Rick Scott: Medicaid Expansion Would Strain State Budgets

States can't afford the financial burden of expanding Medicaid

Reader Comments
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Gov Scott is right on the mark in his evaluation of the situation. We are fortunate to have his leadership in Florida. We need to build capacity in the marketplace, reduce costs, and support personal accountability.

Doris Nardelli of FL 2:46PM July 26, 2012

Thank you Gov. Scott for holding firm against expanding Medicaid in Florida at the expense of Florida taxpayers beginning in 2017.

If Florida refuses to expand Medicaid by covering newly eligible people defined as within 130% of the poverty level, the Federal government will have to subsidize them for health insurance coverage.

This appropriately shifts the costs of Medicaid expansion back to the federal government, requiring federal income taxes to pay for subsidizing them on the insurance exchanges.

As a Florida property taxpayer, I certainly prefer this approach over shifting 10% of the costs to each state's taxpayers. Frankly, the per capita cost to each Florida taxpayer is lower if the larger federal tax base covers the cost of new Medicaid recipients.

The overall cost of shifting the Medicaid expansion back to the federal government certainly makes Obamacare more expensive nationally, but as a Florida taxpayer I'm simply interested in keeping my combined State/Federal tax burden down.

I'm not interested in paying for any of the 20 new taxes inherent in Obamacare.

M. Hall of FL 2:40PM July 26, 2012

Rick Scott is an awesome governor & is doing what he believes is best for our state. Too many freeloaders in Florida now and not enough help for those truly disabled people that really need medicaid & other government based programs. If you don't like what our governor is doing then pack up your miserable butt and leave Florida. You Will Not be missed!!!

D. Orr

Jacksonville, FL

D. Orr of FL 1:20PM July 26, 2012

Medicaid is absolutely not any type of 'moral imperative'. Coupled with this administration's agenda for socialized everything and dropping the requirement to work for welfare, it's a formula for poverty and a total abandonement of the work ethic that made this country great. I would expect people who either don't want to work or have spent their adult lives in the make-believe world of education or government to endorse this; but not anyone who knows they'll be paying the bill for those who, in most cases, simply choose not to...

TonyG of FL 1:13PM July 26, 2012

More lies from the Koch bros. You don't really believe Rick wrote this himself do you?

Sick Rick of FL 8:51AM July 26, 2012

Scott's is a doom and gloom kind of guy, and very short on details of how to do things better. A whiner, especially if he has a national audience.

Parker of FL 10:14PM July 24, 2012

Rick Scott, Con Artist....His company paid largest fine in US history for Medicare Fraud.....now he's someone whose opinion should count? This isn't news, it's fascist propaganda.....and why the mainstream media is dying. Florida is the most corrupt state in the nation, run by criminals, con artists and fraudsters.....why is this guy even sought after? To the rest of America, save us from the criminality in our government that exists down here in the swamp.

matt weidner of FL 10:10PM July 24, 2012

The Governor does a nice job of distorting the facts. A large part of the state's economy is tourism and that means a large part of the workers get low pay and no benefits.

Florida has one of the highest rates of people without insurance.

As far as the Governor is concerned, as long as the business owners can afford the health care, who cares.

He has not offered one idea to reduce health care cost.

Peter Dale of FL 6:14PM July 24, 2012

Governor Scott,

As a resident of your state who was actually offered health benefits from work, I can tell you that efforts to make health insurance affordable has failed.

The current rate to cover my famiuly of five,once the deductibles were paid, would cost my family $33,000 per year to use. And that is with only 50 percent of any services being covered.

While I can understand that you do not want to bring in Medicaid due to costs, I cannot see how any progress is being made for people to purchase their own insurance.

Pay rates in Florida are considerbly lower than in other states, and the unemployment rate is high. There are few opportunities in this state that will allow for people to spend this large amount on insurance.

Insurance should not cost more than your mortgage.

AHoran of FL 3:46PM July 24, 2012

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