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Christine Jordan SextonApril 15, 2015

The session-long drama over health care and Medicaid expansion may peak today when a Senate panel considers the confirmation of Liz Dudek, the head of the agency that oversees Medicaid. Dudek rolled through a previous committee stop, but a flurry of finger-pointing regarding negotiations between the federal government and the state over the last two […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 14, 2015

What started out smoothly a few months ago now appears to be falling apart as leading Republicans in the House and Senate began finger-pointing over a health care dispute that appears likely to derail the 2015 session. The latest evidence that the May 1 session will not end on time came after the Department of […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 14, 2015

The federal government on Tuesday sent a letter Deputy Medicaid Director Justin Senior saying that expanding Medicaid to low income uninsured Floridians is a better use of tax dollars than establishing Medicaid supplemental spending formulas such as the Low Income Pool. Department of Health and Human Services Acting Director Vikki Wachino said in the letter […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 14, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner made an appearance at the A Healthy Florida Works press conference on Tuesday, joining a group of business leaders supporting his chamber’s plan to draw down Medicaid dollars and provide access to health care for as many as 800,000 uninsured Floridians. With less than three weeks left in the 2015 regular […]

Peter SchorschApril 13, 2015

Thanks to an interesting and oft-forgotten historical footnote, the origin of the terms “Upper Chamber” and “Lower Chamber” are not related to power, but were originally derived from the actual physical location of the respective legislative bodies. The story goes that during the first meetings of Congress in NYC’s Federal Hall, the U.S. Senate occupied […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 10, 2015

Elizabeth “Liz” Dudek, a longtime state health care planner and administrator and now head of the state’s Medicaid agency, will appear before the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee when it meets Wednesday. Though it’s Dudek’s second step in the Senate confirmation process, it’s the first time she’ll appear before the Senate since her boss, Gov. […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 9, 2015

Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee said Thursday night he’s beginning to plan how to bring the 2o15 Session in for a landing if lawmakers can’t resolve the budget impasse between the House and Senate. Lee said the chambers must reach an accord by “the middle of next week or thereabouts and then we are out […]

Mitch PerryApril 9, 2015

At 10 a.m, and again at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, a group of activists performed a skit along the Florida Capitol courtyard — acting out a scene where eight condemned people line up next to an executioner. Their crime? Condemned to die for not having health insurance. The players were from Catalyist, a Miami-based community organization […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 8, 2015

No progress has been made to bridge the $4 billion-plus gap between the House and Senate proposed spending plans as the Legislature closes in on completing the sixth week of session. However, Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli didn’t seem worried that the impasse could throw the chambers into overtime. At least […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 8, 2015

The Florida Senate isn’t going to play games with Gov. Rick Scott’s executive appointments in the wake of the Medicaid meltdown that is occurring in Tallahassee. Senate President Andy Gardiner on Wednesday told reporters that he holds Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Liz Dudek in high regard and doesn’t see her nomination to run […]

Tag: Medicaid
Pastel colored tropical townhomes

Florida’s health care chief on hot seat as Senate considers her confirmation

House, Senate, feds stick to guns on Medicaid as session slips away

Feds to Florida: Medicaid expansion is better use of tax dollars

Andy Gardiner: Senate will talk Medicaid, health care with “anybody at any time”

Peter Schorsch: Can Florida's 'Upper House' keep the upper hand?

Ethics and Elections considers Liz Dudek’s confirmation next week

Tom Lee says he’s planning how to bring bumpy Session in for a landing

Activists hold Medicaid gap “public execution” in Capitol courtyard

Budget impasse continues as time ticks away on regular session

Andy Gardiner says Senate won’t play games with executive appointments