Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Christine Jordan SextonMay 26, 2015

The Senate on Tuesday announced a series of changes it will make to its plan to expand health care access to upward of 800,000 low-income Floridians who would qualify for Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act. In a prepared statement Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott said that he still opposes Medicaid expansion as set for […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 26, 2015

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The Florida Senate will alter its health care access proposal to allow those who would qualify under an expanded Medicaid program to purchase their health plans from the federal health exchange instead of requiring the newly insured to enroll in a Medicaid HMO. In a news release, Senate Health Policy Committee Chairman Sen. Aaron Bean […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 22, 2015

With a little more than a week to go before the start of the 2015 Special Session details of plans continue to emerge. In a memo sent to senators, Senate President Andy Gardiner outlined the timeline he plans to follow during the session, showing that the chamber will focus on health care access the first […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 13, 2015

After an acrimonious and abrupt ending to this year’s session, Florida legislative leaders have started piecing together a framework for a new state budget and to avoid a possible state government shutdown. Some of that framework was discussed in an all-day meeting Wednesday between Sen. Tom Lee and Rep. Richard Corcoran. Gov. Rick Scott for […]

Peter SchorschMay 8, 2015

The picture to the right is of the dock in front of the beach house where the Griswolds, er, the Schorsches are vacationing this week. This was supposed to be a recuperative, post-session retreat, and although it has been an enjoyable time here in St. Augustine, it feels like just a break before the next […]

Julie DelegalMay 3, 2015

Just as House lawmakers were putting together their annual “trains” – cramming multiple, tangentially related bills into hundreds of pages of amendments so they could pass them all at the eleventh hour – a funny thing happened. They upped and quit. On April 27, House Speaker Steve Crisafulli prematurely banged his gavel, ending the session […]

Julie DelegalMay 3, 2015

Just as House lawmakers were putting together their annual “trains” – cramming multiple, tangentially related bills into hundreds of pages of amendments so they could pass them all at the eleventh hour – a funny thing happened. They upped and quit. On April 27, House Speaker Steve Crisafulli prematurely banged his gavel, ending the session […]

Daniel TilsonApril 30, 2015

So, conservative extremists disabled our Florida Legislature this week. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli rocked the ship of state and shocked many of his GOP colleagues when he abruptly adjourned the 2015 session several days early. This, with a state budget and much important legislative work still undone. This, because of an iron-clad commitment by Gov. […]

James CallApril 22, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott met Wednesday with senators to discuss moving forward with budget negotiations. Scott used an Agency for Health Care Administration study listing the profit margins for hospitals. Budget negotiations have derailed over a plan to use Medicaid money to make up for the loss of revenue when the federal government ends a reimbursement […]

Phil AmmannApril 21, 2015

In order to adjourn on time, all 160 members of the Florida Legislature must have a budget on their desks sometime on April 28. Florida law requires legislators have at least 72 hours to look over the budget before voting on it just before sine die on May 1. The odds of completing a budget […]

Tag: FHIX

Senate alters health plan but fails to win over critics

Senate health plan now would allow enrollees to go straight to federal health exchanges

Andy Gardiner releases Special Session schedule: health care first, budget 2nd

Budget details emerge after top lawmakers meet informally in Tallahassee

Takeaways from Tallahassee, er, St. Augustine

Julie Delegal: Slackers in the Florida House leave 800,000 Floridians exposed

Julie Delegal: Slackers in the Florida House leave 800,000 Floridians exposed

Daniel Tilson: Florida should shun radicalism of Gov. Scott, House Republicans

Governor gaggles with reporters on hospital profits

Bob Sparks: So far for this Legislature, the FHIX is not in