Christine Jordan Sexton
Senate President Andy Gardiner on Monday told reporters that the Special Session’s priority is to pass a budget, and that health care — a driving factor behind the divisive 2015 Regular Session — would be an issue Florida will continue to work on “long after” he leaves the Legislature.
“I just think health care debate will last long after I’m gone,” Gardiner said. “I just think this is kind of the future. Whether you like Obamacare or not, it has changed the dynamics on how health care is going to be delivered in this country. Whether you like it or not.”
Gardiner talked with reporters briefly after the Senate met to introduce the bills that will be discussed during the 2015A Special Session. They include the Senate’s budget — which contains $2 billion in Medicaid expansion and $2 billion in Low Income Pool money — as well as the substantive FHIX legislation, the plan to use federal Medicaid funding under Obamacare to expand coverage.
Gardiner said the Senate is committed to getting a “responsible budget done.”
When asked, he said he thinks the votes are there in the House to pass the Senate’s proposed FHIX plan and that he remains hopeful. He said the state should send a message to the federal government that, “If you want to expand coverage in Florida this is about as far as we can go.”
Meanwhile, Gardner said the budget process will evolve as they normally do, with conferees being picked to hammer out the differences in the various spending areas.
“We will follow the exact same process we normally would. It’s just been delayed by 45 days.”
Gardiner also downplayed House Speaker Steve Crisafulli‘s remarks that the $600 million offer made for the Senate is off the table. Gardiner said the offer required the Senate to act quickly and walk away from Low Income Pool funding and federal expansion funding. He noted that the House offer required the Senate to act quickly and that it never was accompanied by spreadsheets showing where the money came from.
“We’re moving on,” Gardiner said, shrugging it off.
When asked about the House’s offer to use $200 million in general revenue to increase health care funding, though, Gardiner said the Senate is running figures through Low Income Pool models to see what is needed to make sure hospitals aren’t hurt.
While the Senate wants to see health care access expanded, the House wants to encourage competition in the health care delivery market. A number of other bills that the House sought, leadership thinks will do just that, such repealing certificate of need requirements for new hospitals, expanding nurses’ scope of practice, and authorizing recovery care centers.
Gardiner said the Senate hasn’t asked the House take the FHIX plan up on the House floor nor has the Senate committed to bringing the House bills up on the Senate floor.
“At the end of the day those may be some cost efficiencies but if you don’t have insurance, you can’t get in and have access to those efficiencies,” Gardiner said of the House bills. “I think long-term, and from the Senate’s standpoint, we’re going to be looking at the insurance side for a long time.”
