2/26/2009 © Florida Health News
The Dartmouth Atlas project compared medical spending per person in cities across the nation and found Miami was off the charts -- about twice as much as average. That's not a total shock since federal prosecutors have said health fraud rates there are the highest in the nation.
But even if you take Miami out of the mix, Florida cities still vary in medical spending for no obvious reason, the report shows. For example, Panama City spent significantly more per person than Pensacola or Tallahassee in 2006. Why? Sarasota and Bradenton spent less than Tampa and St. Petersburg. Why?
Look at the chart below to see Florida cities' spending on medical care per Medicare beneficiary in 2006.