Florida Could Lose $2.2B in Hospital Funding
Posted February 16, 2015 06:05 am
TALLAHASSEE,
FL – The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has
told Florida it will cease funding for poor and
uninsured hospital patients at the end of June.
It's a move that could cost the state $2.2 billion.
Bruce Rueben is president of the Florida Association of
Hospitals. He says the impact of the potential cuts
would be a nightmare for the state's health care
facilities.
"Any hospital that has a significant number of patients
that are either covered by Medicaid or who are uninsured
are going to be deeply concerned about the potential
loss of this funding," Rueben says.
The
state's largest public hospitals could lose $1.3 billion
if "Low-Income Pool" or LIP funding isn't renewed. It
also could punch a huge hole in the state budget,
instantly turning a planned surplus for the next fiscal
year into a deficit.
Rueben says the federal government has been telling the
state for some time to rework its system in order to
renew the funds.
"We now all understand that they're serious about the
state developing new approaches to the way it funds
Medicaid and the way the funds are distributed," says
Rueben.
While the state Legislature is looking into ways to plug
the hole, some Democrats are blaming the state's ruling
Republicans for the crisis by refusing to expand
Medicaid. But Rueben says Medicaid patients aren't the
only ones in the coverage gap.
"When you have extended coverage in the state you'll be
able to cover probably over a million people over time,"
says Rueben. "The low-income pool is a whole different
program. There will still be a high number of Floridians
who have no insurance."
Florida Governor Rick Scott already has included the LIP
funding in the state's $77 billion budget for 2016. His
budget chief Cynthia Kelly says they're hopeful a new
agreement can be worked out with the federal government
before funds are cut off in July.
Photos/graphics; links; added and updated by the Observer
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