Florida's Medicaid expansion in doubt, but are there other options?

With House Speaker Will Weatherford emphasizing that he doesn?t want to expand the Medicaid program under the federal Affordable Care Act, Senate President Don Gaetz on Tuesday said it appeared the House ?has shut the lights off? on the issue.

JIM SAUNDERS, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

With House Speaker Will Weatherford emphasizing that he doesn?t want to expand the Medicaid program under the federal Affordable Care Act, Senate President Don Gaetz on Tuesday said it appeared the House ?has shut the lights off? on the issue.

?When the House of Representatives says no --- if they do --- that pretty much shuts down the discussion,?? Gaetz said.

But House and Senate Republicans seem to be leaving open the possibility of coming up with a plan to provide health coverage to more low-income people. One idea floating around stems from a federal-government move last week that would allow Arkansas to funnel people into private insurance coverage instead of Medicaid.

Gaetz, R-Niceville, said the Senate is looking into the Arkansas idea, as well as other potential health-care models. The Arkansas concept centers on allowing low-income people to use federal Medicaid money to buy private coverage through a new health-insurance exchange.

The Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, calls for raising the income threshold to qualify for Medicaid and allowing the enrollment of childless adults, a group that is largely barred from the program now in Florida.

But the Republican majority on a House select committee voted Monday to oppose the expansion, and Weatherford backed that stance Tuesday during comments to open the annual legislative session.

?I believe it forces Florida to expand a broken system that we have been battling Washington to fix, and I believe it will ultimately drive up the cost of health care,? said Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel. ?This inflexible plan, thrust upon us by the federal government, is not aimed at strengthening the safety net. It pushes a social ideology at the expense of our future.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vertical_35/~3/Y_-KC89LDoQ/medicaid-expansion-in-doubt-but-are.html

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