Scott of Florida becomes 7th GOP governor to OK Obamacare Medicaid expansion

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Gov. Rick Scott announced plans Wednesday to expand Medicaid coverage to roughly 900,000 more people under the federal health overhaul, a surprise decision from the vocal critic of President Barack Obama's plan.

Scott said he will ask the Legislature to expand the program under a bill that would expire in three years, after which it would require renewed legislative support. He's the seventh Republican governor so far to propose expanding the taxpayer-funded health insurance program.

Scott said he would support the expansion as long as the federal government pays 100 percent of the increased costs, which is the deal offered to states by the Obama administration. After that, the federal government said it would pay 90 percent of the cost for the additional enrollees.

The governor said he gained new perspective after his mother's death last year, calling his decision to support a key provision of the Affordable Care Act a "compassionate, common sense step forward."

Read more: http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-02-20/scott-florida-becomes-7th-gop-governor-ok-medicaid-expansion-obamacare

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More to read at the link.

[HockeyMom]

1. He is up for re-election

His approval ratings is in the 30% range and he is just reading the writing on the wall, and trying to get re-elected. That amendment to the Florida Constitution to exempt Florida from ACA went down to defeat big time.

[secondvariety]

7. He'll need more than this

half assed attempt. I have yet to meet anyone who'll admit voting for this clod. I'm sure most of my co-workers did, but they won't admit it.

[Divernan]

2. Feds/Obama agree to let Florida privatize Medicaid program!!!!

Read the last paragraph in the article. What the hell is that all about!?!?!? So the costs of MEDICAID (1) will be jacked up to provide a profit layer, or
(2) the private providers will have to reduce the quality and quantity of care provided to squeeze out profits, or
(3) in the grand tradition of privatization, BOTH jack up prices AND reduce services.

We saw this in Pennsylvania when the state outsourced/privatized care of the mentally ill/mentally retarded to group homes. Quality of care and competence/training of caregivers decreased drastically. Has this privatization of Medicaid occurred in any other states, or is Obama trying to slip this through in Florida on the down low?


Scott's announcement came hours after federal health officials said they plan to approve the

state's longstanding request to privatize its Medicaid program statewide if they agree to beef up

transparency and accountability measures. He said that decision signaled that feds were willing

to work with the state to give them the flexibility they need.

[magellan]

3. I'd like to know that as well

Quality and quantity of care should NOT be negotiable. Or is this like so many other things that shouldn't be negotiable but apparently are?

[Divernan]

4. Doctors for America: "Privatize Medicaid? Have We Learned Nothing?"

http://www.drsforamerica.org/blog/privatize-medicaid-have-we-learned-nothing#.USVhKvKcj0d
The state of Florida has instead chosen to press forward with a plan to privatize Medicaid. In 2005, then Gov. Jeb Bush began a pilot program to privatize Medicaid plans in 5 counties. This plan has been met with much criticism both from providers and beneficiaries. Concerns were raised back in 2007 by AHCA Inspector General Linda Keen regarding the plan’s success. Georgetown University researchers raised issued and noted that some doctors couldn’t afford to provide care to Medicaid patients under these plans. The University of Florida released an analysis of the pilots in 2009 that revealed some modest cost savings but made no analysis of quality or accessibility of care.

These plans reimburse physicians at 58% of Medicaid reimbursement rates. Some of my colleagues find that seeing these patients actually costs them money. This has obviously led to low acceptance and participation by providers.

I currently participate in 5 private Medicaid plans. Four of them require paper claims for reimbursement as well as onerous authorization procedures. I currently care for a 4 year old child with recurrent seasonal wheezing that has concomitant growth delays. I have attempted to treat her with a leukotriene modifier drug. Her private Medicaid provider denied my request, insisting that I use a generic nebulized steroid preparation. I engaged in a peer-to-peer review to try and get approval (that lasted 15 minutes over the phone), after exhausting 3 levels of paper prior authorizations. The friendly doctor I spoke with apologized that the drug could not be approved and when pressed for a reason, his answer was clear- COST. My patient will have to be placed on a medication that could further stunt her growth when a safer option is available, because her privately administered Medicaid insurance plan needs to make more profit.

I am amazed at how history repeats itself. Did we learn nothing from the failed experiment of privatizing Medicare? As a reminder, Medicare Advantage programs cost taxpayers 14 percent more than traditional, fee-for-service Medicare. This additional cost did not contribute to better care for seniors. It surely lined the pockets of the insurers with big profits. The same thing will happen in Florida if we agree to let Medicaid become a private endeavor. And millions of Floridians will again be left poor, sick and uninsured.

[hay rick]

10. This from the administration that took the public option off the table.

[B Stieg]

5. Asshole.

So the Gov'nor couldn't see the need for the program until he saw its efficacy in relation to his own mother?

How typically conservative.

[Divernan]

6. He knows privatization equals profiteering for his campaign contributors.

His Mother's never going to rely on Medicaid, but his Big Healthcare buddies can make a shitload of profit. What on earth other advantage is there to privatizing health care than profiteering?

[winter is coming]

8. Interesting that this article is from a Texas paper.

I wonder if Rick Perry will comment on Scott's decision.

[Divernan]

9. Interesting so many papers omitted the infor about Florida privatizing medicaid.

This is an Associated Press article, so it seems to be an editorial decision by individual papers to omit the -to me- extremely important fact about the feds letting Florida privatize.

[MichaelSoE]

12. I just read the article on the Guardian ...

I checked for a post about the story before I started a duplicate. Here's the Guardian link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/21/florida-rick-scott-expand-medicaid

[steve2470]

13. Florida Gov. Rick Scott supports Medicaid expansion

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/20/3244176/fla-medicaid-privatization-plans.html

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday he supports expanding Medicaid and funneling billions of federal dollars to Florida, a significant policy reversal that could bring health care coverage to 1 million additional Floridians.

“While the federal government is committed to pay 100 percent of the cost, I cannot, in good conscience, deny Floridians the needed access to health care,” Scott said at a hastily called news conference at the Governor’s Mansion.

Scott, a former hospital executive, spoke with unusual directness about helping the “poorest and weakest” Floridians — a stunning about-face for a small-government Republican who was one of the loudest voices in an aggressive, and ultimately unsuccessful, legal strategy to kill a law he derided as “Obamacare.”

Throughout his 2010 campaign for governor, as Scott sought support from tea party members, he called the law a “job-killer” that would hurt Florida.

[MichaelSoE]

11. am i allowed to use the phrase douche bag ...

or will that offend the lurkers. just checking before i do.

[Rozlee]

16. Douchnozzle works too.

And offend away. If they're lurking, they deserve seeing what they're being called.

[Ligyron]

14. This chiseler ought to be in jail for that pre-HCA (Columbia?)billing scam

They sure knew how to bilk the Gov. with that one. Now this.

Maybe his greed will get the better of him yet with this go-round.

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. Except that it probably won't be expanded in FL

The GOP controls the state legislature. The House Speaker has already hinted that he will not go for this.