress, was recently charged a $174 facility fee for her 13-year-old daughter's ear, nose and throat appointment, along with over $200 in other unanticipated charges. 'I don't have that kind of money laying around,' she said. The Cleveland Clinic declined an interview request from NBC News and declined to comment on individual cases but said in its email that patients are charged facility fees in doctors' offices that are classified as hospital outpatient departments, which must meet stricter quality and safety standards than nonaccredited physician practices. The facility fees reflect 'the significant added costs to hospitals of complying with these standards,' the Cleveland Clinic added. The Cleveland Clinic told NBC News that it has sent more than 250,000 letters to its Florida patients informing them of the fees ahead of their appointments, and said it posts signs at its offices saying that they are hospital outpatient departments. Medicare patients receive an additional notice at check-in. The letters that the Cleveland Clinic sent say patients may see 'a change from how you were billed in the past' but do not explicitly note that patients may be charged more out of pocket. Many of the patients who spoke to NBC News did not recall receiving the letters. The health system did not answer questions about how it determines the price of a facility fee but said the costs 'vary depending on the facility and the type of medical services provided.' Several patients said they did not notice any differences in their care after the fees were implemented. Last year, Irene Rauch, 66, a semiretired human resources executive, was charged a $95 facility fee for an appointment with a neurosurgeon she said she had seen for the same type of appointment three months earlier for just a $15 co-pay. The added charge was not something she had budgeted for. 'I'm grateful for the care that I've gotten at the facility,' she said. 'Does it justify this unknown fee, when you go to see the doctor for a check-up and you're in there for five minutes?' A booming population with growing health care needs Along Florida's Treasure Coast, signs of the booming — and aging — population are everywhere. Strip malls full of medical offices pepper the streets, and senior centers bustle with exercise classes and bingo games. In 2018, the leaders of the Cleveland Clinic saw the area's growing need for health care and invested in the century-old nonprofit's first major expansion outside Ohio. Renowned for cardiac surgery, among other specialties, the Cleveland Clinic emphasizes its public health mission, committing over $413 million annually to philanthropy. The health system now owns four hospitals and dozens of outpatient offices across the Treasure Coast, including family health clinics, sleep labs and a wound care center, and it has vowed to be 'part of the social fabric of the community.' The flurry of facility fees did not immediately follow the Cleveland Clinic's arrival in Florida: Most patients said they only noticed them in the last year or two. In February, Mark Huber, 60, of Hobe Sound, went to a Cleveland Clinic neurologist whom his wife, Victoria, had seen a couple of times in 2024. The couple had carefully selected the in-network doctor from their commercial insurance plan's website so they would only have a $50 co-pay. But after his appointment, Mark Huber received a bill for a $174 facility fee. 'We were just floored that this charge came and no one was apologizing,' he said. Some of the outpatient offices that the Cleveland Clinic has acquired in the region had already been charging facility fees prior to becoming part of its health system, the Cleveland Clinic said in an email to NBC News. It said it began charging fees in the last two years at additional sites to be consistent across its locations. 'We understand this frustration with any change and are transparent with all billing practices,' the Cleveland Clinic said. Patients with concerns can speak to a Cleveland Clinic financial advocate, the organization added. During a Facebook Live chat with a Cleveland Clinic executive in February, patients expressed confusion and anger about the fees. Dr. Rishi Singh, vice president and chief medical officer of the Cleveland Clinic Martin North and South Hospitals in Martin County, Florida, told the patients that they were now receiving 'hospital-level care' that independent doctors don't offer. 'We are required to have various ways of sterilizing things, to inspect our facilities, to make sure they're clean, to have air handling, to do all these special things,' he said. 'That's a big difference in the way that the cost is for that.' Among those who pressed Singh was Virginia MacDonald, who lives in Stuart. She posted in the Facebook chat that her husband had been charged hundreds of dollars worth of facility fees for weekly health care appointments. In response to her and others, Singh advised patients to talk with their insurance companies about facility fees, which MacDonald said she felt was 'ridiculous.' 'There's always this push and shove over what insurance companies are going to cover,' she said in a recent phone interview. 