Plan to expand state Medicaid runs out of time

Historic City News has learned that both the Senate and House have rejected expanding the state’s Medicaid program for low income citizens because each had widely different plans for an alternative, according to Florida Senate sponsor Joe Negron.

Statements contained in a report by the News Service of Florida indicate Medicaid expansion is a dead issue at this late hour in the session. Negron told reporters that there is no way any sort of compromise on the issue will emerge between now and the end of the session on Friday.

“The chasm between the competing visions is too wide to overcome,” said Negron about the differences between his proposal and those in the House.

The Legislature sought this year to come up with a way to get a number of the uninsured in the state covered as part of the federal health care law, which soon will require everyone to have health coverage. Governor Rick Scott favored expanding Medicaid to take care of the uninsured and could call lawmakers back for a special session on the issue.

The Senate wanted to use millions of dollars in federal money to create a new system for helping people get private coverage. The House wanted to reject federal dollars, but create a subsidy using state money for people to buy insurance.