Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Christine Jordan SextonJune 25, 2015

After six months of political jockeying, litigation, and one-upsmanship Florida and the federal government have agreed in principle to $1.6 billion in supplemental Medicaid funds over the next two years. Most of those funds, $1 billion, have been allocated in the budget Rick Scott signed into law on Tuesday. A little more than $600 million, […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 23, 2015

Just hours after Gov. Rick Scott quietly signed a state spending plan into effect, the federal government gave Florida a long-awaited “agreement in principle” letter that all but formalizes an agreement between Florida and the federal government on hospital funding for the next year. The coveted agreement, which the state had hoped to secure in April […]

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 SextonApril 27, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner on Monday sent letters to federal and state officials regarding Florida’s effort to win approval of a revamped hospital funding formula. The uncertainty over the loss of more than $1 billion in federal aid has resulted in a budget standoff between the House and Senate. The Agency for Health Care Administration […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 17, 2015

The letter writing surrounding Medicaid and Low Income Pool continues as ten Congressional Democrats sent a note to Gov. Rick Scott on Friday calling on him to drop his yet-to-be-filed lawsuit against the Obama Administration for coercing the state to expand Medicaid in order to continue to receive supplemental Medicaid funding for hospitals. “We are […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 16, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott‘s announcement that he will sue the federal government for withholding Low Income Pool dollars caused a firestorm on Thursday, rounding out what has been topsy turvy health care week in Tallahassee. The announcement drew praise from conservatives such as Koch-brothers backed group Americans for Prosperity which issued a release saying, “the Obama […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 16, 2015

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she will help Gov. Rick Scott sue the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services for withholding supplemental Medicaid funding for Florida’s hospitals. In a release Bondi said her office “led the lawsuit that stopped the federal government from forcing states to expand Medicaid and we will not sit by […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 16, 2015

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday he will sue the federal government for “coercing” the state into expanding Medicaid under the federal health care law by withholding supplemental Medicaid funding known as Low Income Pool.. “It is appalling that President Obama would cut off federal healthcare dollars to Florida in an effort to force our […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 15, 2015

One day after receiving a letter from the federal government advising that uncompensated care pools were not a wise use of federal tax payer dollars, Florida’s leading Medicaid official fired off a letter Wednesday to the Department of Health and Human Services accusing the federal government of coercing Florida into expanding its Medicaid program. The […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 15, 2015

Six Republicans in Florida’s congressional delegation sent a letter to the acing director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on April 14 saying that supplemental Medicaid funding should not be held “hostage” for a statewide expansion of Medicaid. The letter — singed by US Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Gus Bilirakis, Congressman Curt […]

Tag: Vikki Wachino

Tom Lee says early LIP talk is good for state

Budget signed, LIP deal formalized (sort of), health care done for now

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

Andy Gardiner sends letters to feds, state on Medicaid expansion

Congressional Democrats send letter to Rick Soctt urging him to drop lawsuit

Rick Scott’s decision to sue the feds over Medicaid gets mixed reactions

Pam Bondi says she’ll join Rick Scott in Medicaid lawsuit

Rick Scott says he’s suing feds over Medicaid expansion

Top Medicaid official warns feds not to “coerce” state into expansion

Congressional Republicans send letter to to Feds: Don’t hold LIP hostage