Tagged: Affordable Care Act

Florida representatives from Pinellas County were put on the spot Tuesday by Suncoast Tiger Bay members, who asked Republicans to defend their low health insurance premiums amid their decision to vote down plans that would have helped low-income Floridians get affordable health care, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Florida lawmakers were unable to agree on a plan to expand health care coverage for more low-income Floridians.  We talked to three state representatives about that issue for this week’s episode of Florida Matters, which aired Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. on WUSF 89.7. 

Because the federal government anticipated more Americans would have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, they planned to cut compensation for hospitals that treat a large number of uninsured patients, the Miami Herald reports. In Florida, many may still lack access to coverage because the state rejected Medicaid expansion.

The Florida Legislature dealt with a number of health care bills this session.  See the Florida Current for a roundup of the issues, including Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, optometrist vs. ophthalmologist prescribing powers and a new Medicaid billing formula for hospitals.  

Even though Florida officials tried to block the implementation of the Affordable Care Act at every turn over the past three years, the state will gain millions in grants and hundreds of new jobs this year from its implementation.

Four dozen community health centers in Florida are eligible to share $8 million in federal grants to become enrollment centers for uninsured people who need to sign up for subsidized insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration announced Thursday.

The Florida Legislature ended its 2013 session without making a move on expanding health care in the state. But that doesn't mean there won't be health insurance changes in Florida. Carol Gentry of Health News Florida talked with WUSF's Craig Kopp about what happens now. 

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, calling the Florida Legislature's failure to expand Medicaid "unconscionable and callous," has asked Gov. Rick Scott to call a special session. His letters on Monday added to a chorus from other Democrats in Washington and in Florida.

In an article published late last month, Health News Florida noted a warning from a tax expert who said Florida employers would pay a high price if the Florida Legislature failed to adopt Medicaid expansion.

Now the legislative session is over, without action on the expansion. Come Jan. 1, if nothing happens meanwhile to intervene, the state's businesses will find out whether Jackson Hewitt's Brian Haile was right.