By Lynn Hatter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-993727.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is applauding a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the state-led challenge to the federal healthcare law. Lynn Hatter reports Florida is leading a coalition of 25 other states and the National Federation of Independent Businesses in an effort to get the law overturned.
The case centers on whether a requirement that people purchase health insurance of pay a fine is constitutional. The state is also contesting a separate provision to expand the joint federal-state Medicaid program. It says the expansion is coercive. Florida Attorney General Spokeswoman Jen Meale says the Medicaid part of the lawsuit is very important to the state which spends close to a third its budget on the program.
"By increasing the amount of people who can enroll in program, it would require such an enormous cost to the state, that it would be unrealistic to expand to that extent. However by not choosing to expand and risk losing funding, is unrealistic and not possible, and that's why we believe its coercive."
State economists estimate Medicaid will have a billion dollar deficit next year and state officials say Florida can't afford the expansion.