'I just think they found this little hidden charge where they can get away with it.' MacDonald said Florida Blue, a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, left the couple responsible for a 'huge portion' of her husband's facility fees. Insurers argue that facility fees for outpatient visits burden patients and insurance companies with costs that do not improve the quality of care. In an interview with NBC News, a Blue Cross executive criticized them as a way for hospitals to drive up health care costs. 'These fees are tacked on to patient bills with vague descriptions, virtually no transparency as to why, or why they're being charged,' said David Merritt, a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association senior vice president. 'They shouldn't be tacked on simply to raise revenue for hospitals.' A push for regulations The dissatisfaction over facility fees in Florida is mirrored across the country, with patients fuming on social media about the dominant hospital chains in their area, advocates raising concerns that facility fees too often surprise patients, and state legislators seeking to impose limits. Nineteen states have passed laws related to facility fees, according to the health policy advocacy group United States of Care. Some require only that hospitals warn patients about the fees in advance; others, such as Connecticut, ban facility fees for certain outpatient services. Ohio prohibits facility fees just for telehealth appointments, and other states, such as Indiana, require hospitals to submit annual reports that include their facility fees. On the federal level, the Trump administration has pushed for protections to shield Medicare patients against some facility fees. A bipartisan proposal expected to be introduced in Congress this year would extend those reforms, requiring Medicare to pay the same rate for common outpatient services whether the doctor's office is independent or owned by a hospital. The American Hospital Association opposes efforts to limit facility fees, as does the Florida Hospital Association. In a phone interview, Florida Hospital Association President and CEO Mary Mayhew said hospitals are struggling to cover expenses, especially because Medicaid reimbursement 'doesn't come anywhere close to covering the cost' of many services that Florida hospitals provide. She said facility fees are critical to keeping doctors' offices and hospitals open and said insurers should cover them. In Florida, then-House speaker Paul Renner, a Republican, championed legislation last year to clamp down on surprise health care costs, including by requiring medical offices to disclose a patient's facility fees in advance. 'Unlike going to the grocery store where you can look at price per gallon of milk or the price per pound of an item, in health care, we know what we're told and we pay what we're told, but not before the fact,' Renner said in a recent interview. 'We get that explanation of benefits afterwards that's very opaque and hard to follow what you pay, your insurance pays, and it disempowers patients.' Existing Florida law requires facilities to share good-faith cost estimates with patients who request them. Eventually, the law will require these doctors' offices to notify all patients about their estimated facility fee costs before they see medical providers — but that portion of the law is not yet in effect. As patients discover the facility fees on their bills, some are switching to independent doctors to avoid the extra costs. In many cases, that means traveling farther for care: Dr. Evelio Sardiña, who practices concierge medicine in Jupiter about 45 minutes from Port St. Lucie, has heard these patients' frustrations firsthand. 'If you're being charged a new fee, you expect there to be a new service,' Sardiña said of his conversations with patients. 'It comes right down to, 'What is the service I'm getting for the money that I'm now being charged?' And the answer is, 'I'm not getting any new service — I'm just paying more, so I'm feeling a little more taken advantage of.'' One of the few Cleveland Clinic patients NBC News spoke to who remembered receiving notice in advance to expect a facility fee was Cindy Aaron, 68, who lives in Fort Pierce. A bladder and kidney cancer survivor, Aaron must see a urologist every six months to make sure she is still in remission. After receiving a letter in the mail from the Cleveland Clinic informing her of the new facility charges, she called to request an estimate ahead of her appointment in April. The 15-minute urologist appointments, which previously cost her only a $35 co-pay, would now cost an estimated $300, the Cleveland Clinic told her. She canceled the appointment. 'This is a rip-off,' Aaron said. 'I've never seen anything like this before.' Elizabeth Chuck reported from Port St. Lucie, Florida; Maite Amorebieta reported from New York. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
Florida sea turtle nesting season: Reckless people blamed for false crawls on Vero Beach
