Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) proposed to cut state Medicaid spending by almost $1 billion in his 2017-18 budget, the Pensacola News Journal reports.
The governor's proposed $83.5 billion budget looks to cut $1.1 billion in spending mostly through reduced payments to hospitals, according to the report.
"Florida hospitals continue to have record profits and the governor is committed to fighting price gouging and unfair costs for Floridians needing important medical care," Gov. Scott said, according to the report.
However, healthcare industry advocates said a third of the proposed cuts would greatly affect mission-based or teaching hospitals.
"Deep cuts to Medicaid funding will damage healthcare access for millions of children and pregnant women served by the program," Bruce Rueben, president of the Florida Hospital Association, told Pensacola News Journal.