Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Florida Governor Now Opposes Medicaid Expansion
The Associated Press: Gov. Scott Reverses Course, Opposes Medicaid Expansion
Gov. Rick Scott reversed course Monday, saying he no longer supports Medicaid expansion as talks break down between Florida and its request for the federal government to extend funds to hospitals that serve low-income patients. Scott wants the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to give Florida about $1 billion in hospital funds, but federal officials have denied that request for about a year, standing firm that the funds will end June 30. Negotiations between state and federal health officials turned ugly last week, with the state sending a series of frenzied statements accusing the feds of walking away from the discussion while a key federal health official was on vacation. Federal health officials said they remain in contact with the state. (Fineout and Kennedy, 4/6)
Miami Herald: Gov. Rick Scott Backs Off Support Of Medicaid Expansion
Republican Gov. Rick Scott backed off his support of Medicaid expansion Monday, triggering a political backlash and giving the Florida House ammunition in its ongoing budget battle with the Senate. ... Scott's office refused to elaborate on his statement, which was quickly characterized by some media outlets as a "flip-flop" and put the governor in opposition to not just the Florida Senate but a wide range of pro-business and pro-consumer groups. (McGrory and Bousquet, 4/6)
The Hill: Florida Governor Again Changes Course On Medicaid Expansion
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has again reversed his stance on expanding Medicaid under ObamaCare, which would use billions of federal dollars to extend coverage to about 800,000 people. For the first time Monday, Scott turned his back on a Medicaid expansion plan that was recently proposed by Florida’s GOP-controlled Senate but had been rejected by its GOP-controlled House. (Ferris, 4/6)
The Washington Post: Florida’s Republican Governor Says He No Longer Supports Expanding Medicaid
A little more than two years ago, Florida Gov. Rick Scott made an announcement that shocked the political world: the Republican, who had spent a portion of his personal fortune to oppose Obamacare when it was being drafted in Congress, now supported expanding Medicaid in his state. ... But the Florida state legislature didn't go along, passing up tens of billions of dollars in federal support. ... And yet the Florida legislature now appears to be reconsidering its stance, or at least debating it again. ... Scott now says he opposes the Medicaid expansion. (Millman, 4/6)
Politico Pro: Florida Fights Itself, Plus CMS, Over Safety Net Funding
The fight over renewing $2 billion in funding for Florida’s safety net providers isn’t just between the state and the feds. The Low-Income Pool program — and the question of whether it can survive sans Medicaid expansion — has also managed to pit Republican Gov. Rick Scott against the state’s GOP-controlled Senate. And their stand-off is escalating by the day. (Pradhan, 4/6)
Meanwhile, Illinois lawmakers consider automatic enrollment of prisoners before they leave jail -
Watchdog.Org: Illinois Weighs Automatic Enrollment Under Obamacare For Inmates Leaving Prison
Illinois inmates who will soon get out of jail won't pass "Go" and get $200, but they may collect their Medicaid card. A new plan working its way through the Illinois statehouse would start the enrollment, or re-enrollment, process for inmates 30 days before their release through the state's Obamacare office. (Yount, 4/6)
And Kaiser Health News looks at how income shifts can result in churning between Medicaid and the health law's online marketplaces -
Kaiser Health News: Shifts In Earnings For Consumers Near Medicaid Line Can Threaten Coverage
Low-income consumers whose earnings fluctuate or family circumstances change over the course of the year risk losing their health coverage if they shift between eligibility for Medicaid and coverage on the health insurance exchanges. That “churning” isn’t new to Medicaid, but the health law’s addition of millions of customers whose incomes hover near the Medicaid line raises concerns about how well the insurance marketplaces can handle the flux. (Andrews, 4/7)
