Economy's woes force Polk County, FL, to cut 12,000 from healthcare for poor

Nearly 12,000 people have been cut from the Polk County, FL, government-run healthcare plan for the poor because it was bleeding money. Slightly more than 1,300 people remain covered by the plan, funded by a voter-approved half-cent sales tax. The county won't be able to cover more people until it plugs a $12.5 million shortfall, according to Steve Yaskal, fiscal manager with Polk's Community Health and Social Services.