Expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act
Florida must provide quality, affordable health insurance to all its citizens. President Obama’s healthcare law contained a provision whereby every state was required to expand Medicaid coverage. The federal government would pay 100% of the cost of the expansion over the first three years, and pay 90% of the cost of the expansion going forward in perpetuity. The Supreme Court decision holding that the healthcare law is constitutional, stated that the federal government could not force the states to accept the Medicaid funding due to a narrow interpretation of the federal government’s spending power. Instead, the Court stated that each state must independently accept the federal funding in return for expanding Medicaid.
The Florida legislature has refused to expand Medicaid under the healthcare law. This has devastating results for Floridians. If Florida were to accept the Medicaid expansion, then 1.3 million more Floridians would be provided with health insurance. Children, lower and middle income working families, and seniors would all benefit from this expansion of Medicaid. Without this expansion in Medicaid these 1.3 million Floridians will not have access to health insurance, which threatens to their lives and well being.
Expanding Medicaid would save the state of Florida money.The state would save $300 million in 2014, the first year of Medicaid expansion, and $100 million in 2020, when the state would be paying for 10 percent of the expansion costs. If insured, these 1.3 million Floridians would be able to get the preventative medical care they require, which would reduce the incidence of hospital visits. When uninsured individuals go to the emergency room the bill is transferred to taxpayers, which is not only costly but destructively inefficient. It is projected that expanding Medicaid for persons living under 138% of the federal poverty level will only cost the state of Florida $5 per person per year.
Accepting the Medicaid expansion under the President’s healthcare bill is not only beneficial economically but also the moral thing to do. These children, middle and lower income working families, and seniors should not go without health insurance. Expanding Medicaid will not only better the lives of those who will be newly covered, but will benefit the lives of all Floridians.
Children’s Healthcare
Florida is ranked 50th in the country for lower income children’s dental care. For those keeping score that is dead last. That is embarrassing, and as a State, we should be ashamed that we do not help children receive the care they need. Recently, Florida decided to shift all dental care for 1.5 million children on Florida's Medicaid plan to managed care. Due to low reimbursement rates, dentists are not opting-in to the program, which results in dwindling numbers of children who can be covered, especially children in low income families.
When elected, I will author a bill that will provide every child in the state of Florida who qualifies for Medicaid the opportunity to receive free preventative dental checkups twice a year. To pay for this legislation the state will levy a 1% excise tax on all soft drinks. Children who are unable to visit a dentist are less able to perform at a high level in school. We have an obligation to make sure all children in Florida receive quality healthcare and providing dental care is a large step toward accomplishing that goal.
Woman's Healthcare
State Republicans are perpetrating a war on women and when elected I will stop at nothing to prevent or repeal these policies that negatively impact women. I believe in a woman's right to choose. I do not believe that any legislator has the right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. When elected, I will oppose any bill that attempts to restrict a woman's healthcare choices and I will fight to expand women's access to quality, affordable health insurance.
Florida must provide quality, affordable health insurance to all its citizens. President Obama’s healthcare law contained a provision whereby every state was required to expand Medicaid coverage. The federal government would pay 100% of the cost of the expansion over the first three years, and pay 90% of the cost of the expansion going forward in perpetuity. The Supreme Court decision holding that the healthcare law is constitutional, stated that the federal government could not force the states to accept the Medicaid funding due to a narrow interpretation of the federal government’s spending power. Instead, the Court stated that each state must independently accept the federal funding in return for expanding Medicaid.
The Florida legislature has refused to expand Medicaid under the healthcare law. This has devastating results for Floridians. If Florida were to accept the Medicaid expansion, then 1.3 million more Floridians would be provided with health insurance. Children, lower and middle income working families, and seniors would all benefit from this expansion of Medicaid. Without this expansion in Medicaid these 1.3 million Floridians will not have access to health insurance, which threatens to their lives and well being.
Expanding Medicaid would save the state of Florida money.The state would save $300 million in 2014, the first year of Medicaid expansion, and $100 million in 2020, when the state would be paying for 10 percent of the expansion costs. If insured, these 1.3 million Floridians would be able to get the preventative medical care they require, which would reduce the incidence of hospital visits. When uninsured individuals go to the emergency room the bill is transferred to taxpayers, which is not only costly but destructively inefficient. It is projected that expanding Medicaid for persons living under 138% of the federal poverty level will only cost the state of Florida $5 per person per year.
Accepting the Medicaid expansion under the President’s healthcare bill is not only beneficial economically but also the moral thing to do. These children, middle and lower income working families, and seniors should not go without health insurance. Expanding Medicaid will not only better the lives of those who will be newly covered, but will benefit the lives of all Floridians.
Children’s Healthcare
Florida is ranked 50th in the country for lower income children’s dental care. For those keeping score that is dead last. That is embarrassing, and as a State, we should be ashamed that we do not help children receive the care they need. Recently, Florida decided to shift all dental care for 1.5 million children on Florida's Medicaid plan to managed care. Due to low reimbursement rates, dentists are not opting-in to the program, which results in dwindling numbers of children who can be covered, especially children in low income families.
When elected, I will author a bill that will provide every child in the state of Florida who qualifies for Medicaid the opportunity to receive free preventative dental checkups twice a year. To pay for this legislation the state will levy a 1% excise tax on all soft drinks. Children who are unable to visit a dentist are less able to perform at a high level in school. We have an obligation to make sure all children in Florida receive quality healthcare and providing dental care is a large step toward accomplishing that goal.
Woman's Healthcare
State Republicans are perpetrating a war on women and when elected I will stop at nothing to prevent or repeal these policies that negatively impact women. I believe in a woman's right to choose. I do not believe that any legislator has the right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. When elected, I will oppose any bill that attempts to restrict a woman's healthcare choices and I will fight to expand women's access to quality, affordable health insurance.
