State records show the controversial initiative shifted priorities away from DCF’s eligibility division that has since failed federal standards and left Floridians cut off
Author Archives: Sharmila Venkatasubban
Sharmila Venkatasubban is The Trib's senior editor and health reporter.
Before joining us as a Report for America corps member, Sharmila was a reporter, editor, and researcher for local and international news outlets for two decades. She got her start at alt-weeklies in Pittsburgh and has worked at BuzzFeed News, Al Jazeera Media Network, and, most recently, at CNN. Sharmila has helped shape crucial stories at the height of #MeToo, as well as investigations across fields including education, health care, law enforcement, and government accountability. At AJ+, she was part of a team that won an Emmy Award for its coverage of the war in Gaza.
You can reach Sharmila at sharmila.venkatasubban@floridatrib.org
Posted inHealth
Florida has left mentally-ill defendants in jail for months past legal limits, lawsuit says
At least three people died, and the psychiatric conditions of others deteriorated, while waiting for transfer to state hospitals
Posted inElections
Angie Nixon, progressive Jacksonville firebrand, wins Democratic primary for U.S. Senate
Nixon, whose campaign was centered on the economic needs of working people, was up against Alex Vindman, a first-time candidate and relatively new Florida resident with a national profile
Posted inHealth
Judges criticize Florida over Medicaid notices that don’t say why coverage ended
The legal clash pits Florida’s health agencies against low-income families represented by advocacy groups over how clearly the government must communicate when ending essential public benefits
Posted inHealth
Florida said it couldn’t fix confusing Medicaid notices. Under court order, it only took months
A lawsuit alleged that nearly 500,000 people got legally deficient Medicaid termination notices. A judge agreed. Now the state is fixing them.