Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersJune 22, 2017

Sens.-Bill-Nelson-and-Marco-Rubio-3500x5000.png

Florida’s Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio released a video statement Thursday saying he won’t judge the new Republican Senate health care bill until he has studied it, while Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson blasted it. “Now we know why they tried to keep this secret,” Nelson said in a statement issued by his office a […]

Michael MolineJune 8, 2017

The Senate’s versions of legislation pumping money into public schools, hospitals, Enterprise Florida, and Visit Florida — and establishing a regulatory framework for medical marijuana — cleared the Appropriations Committee Thursday. The votes — either unanimous or nearly so — sent the measures to the Senate floor. They also augured confrontations with the House involving […]

Peter SchorschMay 1, 2017

With the end of the Legislative Session mercifully (hopefully?) in sight, the discrepancies between Senate and House budgets on various issues are becoming more heightened. At times like these, the two sides need to learn how to swallow their pride when it’s clear one chamber has the better plan. This lesson would serve them — […]

Scott PowersMay 1, 2017

The $1 trillion stop-gap budget deal congressional leaders have struck to keep the federal government open through September includes $295.9 million to shore up Medicaid in Puerto Rico, U.S. Rep. Darren Soto‘s office said Monday afternoon. That’s a little less than halfway between the $500 million congressional Democrats such as Soto were pushing for, and […]

Peter SchorschApril 25, 2017

Updated 2:45 p.m. — The House has sent over an offer and the Senate is reviewing, according to staffers in both chambers. — After teetering toward a late-session meltdown, the bones of a roughly $83 billion 2017-18 state budget are in place, according to three sources close to Gov. Rick Scott‘s office and several lobbyists familiar with […]

Scott PowersApril 18, 2017

In a letter sent today to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, Florida’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson called attention to Florida’s heroin and opioids crisis and sought answers on how Medicaid can do more. In his letter, Nelson declared that the heroin and opioid epidemic is “devastating Florida” and he encouraged Price […]

Michael MolineApril 12, 2017

The Trump administration is coming through with $1.5 million in new health care money for Florida, Gov. Rick Scott announced Wednesday as the House and Senate debated their rival spending plans for 2017-18. The money will finance Florida’s Low Income Pool, which reimburses hospitals that provide charity care. The infusion would “truly improve the quality […]

Guest AuthorApril 10, 2017

In an effort to protect their turf, the health plans behind Florida’s managed care program for Medicaid recipients keep saying they help many older Floridians move from nursing homes to live in community settings. What they fail to tell you is that these elders are just a small fraction of nursing home residents – the […]

Michael MolineApril 3, 2017

Representatives of hospitals that invest heavily in physician training and care for the indigent held a news conference Monday to protest plans in the Legislature to slash Medicaid re-imbursement rates. The cuts would undermine the state’s investments in training doctors, alliance members argued outside the Senate Office Building in Tallahassee. Under the Graduate Medical Education […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 31, 2017

A new survey from the Florida Hospital Association shows strong support among Florida voters to keep — or in many increase — state funding for Medicaid programs. The survey, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies from March 1 through March 5, found Floridians have the most favorable opinion of Medicaid that the association has recorded in six years. […]

Tag: Medicaid
Gabrielle Russon

Bill Nelson blasts Senate health care plan, Marco Rubio says he’s looking at it

Budget panel sends schools, economic development, Medicaid bills to the floor

Senate’s proposed hospital budget cuts, unlike House, spreads pain equally

Federal budget bill deal offers $296M for Puerto Rico Medicaid

State budget deal struck? Jack Latvala says, ‘no,’ but…

Bill Nelson presses Tom Price on Florida’s opioid crisis, Medicaid’s ability to fight it

Rick Scott, feds agree to $1.5B commitment for low income pool in Florida

Emmett Reed: Who best entrusted with senior care – caregivers or insurers?

Safety net hospitals decry Medicaid spending cuts planned for Florida

Poll: 45% of Florida voters would like to see increase in Medicaid funding