Medicaid has come to dominate headlines in the first week of the legislative session, dividing Florida’s Republican lawmakers and sparking doubts that an expansion of the program under the federal health law could be dead on arrival. The House opposes the expansion, the Governor supports it. And while the Senate has yet to state it’s position, that chamber’s leader says the writing is on the wall. Here’s Ronald J Ebben with a look at the week in Medicaid.
Long-term care is one of the most expensive parts of the nation’s healthcare system. And safety-net programs like Medicare, and Medicaid often don’t foot the full costs of that care. Many families end up having to pay lots of the costs out-of-pocket and in many cases, end up in debt. But a bill pending in the legislature, attempts to give families another option for paying for long-term care. And as Lynn Hatter reports, it cleared its first committee stop unanimously.
A Florida House Budget panel has moved a bill forward that would eliminate the state’s pension plan for all new employees hired at the beginning of next year, despite several objections from opponents, like unions and Democratic lawmakers. As Sascha Cordner reports, they say the Republican-led Legislature is rushing a proposal that is not fully finished and doesn’t have all the necessary information about its impact.
Today is [Friday was] the United Nations’ annual International Women’s Day, meant as a time to reflect on injustice against women worldwide. In observance of the day, activists took to the steps of Florida’s Historic Capitol Building with a message for state lawmakers.
Okay, it’s been a long, hard week at the Capitol. Time to get away from all the public policy debates and petty politics and do something fun. Take in a pro football game maybe. Well, there was a football game of sorts taking place in Tallahassee this week. One team was trying to get a plan down the field that would direct local tax dollars into sport facility improvements, specifically Miami Dolphins Stadium. Regan McCarthy reports the proposal got a first down by passing its initial committee stop.