Florida doesn't have enough doctors for Medicaid expansion, lobby group says
Article appeared in the Sun-Sentinel, excerpted for brevity. 2/22/2013
NOTE: Article says: the federal government is committed to paying no less than 90 percent of the cost. Is that supposed to relieve taxpayers from liability? I don't think so! The federal government is OUR money!
The Florida Legislature goes along with Gov. Rick Scott's recommendation to offer Medicaid coverage to an additional 1 million Floridians — part of the Affordable Care Act that takes affect next Jan. FMA says that shortage will only get worse.
About 15 million Floridians have health insurance today, and Obamacare, which requires most adults to have coverage by January, could add as many as 2.5 million more.
Of all patients, people covered by Medicaid may have the hardest time finding a doctor; only 59 percent of the state's physicians are taking new Medicaid patients, according to a Kaiser Health News study.
Governor wants a three-year expansion that would cover single adults and families earning up to 138 percent of the poverty line; the costs would be fully covered by the federal government. If the expansion is re-approved after three years, the federal government is committed to paying no less than 90 percent of the cost.
Health care advocates who back the expansion say they aren't worried either.
"We don't believe that there is a crisis brewing."
