American Rescue Plan

Florida Applies For $1.1 Billion In Additional Medicaid Funds

Christine Sexton

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Advocates for poor, elderly and disabled individuals, who have been pressing the DeSantis administration to leverage the additional funding since spring, hailed the plan.

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is urging Governor Ron DeSantis to use American Rescue Plan dollars to raise wages for direct support professionals. These workers provide services to people with developmental disabilities. That could be anything from medication management to helping someone get dressed. Valerie Breen is the council’s executive director. She says during the pandemic, health concerns caused many of those workers to leave their jobs.

Health News Florida

Group Homes For Those With Developmental Disabilities Face Worker Shortage

Robbie Gaffney

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Advocates say direct-support professionals who left the industry because of health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic aren't returning because of low wages.

Health News Florida

Florida Asks For More Time On Potential Medicaid Boost

Christine Sexton - News Service of Florida

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The state wants a 30-day extension to consider the effects of using added funds from the American Rescue Plan for home- and community-based services.

Health News Florida

Discussion: Health Care Experts On Florida Medicaid Expansion

Clarissa Moon - WMFE

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WMFE's Abe Aboraya, Robin Rudowitz (Kaiser Family Foundation), Miriam Harmatz (Florida Health Justice Project) and Anne Swerlick (Florida Policy Institute) offer their insight on "Intersection."

Health News Florida

American Rescue Plan Includes 100% Coverage Of COBRA Health Premiums

Abe Aboraya

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In this interview, Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation, explains provisions that make it easier for Floridians who lost their job to keep health insurance during the pandemic.