Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) established Tuesday a controversial new healthcare commission to investigate hospitals' finances and the role of Medicaid, according to the Palm Beach Post.
The commission is charged with determining how effective Medicaid is for patients' health outcomes and how much taxpayer-funded hospitals spend on lobbyists and political donations. Panelists will be appointed by Gov. Scott and can be replaced at any time, according to the report.
Gov. Scott, former CEO of Nashville-based Columbia/Hospital Corporation of America, said the panel needed to be formed in response to the rising profitability rates in Florida hospitals and because half of healthcare spending goes for payments to physicians and hospitals, according to the report.
However, some state politicians disagree with the necessity. Florida Democratic Party Chair Allison Tant said Gov. Scott was grandstanding and that the commission will not help resolve gridlock in legislature.
"The only hospital management advice Rick Scott knows how to offer is training executives how to fleece the federal government for billions," she said according to the report, referring to the federal fraud investigations of Columbia/HCA that occurred when Mr. Scott stepped down from the organization.
Members of the commission have not yet been announced, nor has a timeline for the project.
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