By Shark Tank Investigative Reporter, Special K
Last year, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced his plan to expand Medicaid in Florida. The plan, under the ObamaCare legislation was to expand the number of enrollees in Medicaid and provide insurance for low income families.The plan will give Florida $51 Billion dollars from the Federal Government to provide insurance to low income persons through Medicaid. The plan will provide insurance to almost 1 million people, roughly 1 in 18 Floridians.
But, Republicans throughout the state opposed the plan because firstly, it is in direct support of ObamaCare, and secondly – despite being paid for by the federal government, it very well might cost Floridians a pretty penny.
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At the time, Scott was quoted as saying, “While [the federal government] spend[s] 100 percent, I’m not going to stand in the way of the federal government doing something. What I’m not willing to do is put Florida taxpayers on the hook … I’ve been very consistent and let’s all remember that ObamaCare is an absolute bad bill for patients, for families, for employers, for employees.”
Scott, the former CEO of the nation’s largest hospital chain, is no stranger to healthcare policy. As his “Let’s Keep Working” statewide bus tour rolls across the state, Rick Scott took a minute to explain his position with Shark-Tank’s Managing Editor, Javier Manjarres.
In discussing his ideas for an alternative to ObamaCare, Scott listed increased competition and provide tax incentives for people to purchase their own health insurance.But when discussing the costs of Medicaid expansion, the governor explained that “[he’s] not going to put Florida on the hook”, and blasted his gubernatorial opponent, by explaining that “Charlie left me with a 3.6 billion dollar budget deficit, he borrowed 8.7 billion dollars…Charlie is willing to put the state on the hook, but I am not willing to do that”.
For the first three years, the federal government will cover 100 percent of Medicaid expansion costs, but after that the percentage will decline until the state begins, and the state will be responsible for 10 percent of the costs by 2020.
Perhaps Scott is banking on a republican repeal and replacement of the law in congress?
What do you think: Was Scott correct in accepting Medicaid expansion in Florida? Spout off in the comment section below.