Obama Care Is Here
Time to make way for health reform in Florida
After months of digging in against federal health care reform, Florida's Republican leaders seem to be yielding to today's realities. It's about time.
The election is over, the voters have spoken and the hope that a court ruling or the presidential election would change the fate of Obama Care — is gone.
A majority of Florida voters didn't support the candidate who promised to repeal the law. Neither did they back a state constitutional amendment that purported to exempt state residents from having to buy health insurance, the law's individual mandate. And as we all know, elections have consequences.
Immediately after the election, a disappointed GOP Gov. Scott, who helped lead the nation's charge against reform, said he was still not ready to implement the law a position that would force the federal government to do it for him.
By contrast, a more reasonable state Senate President Don Gaetz said, "I don't like this law, but this is the law, and I believe I have a constitutional obligation to carry it out."
Days later, the governor started to come around, issuing a statement that said, "just saying 'no' is not the answer."
Today was to be the deadline for states to decide whether to establish their own health insurance exchanges or let the federal government do it.
It's unfortunate that Scott rejected millions of dollars in federal funds to begin setting up a health exchange in Florida.
Given the burden facing the uninsured and the health providers who care for them, the state should take a second look at the benefits of expanding Medicaid, another option under Obama care that Scott has rejected up to now.
The federal government is committed to picking up the entire cost of the expansion for the first three years, and at least 90 percent of it through 2020.
Researchers concluded the state could add between 800,000 and 1.3 million uninsured Floridians to the program and end up ahead after accounting for additional federal funding and savings in other safety net programs.
Obama Care is here. Florida's leaders have a responsibility to ensure that state residents can benefit from it.
After months of digging in against federal health care reform, Florida's Republican leaders seem to be yielding to today's realities. It's about time.
The election is over, the voters have spoken and the hope that a court ruling or the presidential election would change the fate of Obama Care — is gone.
A majority of Florida voters didn't support the candidate who promised to repeal the law. Neither did they back a state constitutional amendment that purported to exempt state residents from having to buy health insurance, the law's individual mandate. And as we all know, elections have consequences.
Immediately after the election, a disappointed GOP Gov. Scott, who helped lead the nation's charge against reform, said he was still not ready to implement the law a position that would force the federal government to do it for him.
By contrast, a more reasonable state Senate President Don Gaetz said, "I don't like this law, but this is the law, and I believe I have a constitutional obligation to carry it out."
Days later, the governor started to come around, issuing a statement that said, "just saying 'no' is not the answer."
Today was to be the deadline for states to decide whether to establish their own health insurance exchanges or let the federal government do it.
It's unfortunate that Scott rejected millions of dollars in federal funds to begin setting up a health exchange in Florida.
Given the burden facing the uninsured and the health providers who care for them, the state should take a second look at the benefits of expanding Medicaid, another option under Obama care that Scott has rejected up to now.
The federal government is committed to picking up the entire cost of the expansion for the first three years, and at least 90 percent of it through 2020.
Researchers concluded the state could add between 800,000 and 1.3 million uninsured Floridians to the program and end up ahead after accounting for additional federal funding and savings in other safety net programs.
Obama Care is here. Florida's leaders have a responsibility to ensure that state residents can benefit from it.
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