An increase in sea turtle nesting season false crawls on Treasure Coast beaches has one conservation group urging residents to stay off the beach at night, be more careful if you do go, and don't scare away the animals. About 70% of turtles' attempts to nest were thwarted on a half-mile stretch of Vero Beach between Sexton Plaza Beach and Humiston Beach Park since June 1, said Kendra Bergman, executive director of Coastal Connections, a Vero Beach-based sea turtle conservation group. That touristy strip of oceanfront hotels and restaurants has attracted about 60 people a night, with a peak of 108, Bergman told TCPalm. About a quarter of them used white flashlights and many interacted with turtles, "ultimately influencing the turtle to not nest and return to the ocean," Bergman said. "Although not every false crawl is caused by humans, the human-influenced false crawls are a major concern and completely preventable," Bergman said. Florida sea turtle nesting season Avoid the beach after dark from March through October. In Vero Beach, the public beach parks close at 10 p.m. If you insist on going at night, do not use a phone or flashlight because the white light scares nesting sea turtles. Human eyes will adjust to the dark, and the moon gives off enough natural light to stay safe. Join a guided turtle walk or daytime turtle dig to search for live hatchlings that didn't make it out of the nest and release them into the ocean. Always view wildlife from a distance. If you insist on going at night, give turtles lots of space so you can watch the entire nesting process without disturbing them. False crawls, light pollution, lack of rain, climate change Other false crawl culprits — some natural and some human-caused — include coastal light pollution, beach furniture and other obstructions, and holes left in the sand and some natural beach composition issues. In June and July, the sand can become dry when there's no rain, said Lauren Maline, a biologist with Ecological Associates. The private consultant based in Jensen Beach documented higher rates of false crawls during a two- to three-week period in mid-June and early-July, when there was an unusual lack of rain, Maline said. "Extremely dry sand can inhibit the ability of our sea turtles to properly dig their egg chambers," Maline said. "During times of decreased rain, we often see more abandoned nesting attempts, where the turtles have sometimes started the nesting process, but then abandoned due to less-than-ideal conditions. " Recent rain "helped a lot in reducing the number of false crawls we are seeing each day," Maline said in mid-July. Loggerhead sea turtle nests For loggerhead sea turtles, it is not unusual for the false crawl rate to exceed 50% or even average 60% as it did on the Treasure Coast in 2024, Maline said. The percentage of successful crawls above the high tide line that result in nests averages 40-50%, and in 2024, it was: 37% in Indian River County 41% in Martin County 42% in St. Lucie County So far this year, it's been: 44.1% in Indian River County 49.1% in Martin County 53% in St. Lucie County "Data actually shows that as a whole, we are at a higher nesting success than last season," Maline said. "It is still early in the nesting season, so these numbers will change and this data only accounts for one species of the three that nest on our beaches." The other two are greens and leatherbacks. Loggerhead, green, leatherback turtle nesting numbers Loggerhead sea turtles have laid this many nests so far this year: 1,305 in Martin County 3,865 in Indian River County 3,930 in St. Lucie County Green sea turtles have laid this many nests so far this year: 64 in Martin County 243 St. Lucie County 666 in Indian River County Leatherback sea turtles have laid this many nests so far this year: 75 in Indian River County 218 in Martin County 245 in St. Lucie County What is the nesting behavior of a sea turtle? Sea turtles, which are on the federal endangered species list, live most of their lives in the ocean, but adult females lay their eggs on land. They often return to the same beach where they were born. They migrate hundreds to thousands of miles between feeding grounds and nesting beaches every year. Leatherbacks are among the most highly migratory animals on earth, traveling as many as 10,000 miles or more each year, according to NOAA Fisheries. The temperature of the sand determines the hatchlings' sex. Nests that are 81.86 degrees produce males while 88.8 degrees produces females, according to NOAA. Fluctuating temperatures will produce a mix. Gopher tortoises: Relocations spike amid development boom, but Florida running out of room Florida coral reef: Will fishing council let rock shrimp nets drag the rare Oculina Bank? Loss and degradation of nesting and foraging habitats due to coastal development, pollution and climate change are among the most significant threats to sea turtles around the world. Others include: Vessel strikes Entanglement in marine debris Bycatch from commercial and recreational fishing In some areas, killing and eating turtles and their eggs. Tim O'Hara is TCPalm's environment reporter. Contact him at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida sea turtle nesting season false crawls on Vero Beach Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
How many shark attacks in Florida? What to do to reduce chances of being bitten by shark
