Health Care Gamble Could Cost You More
April 1st, 2015 by Mike Vasilinda
Florida lawmakers are doing battle over providing health care to a million working poor Floridians. Not expanding health care with Federal money could end up increasing health insurance costs for everyone with insurance.
Florida currently gets one point two billion in federal money to pay for emergency room visits and hospital care for people who can’t pay. Its called the Low income pool, or LIP.
The Feds told lawmakers last year that without an expansion of Medicaid..part of the Presidents plan…the money would go away. US Senator Bill Nelson was in the State Capitol telling lawmakers, the feds aren’t blinking.
“The Federal government will not renew LIP as it is now because they told them over a year ago that its not going to continue” says Nelson.
The State Senate has a plan…the House doesn’t. Kim Williams of A Healthy Florida Works says it is time for the House to get off the dime, or everyone is going to pay higher insurance.
“And when you bring down the uncompensated care, you take away the need to raise the rates on private insurance holders in Florida, like ME as a business owner and like my employees who pay a part of their insurance coverage.”
Joe Negron is the point man for the Senate . Publicly…he is optimistic.
But so far the Governor has been mum on any Medicaid expansion.
House leaders are sticking to their guns. Rep. Tom Goodson of Titusville says
“you know, we have another whole month, anything could happen.”
Q:”So there is room for negotiation?”
“I didn’t say that. I said anything could happen.”
And while bridging the health care gap is possible…It’s looking more and more like it won’t happen before May first, when lawmakers are set to go home. Anchor Tag: Without a budget, legislators will have to go into special session at a cost of $65,000 a day.
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