Governor Rick Scott is following through on a promise to examine the finances of Florida’s public hospitals. The move comes as an impasse between the legislative chambers deepens.
Scott wants to know whether public hospitals are turning profits, and how they’re spending their money. He also wants to know what the health outcomes are at those hospitals, and he’s looking for ways to decrease costs across the state’s healthcare delivery systems.
The Governor is also taking aim at the Senate’s Medicaid expansion proposal. He says expanding the program by using more federal money will result in the state having to raise taxes. A recent presentation by state economist Amy Baker shows the Senate plan would be self-funding and could result in a budget surplus.
Scott’s comments don’t mention whether the Governor will call the legislature into a special session to get a budget. The legislature remains at impasse over healthcare funding. The Senate wants to expand Medicaid, the House does not.
