Dive Brief:
- Republican Gov. Rick Scott has announced plans to sue the federal government for allegedly trying to coerce the state into expanding Medicaid by holding back other funding.
- At issue is the state's $2.2 billion Low Income Pool program, which funds hospitals that serve Medicaid patients and the uninsured. The program will expire in June unless a deal can be reached in state and federal negotiations.
- According to the Miami Herald, the federal agency handling the negotiations has stated that any decision on funding the LIP program will be connected to whether the state agrees to expand Medicaid coverage, which Scott rejects.
Dive Insight:
The debate could set a precedent for whether the federal government will next be able to put pressure on other states holding out against Medicaid expansion.
Scott argues that the Supreme Court has already ruled in NFIB v. Sebelius that the president cannot force states into Medicaid expansion.