Governor Rick Scott’s budget is out, and according to the Miami Herald, features a tradeoff that chooses education over healthcare:
“Scott wants to boost public school spending by $1 billion next year and the only way to do that in a sputtering economy without raising taxes is to cut other programs. One of the biggest is Medicaid, a state-federal health care program for low-income adults and children that covers 2 million Floridians.
Scott says he can cut Medicaid costs by nearly $2 billion by paying many hospitals less to treat Medicaid patients than they get now. He says rates vary widely and illogically around the state for the same services.
The change would require approval by the Legislature and federal government, and close scrutiny of Scott’s plan began Thursday in the Senate.
The biggest losers would be hospitals in urban areas or that specialize in treating children, such as Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, according to an analysis by a hospital lobbying group.”
The Times-Union also has an excellent write up on what to expect in the coming legislative session:
“Gov. Rick Scott has proposed a $66.4 billion budget that features more than $1 billion in increased spending for schools. It is a boost taken largely from hospitals and prisons
His budget finds the education cash by closing prisons — exact facilities have not been named — and lowering the Medicaid reimbursement rates for some hospitals. The move would cost Shands Jacksonville nearly $14 million annually, early estimates show.”
Don’t forget the session starts TOMMOROW! Please feel free to contact us regarding the upcoming legislative session at cfolds@nonprofitctr.org.