Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Melissa RossJune 8, 2015

As Florida legislators try to iron out their differences over the state’s major budget items, advocates for Florida’s nearly 1 million uninsured are speaking out about Friday’s House vote rejecting the Senate’s Medicaide expansion compromise. “It really is kind of a dire situation,” said Sarah Sullivan, director of Florida Coastal School of Law’s Disability and Public […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 8, 2015

As lawmakers work on a 2015-16 spending plan with a $1 billion Low Income Pool for health care spending, Gov. Rick Scott continues to push for more money and is looking to the courts to help him get it. On Monday, attorneys for the governor filed a five-page motion with the federal court in Pensacola […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 6, 2015

After making quick progress early on Saturday, legislative health care budget writers announced at 4 p.m. they won’t meet again until Sunday. House and Senate legislative leaders have agreed to pour $400 million in recurring general revenue into hospitals in an attempt to absorb the loss of $1 billion in supplemental Medicaid funding known as […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 5, 2015

The Florida Senate was in session for less than five minutes on Friday before adjourning. Senate President Andy Gardiner announced that the House and Senate had agreed to budget allocations and that the two chambers would begin hammering out the differences in the proposed spending plans for the 2015-16 fiscal year beginning at 9 a.m. […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 5, 2015

A federal court in Pensacola has scheduled a hearing on Gov. Rick Scott‘s lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and preliminary injunction to require the federal government to keep Low Income Pool funding at more than $2 billion. The hearing in Scott v. Department of Health and Human Services is scheduled […]

Associated PressJune 5, 2015

House Republicans appeared ready to reject the Senate’s plan on Medicaid, arguing Thursday that it is essentially an expansion that relies on money from the president’s health care overhaul. During a tense 2 1/2 hours of questions, House Republicans agreed the Senate plan was still a government entitlement program for “able-bodied adults” that would increase […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 4, 2015

As the House prepares to debate — and most likely vote down — the Senate’s plan to expand access to health care, the White House Council of Economic Advisors released an analysis that shows expansion would reduce the state’s uncompensated care costs by $790 million in 2016. The report also shows that expanding coverage would […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 3, 2015

It was not unanimous but the Florida Senate on Wednesday passed a bill off the floor to use Medicaid funding under the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, to expand access to health care for low income uninsured Floridians. Passed by a 33-3 vote, SB 2-A was amended and debated the same day so it […]

Melissa RossJune 3, 2015

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 […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 2, 2015

A group of uninsured Millennials on Tuesday presented 13,000 signatures to a top official in the Florida House of Representatives. The group did not meet with Speaker Steve Crisafulli who, according to his Chief of Staff, Kathy Mears, was in a meeting. The small group presented the House with a scroll of 13,000 signatures asking […]

Tag: Medicaid
Image via AP.

“It really is a dire situation,” say advocates for state’s uninsured

Rick Scott demands mediation in Medicaid lawsuit with feds as lawmakers craft budget

Rick Scott’s office on health care funding: “We are continuing to watch the process”

Finally … chambers set for Saturday conference on budget

Federal judge schedules hearing on Rick Scott’s Low Income Pool lawsuit

House poised to vote down Senate’s Medicaid expansion bill

Medicaid expansion would trim $790 million in uncompensated care in Florida, report shows

Senate passes health care expansion bill by 33-3 vote

UF Health Jax CEO: We need an independent taxing district

Millennials trek to Tally to press for Medicaid expansion under Obamacare