Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Christine Jordan SextonApril 23, 2015

With just eight days left in the 2015 Legislative Session, Gov. Rick Scott has turned up the heat on the Florida Senate. Scott called Democrat and Republican senators into his office on Wednesday to discuss his legislative priorities, such as tax cuts and increased spending for education. He also advised the senators that he could wield […]

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 […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 22, 2015

The Legislature should focus its efforts on securing continued supplemental Medicaid funding for Florida hospitals but not push ahead with a plan to provide health insurance access to uninsured Floridians. So said Florida Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Wilson in a memo Wednesday. The memo, directed to the Chamber’s board of directors and […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 22, 2015

Has Rick Scott been drafted to fight in the “war” Richard Corcoran has declared on the health care industry? The governor said in a news release on Tuesday that if the Legislature cannot adjourn on time with a budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year he will create a “Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding.” The […]

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 […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 21, 2015

The 2015 session of the Florida Legislature came crashing down Tuesday as both House and Senate Republicans calcified their positions regarding hospital funding and Medicaid expansion. The impasse prompted Gov. Rick Scott to finally weigh in late in the day, saying he will call lawmakers back into special session if they can’t quickly resolve the […]

Bob SparksApril 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 […]

Associated PressApril 21, 2015

Florida House leaders met behind closed doors Tuesday while Senate leaders held a special hearing in a last-ditch attempt to agree on Medicaid and finalize a budget as the need for a special session grew more imminent. Impassioned senators, including many Republicans, tried to put aside politics and put a human face on the bickering […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 21, 2015

Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee said Tuesday that he had a face-to-face meeting with Gov. Rick Scott Monday night, the first of the session focusing on the substantive difference between the Senate and the governor’s office on the health care financing impasse. Lee told reporters that Scott initiated the meeting and that he went down […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 21, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner released a statement on Tuesday saying that the Senate may use $600 million available in reserves to fund health care programs in the 2015-16 fiscal year year budget. In a statement, Gardiner said the $600 million could be used to draw down federal matching Medicaid dollars and used to offset a […]

Tag: Medicaid
Golf ball and golf club in bag on green grass

Rick Scott turns up heat on Florida Senate, hospitals

Governor gaggles with reporters on hospital profits

Chamber says focus should be Medicaid financing, not expansion

Did Rick Scott join the Richard Corcoran Army?

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

Facing budget train wreck, Rick Scott offers “continuation” plan

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

Special session seems imminent as Medicaid fight continues

Health care impasse taints national Republican Party image, Tom Lee says

Senate has $600 million in reserves it can pump into health care, Andy Gardiner says