2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumFlorida Governor Inflates Cost Of Medicaid Expansion By 2,500% To Avoid Implementing Obamacare
Internal email messages uncovered by Health News Florida reveal that Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) is knowingly citing inaccurate cost estimates to justify his refusal to expand Floridas Medicaid program. Though the governors office is fully aware that the numbers are wrong, Scott continues to use them anyway, the documents show.
Florida, which has one of the highest rates of uninsurance in the nation, could extend health coverage to about one million low-income residents by accepting Obamacares optional Medicaid expansion. But the governor an ardent Obamacare opponent has repeatedly said that expanding Medicaid would just be too expensive, claiming it would cost the state $26 billion over the next 10 years.
As Health News Florida reports, however, that figure from Floridas Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) is inflated because it doesnt take into account the full amount that the federal government will reimburse states for choosing to expand Medicaid. A more accurate analysis found that expansion would cost the state around $1 billion:
But those numbers are based on a flawed report, state budget analysts say. A series of e-mails obtained by Health News Florida shows the analysts warned Scotts office the numbers were wrong weeks ago, but he is still using them. [...]
The Act says the federal government will pay the lions share of the cost for new Medicaid eligibles if a state agrees to expand its program a decision the Supreme Court left up to the states. The federal contribution for the new eligibles would be 100 percent between 2014 and 2016, then would taper after that to 90 percent by 2020 and stay there.
more:
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/01/08/1413281/rick-scott-medicaid-estimate/
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)election as Governor.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)"I hate to bother you when your cooking the books"