Florida Health News

 TALLAHASSEE -- Florida's experiment with Medicaid managed care won't be expanded into Miami-Dade, Hillsborough or seven other counties anytime soon. 

 

Bean

Rep. Aaron Bean, chair of the House Healthcare Council, told Florida Health News on Monday that during budget negotiations the Senate refused to accept the House's proposal to expand reform into nine additional counties by 2010.
 
 "It's disappointing," said Bean, R-Fernandina Beach. "But I think we laid the foundation for next year and hopefully there will be leaders in the House and Senate that will do the right thing."
 
House Speaker Marco Rubio had made expansion of Medicaid reform one of his top priorities and initially wanted to take it into nine additional counties, including his home county of Miami-Dade,  in 2009. Bean had led the fight for that effort. After running into resistance from members of their own party, though, Rubio agreed to delay the expansion until 2010. But that, too, failed.
 
"I'm glad I've been fighting against it for a while," said House Minority Leader Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach. "It made no sense to expand Medicaid purported reform to Dade County, where it could only have a very bad impact. It's untested and untried and likely to hurt a population that is acutely vulnerable."
 
On Sunday, House and Senate budget conferees reached agreement on spending for July 1 through June 30, 2009.  It must sit on legislators' desks for 72 hours before they can vote. The 407 page bill was delivered at 6:49 p.m. Monday, meaning it can be approved as early as Thursday night, one day before legislators are scheduled to end the 60-day session.