Melissa Ross
As the state’s Medicaid fight continues to get national attention, UF Health Jax CEO Russ Armistead remains steadfast and vocal in his insistence that a solution must be found, and quickly, to Florida’s healthcare funding crisis — or else North Florida’s only safety net hospital will close its doors.
“I think people don’t believe it could ever happen. This is the most treacherous time we’ve had. But my hope is that the Legislature will fund our need,” he said.
Armistead made his comments during an appearance on WJCT’s First Coast Connect, just as a Senate committee made headlines by grilling state Medicaid director Justin Senior in the ongoing legislative tussle over healthcare spending.
The Senate wants to use Medicaid expansion money to help lower-income residents purchase private insurance. But the Florida House and Gov. Rick Scott stand staunchly opposed to accepting funding from the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, citing concerns with Medicaid dysfunction, among other philosophical differences. The Senate plan is known as the Florida Health Insurance Affordability Exchange, or FHIX.
Armistead said the statehouse divide over government’s role in healthcare may be an intellectually honest one, but his hospital will be forced to live with the consequences.
“If UF Health closes, we’d lose our Trauma One Center, and patients would have to go to Gainesville, Orlando, pick your spot. We see 90,000 emergency room visits each year, and if we close, the city couldn’t manage that volume. The other hospitals literally don’t have the capacity to take those patients. It would be a catastrophic mess,” he said.
Armistead has long been making the case that UF Health, among 14 safety net hospitals around the state, has the highest percentage of Medicaid and uninsured business (or low to zero payers) and is uniquely vulnerable.
“Our financial structure is weak,” he said. “Our balance sheet is weak, and we live hand-to-mouth as unfortunately some folks in the community do. Just like them, we need our paycheck every two weeks to survive.”
Ultimately, Armistead thinks the city of Jacksonville have to fund UF Health through an independent tax district. That’s the model for safety net hospitals in other major Florida cities.
“I’m reminded of Winston Churchill’s famous remark that Americans will always do the right thing — after they’ve tried every other option. The reality is at some point I believe the city of Jacksonville is going to have to provide more funds for us.
“But you open your mouth about taxes politically, and you’re not going to get elected. So, frankly, unless the community thinks this is an important issue, it won’t happen, and that’ll be to everyone’s detriment.
“I’m very comfortable the Legislature will keep us going,” Armistead said. “I just don’t know how many years in the future they will continue to solve our local problem.”
