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Florida Medicaid Plan: Fewer Choices, HMO-like Plans
February 18, 2011
In a proposal that would make sweeping changes to the state’s Medicaid program, lawmakers Thursday released a bill to move millions of low-income Floridians to HMO-style health plans and put limits on how much the state will spend on the health care program.
Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, had hinted at parts of a comprehensive overall plan two days ago, but did not release the more than 200-page bill until Thursday morning. The crux of the proposal is a plan to carve the state into 19 regions and push the majority of Medicaid recipients into HMOs or other managed care plans beginning in December 2011.
Negron believes the plan will save the state $4.3 billion over three years, but it will only work if the federal government first gives the state the OK. If federal officials do not, then Negron has proposed that the state run its Medicaid program without Washington’s rules – and without its help – meaning the state would lose billions of dollars to pay the health care costs of the poor.
Negron said he believes the federal government will accept the state’s plan and would give the government from August 2011 to December 2011 to approve Florida’s reforms.
“They would have to make a decision of going from being a partner to being a bully and I don’t think they’re going to do that,” he said.
But the idea alone of retreating from the federal money has rankled some lawmakers, including House Speaker Dean Cannon who told the Florida Tribune that the Senate’s proposal could be a “hazardous threat” that could jeopardize negotiations with the Obama administration.
Democratic leaders too appeared wary of saying farewell to what Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich estimated could be up to $12 billion per year in federal funds.
“Unlike you,” Rich said to Negron during a hearing on the bill, “I feel there would be a crisis in this state if we were not part of the federal Medicaid program.”
The overall proposal contains many smaller additions that may or may not make the final product when the House and Senate work out the differences between their proposals. The House has not yet released a bill on Medicaid reform.
Among the other changes is reducing the amount of money that covers services to senior citizens with high medical expenses, but don’t qualify for Medicaid; creating restrictions on the use of psychotropic drugs for children; and extending lawsuit limits to better protect doctors from legal action.
By Kathleen Haughney
The News Service of Florida
Comments
7 Responses to “Florida Medicaid Plan: Fewer Choices, HMO-like Plans”
@SW : Why do you want to get rid of Medicaid? Most jobs are part time and don’t carry insurance, or they if they do, you have to shell out couple hundred dollars just to have coverage but no money to see a dr. or get medicine. Oh, and places won’t help you get meds cause you have the insurance. Might as well be uninsured!
When 60% of the Florida Medicaid budget goes to the elderly for care mostly in nursing homes we will have a real problem if they don’t wake up. Most medicaid patients have no choice now when it comes to care because it pays so little few providers are available. When my neighbor broke his foot it took three weeks to get him in to an orthopedic physician and then another 3 weeks before they could operate an put the screws and plates in. Medicaid is no great health plan as it sits.
But lets pay HMO’s to really screw the poor even more and put bigger bucks in their pockets. Great, very smart. Give the program to those who can really make a profit.
We now pay the lowest federal taxes ever, people who think they pay so much ought to go back in time and think about the percentage you paid in 1989.
I laugh at people who say eliminate Medicaid and let low income persons pay for their own healthcare. What a fool believes. Not only Welfare reciepients use Medicaid. Most Elderly patients rely on Medicaid or Medicaid subsidies for their healthcare as well. Do you suggest that an 70 to 90 year old work like everyone else as well? Medicaid not only pays for their medical bills but nursing home stays. I have been in the medical field for almost ten years and the state of Florida has cut benefits for this program time and time again. It used to be that if a person fell and broke a hip they were guaranteed 90 to 120 days rehabilitation care. Now they’re lucky if they get 30 days. It is getting ridiculous. And don’t let me get started on what Rick Scott has planned for the Medicaid program. Let’s start thinking outside the box instead of pointing the finger. I would rather pay more taxes and help the sick and frail than have deaths become more frequent because of no medical care for them. Health care reform is going to be a must in the coming ages.
Let’s just eliminate Medicaid. As a matter of fact, why don’t they begin to eliminate every department or program that isn’t tied to real government functions. We can begin with the state and work our way up to the federal government.
I, for one, am tired of my tax dollar funding every type of program that government officials can dream up to buy votes. We taxpayers can’t afford it any more. There’s more money going out than is coming in. Don’t take the federal money, either! Funds aren’t unlimited.
How about people get jobs that have benefits or fund their own medical expenses? What a novel idea!
Heaven forbid we take care of ourselves and let charities help those who legitimately need it.
Decisions must be made on all care or there will be little care. Did you ever look at the side effect of psycotrophics. Too many kids take them in place of parents stepping up, not all, but too many. The american way is to look for a pill to fix things. Well, it is not working and we are out of money.
I read the article twice and didn’t see anything about making children normal by keeping them drugged. Seems to be an oxymoronic statement but I’m not on psychotropic drugs.
The article is about the politics of taking care of people who didn’t plan ahead.
Start planning for life without tax funded assistance. It’s getting closer.
“Creating restrictions on the use of psychotropic drugs for children”, don’t these kids need all the help they can get? How are they ever supposed to become “normal” and productive members of society if they can’t have the medications they need? This is insane.