don’t talk about it
“Medicaid expansion will not happen in Florida!” Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo declared on the opening day of the 2024 Florida Legislature. She promoted “Live Healthy” initiatives and proposals to increase Florida’s health care workforce and improve health care delivery services, emphasizing that Medicaid expansion is not part of these plans. Florida is one of only 10 states that have not yet expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income childless adults as allowed by the Affordable Care Act (the federal health care law known as Obamacare). be. Democrats in the Florida House and Senate support the expansion and Representative Joel Rudman., The physician and Republican from Navarre also supports expanding Medicaid. The expansion would expand Medicaid coverage to about 500,000 people who are in the coverage gap. These people earn too much to receive coverage under current Medicaid guidelines, but do not have enough income to qualify for subsidies to purchase private health insurance available under the Affordable Care System. Too few people. Activities. But as is common in state legislatures with Republican supermajorities, public will has given little weight to legislation, and Congress has refused to accept federal funding that would cover about 90% of the cost of Medicaid expansion. Masu. In Florida.
people have power
Florida health care advocates are currently pushing for a state constitutional amendment to expand Medicaid eligibility to those in the coverage gap. On Wednesday, May 15th, Midpoint heard about these efforts from Scott Darius, Founder and Executive Director of . Voices protecting Florida’s health(FVH) and Karen Clay, a longtime local disability rights and healthcare advocate and current FVH lead story banker. FVH urges the Florida Legislature to take action by presenting the stories of real people with real health problems that can be supported by Medicaid expansion and other legislative proposals to improve access to health care and the health care delivery system. I hope that I can influence this to happen. But FVH isn’t waiting for success in the Tallahassee Legislature. They are joining a coalition of health care advocacy and policy groups taking the issue directly to the public with a citizen petition calling for a state constitutional amendment referendum on the 2026 ballot to expand Medicaid in Florida. Participated.
Florida organizers have a long way to go before their petition is successful, but Medicaid expansion has passed in every state on the ballot. The petition needs nearly 1 million signatures to appear on the ballot in 2026, but 60% of voters will still need to approve it. But Florida Voices for Health is taking the first step and asking for help. For more information on the petition, please visit www.healthcareforfl.org.
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