Florida officials said Monday that 72 nursing homes and assisted living facilities and seven hospitals on the state’s East Coast had been evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Dorian.

Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew told reporters that only four of the long-term care facilities were evacuated because they didn’t have emergency generators and access to backup power as required by law.

The number of hepatitis A cases in Florida continues to climb, according to a Florida Department of Health report that showed the state has had 2,266 reported cases this year.

The News Service of Florida has analyzed the Department of Health data posted over the last four weeks. The analysis found that the six counties with the highest number of reported hepatitis A cases between July 23 and August 17 are:

• Volusia: 34

• Brevard : 23

• Manatee: 21

• Pinellas: 21

• Pasco: 19

• Lee: 16

Heading into a critical election year, Florida legislators may have to tighten spending because of a combination of a slowing economy and reverberations of financial decisions.

State economists on Wednesday drew up new estimates that predict the state will take in about $867 million less in revenue over two years than earlier anticipated. The new forecast was drawn up on the same day that the stock market tanked amid worries that a recession could be looming.

Florida lawmakers passed far-reaching health care legislation this year, from trying to import drugs from other countries to regulating plastic-surgery centers.

But it’s another seemingly simple bill meant to prevent opioid abuse that is causing widespread confusion among physicians trying to figure out how to follow the law.

Staff members of the Florida Board of Medicine and physician organizations have been fielding questions from doctors about the broadly written bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June.

In a move that could help Gov. Ron DeSantis carry out an ambitious effort to cut drug prices, President Donald Trump’s administration announced Wednesday a plan intended to make it easier for states like Florida to bring in prescription drugs from Canada and other countries.

Although the proposal has some restrictions, it could still be a victory for the Republican governor, a strong ally of the president.

State economists are struggling to come up with estimates of how much it would cost the state and how it would affect Florida’s economy if voters approve a far-reaching constitutional amendment that calls for expanding Medicaid.

Organizers, frustrated by the refusal of the Republican-controlled Legislature to back Medicaid expansion, have been gathering petition signatures to try to force a public vote on the issue.

In a major turnaround, one of Florida’s largest health insurers is poised to provide 60 million insurance claims to a statewide database designed to help people shop for health care.

Jacksonville-based Florida Blue agreed to submit three years of claims data that will show what the company paid hospitals and health care providers, said company spokeswoman Toni Woods.

If people are willing to shop for cars and homes to save money, they’d be willing to shop around for their health care, right?

If early results of “shared savings” programs in Florida’s state-employee health insurance program are any indication, the answer actually could be no.

The early results show that despite efforts to publicize the programs, they have had little impact on the $2.6 billion health-care program for current and former state employees.

While some members expressed concern about patients smoking medical marijuana, the Florida Board of Medicine has approved forms for doctors to use in ordering smokable pot.

The board Friday agreed to change its medical-marijuana rules so that physicians can certify that the benefits of smoking marijuana for medical use outweigh the risks. It also agreed to change mandatory informed-consent forms that physicians and patients must fill out together.

When physician Scott Rivkees takes over as secretary of the state Department of Health, he will continue to have an outside contract with the University of Florida.

Though there still is no official start date, Gov. Ron DeSantis remains committed to bringing on Rivkees to run the Department of Health, despite controversy that has included disclosures about a past sexual-harassment investigation.