During the summer, the primo spot for a hot and sunny day is the beach. Even with the calm nature of the beach, some might be wary of going too deep into the ocean for fear of getting bitten by a shark. The Florida Museum of Natural History puts the odds of being attacked by a shark at 1 in 11.5 million, but it's still a fear for many beachgoers. Here's what to know about shark bites on the Treasure Coast and how to stay safe when swimming at the beach. Shark bites on the Treasure Coast Since 1998, there have been 76 shark bites, two of which were fatal. There have been no reported shark bites this year, but in 2024, there was one at Bathtub Beach in Martin County. The 2024 bite was the second time Cole Taschman had been bitten by a shark — at the same beach, 11 years apart. Database: Shark bites on the Treasure Coast since 1998 How many shark attacks happened in Florida in 2024? There were 14 reported bites in Florida, a slight decrease from 16 in 2023, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File 2024 report released in February. Taschman sustained a shark bite while paddling out near Bathtub Beach on Oct. 25. A seven- or eight-foot tiger or bull shark bit his feet in one bite, according to Taschman. The United States recorded the most bites, totaling 28, including one fatality in Hawaii. Reduce the odds of being bitten by a shark Here are some tips from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for reducing your odds of being bitten by a shark, even though the chances are already low: Always stay in groups, as sharks are more likely to bite a solitary individual. Do not wander too far from shore. Avoid being in the water during dark hours or twilight, when sharks are most active. Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating because a shark's ability to smell blood is acute. Wearing shiny jewelry is discouraged because light reflects off shiny jewelry, which resembles the sheen of fish scales. Avoid waters with known discharges or sewage and waters used for any type of fishing, especially if there are signs of baitfish or feeding activity. Diving seabirds, which frequently feed on baitfish, are good indicators of such activity. While there are myths and anecdotes about dolphins saving humans from shark bites, the presence of dolphins does not necessarily indicate the absence of sharks, as both often eat the same foods. Use extra caution when the waters are murky. Remember that sharks see contrast particularly well. Uneven tans and bright-colored clothing may draw a shark's attention. Refrain from excess splashing, as this may draw a shark's attention. Do not allow pets in the water as their erratic movements may draw a shark's attention. Be cautious when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep drop-offs since sharks like to hang out in these areas. Swim only in areas tended by lifeguards. Do not enter the water if sharks are known to be present, and get out of the water if sharks are sighted. Never harass a shark. Florida sea turtle nesting season: Reckless people blamed for false crawls on Vero Beach Missing mangroves: DEP issues warning letter in Sebastian mangrove case What to do if a shark starts attacking you If a shark gets near you or tries to bite you, here's what the Florida Museum of Natural History recommends: Maintain eye contact with the shark Slowly move away and exit the water if possible Hit shark in the eyes and gills since these are sensitive areas that can be hurt, regardless of your own personal strength Hit the shark on the snout and push away since water-resistance can weaken a punch Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's trending reporter. You can contact her at 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Which state has had the most shark attacks? Shark swimming safety tips
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Monday night SpaceX rocket launch from Florida: Where to watch in Sebastian, Vero Beach
Can a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, be seen farther south, in Treasure Coast skies? If the conditions are right, yes! Though rockets here launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Merritt Island, Florida, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, people from the Treasure Coast can sometimes see this phenomenon. Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, a rocket launch from Florida's Space Coast could be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and Daytona Beach and as far south as Vero Beach or West Palm Beach. When there's a nighttime launch window or very early morning, there's an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo. Below is more information on rocket launches in Florida and suggestions on where to watch them from the Treasure Coast. Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@ or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@ For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit When is the next SpaceX rocket launch in Florida? No earlier than Monday, July 21: SpaceX O3B mPOWER 9 and 10 Mission: SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket and deploy the Boeing-built ninth and 10th O3B mPOWER satellites into medium-Earth orbit, SES reported. Launch window: 5 p.m. to 8:13 p.m. ET Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Trajectory: Due east. Sonic booms: No. Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff at : You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Network's Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team will provide up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog, complete with a countdown clock, at starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type into your browser. Dinner with a view: Treasure Coast restaurants with views of the ocean or river — and a rocket launch Where to watch a rocket launch in Indian River County, Florida Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach, Florida (cost to enter) Wabasso Beach Park, 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso, Florida Ambersands Beach Park, 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking) South Beach Park, 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking) Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida Where to watch a rocket launch in St. Lucie County, Florida Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, 905 Shorewinds Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Blind Creek Beachside North and South, 5460 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Blue Heron Beach, 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce, Florida Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Dollman Park Beachside, 9200 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida Herman's Bay Beach, 7880 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida John Brooks Park Beachside, 3300 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Middle Cove Beach, 4600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach, Florida Pepper Park Beachside, 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce, Florida Walton Rocks Beach, 6700 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida (dog park) Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida Where to watch a rocket launch in Martin County, Florida State Road A1A causeway in Stuart, Florida House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart, Florida This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: SpaceX rocket launch: Best places to see from Ft Pierce, Jensen Beach Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New state law means some Treasure Coast high schools likely to continue early start times
Indian River and St. Lucie teens hoping for extra morning sleep next school year will have to wait for school holidays. A new state law essentially eliminated a 2023 mandate for later middle and high school start times. The 2023 state law required middle schools to begin no earlier than 8 a.m., and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m., citing studies that showed teens perform better with a later start to their school day. On the Treasure Coast, Indian River County high schools begin at 7:05 a.m. and St. Lucie County's start at 7:33 a.m. Only Martin County high schools begin at 8:30 a.m. After school districts complained that changing school start times would cost millions to alter school bus routes, state lawmakers considered alternatives. SB 296, which was signed into law in June by Gov. Ron DeSantis, now allows school districts to be in compliance if they report their school start times and detail steps they've taken to implement later start times at middle and high schools. The report must describe the impact later start times would have on the district and any unintended consequences to the school district, students and the community. That new law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June, was effective July 1. St. Lucie middle schools already comply with 2023 law With the change in law, no schedule adjustments are planned to school start times in St. Lucie County schools, said spokeswoman Lydia Martin in a statement. St. Lucie County had estimated the change would cost about $30 million because of needed changes to bus routes, Martin said. That included $20 million for additional buses and $24 million in staffing, she said. The district's middle schools already are in compliance, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and 9:40 a.m., Martin said. What to know about Florida's later school start times after SB 296 passed in the House Indian River schools planning no changes Indian River County middle and high school students will see no changes in start times to the 2025-2026 school year, officials said. But the district still might survey parents to gauge interest in changing the start times, said School Board member Peggy Jones. "We will decide as a community if we need to change anything," Jones said. "We are going to have to discuss as a community to see what works." Changing bus routes could be costly, Jones said. In addition, working parents often need older students home for after-school childcare. "That's huge for a lot of parents," Jones said. "We'll see what works, (and) see what doesn't." Martin County schools already later Martin County plans no changes for the 2025-2026 school year. The School Board is scheduled to vote on the new year's start times at its July 15 meeting. In 2024, the district adjusted its start times slightly to be one of the first to comply with the 2023 law. The state provided a monetary incentive to districts that complied early. Colleen Wixon is the education reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. She covers school districts in Indian Rier, Martin and St. Lucie counties. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: New Florida law on school start times could impact the Treasure Coast Solve the daily Crossword
