Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) is no longer showing support for Medicaid expansion in his state, according to a Miami Herald report.
According to the report, Gov. Scott, who announced his support for Medicaid expansion in 2013, "expressed strong doubts" about the low-income health insurance program this week.
The news comes as negotiations are breaking down between Florida and federal healthcare officials over a $2.2 billion federal-state program known as the Low Income Pool, which is used by hospitals for charity care, according to the report. CMS has said that the LIP program, which is set to expire in June, won't be renewed as it is now.
"We still have several weeks left for budget negotiations," Gov. Scott said in a statement. "However, given that the federal government said they would not fund the federal LIP program to the level it is funded today, it would be hard to understand how the state could take on even more federal programs that CMS could scale back or walk away from."
Gov. Scott's new position, the report notes, "adds a new dynamic" to Florida's ongoing budget debate. The House is opposed to Medicaid expansion, according to the report. However, the Senate has proposed a budget plan that includes federal monies for its version of expansion.
Jennifer Fennell, a spokeswoman for a bi-partisan coalition of individuals and business groups known as A Healthy Florida Works, said in the report that the coalition hopes Gov. Scott comes around, and remains optimistic that lawmakers and Gov. Scott "will move forward with this comprehensive plan that protects Florida families and businesses."
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