Dive Brief:
- Florida hospitals are fighting back after Gov. Rick Scott suggested that healthcare facilities share their revenues to help cover the costs of the low-income pool (LIP), which will expire on June 30.
- The Florida Hospital Association (FHA) sent a letter to Scott opposing what they're calling a new "tax" to cover the LIP.
- In the letter, the FHA also urged Gov. Scott to support a proposal by the state Senate to expand Medicaid.
Dive Insight:
"You have suggested that a new tax on hospital operation surpluses might be a way to sustain the existing LIP program," the letter says. "Such an arrangement is not a solution to the challenge we face. The Senate's comprehensive proposal would provide healthcare coverage to approximately 800,000 low-income, working Floridians. And, it fully funds a modified LIP program in the first year of a transition towards increased coverage. As more Floridians are covered, this approach allows our state to reduce its dependence over time, on a supplemental funding pool."
Hospitals in other non-expansion states should be on the lookout for similar suggestions as their states scramble to replace federal funding lost by their refusal to expand Medicaid. If you're in a non-expansion state, you might want to keep an eye on how things roll out in Florida.