Governor Rick Scott has signed a
controversial Medicaid bill into law that was strongly opposed by the Franklin
County Commission along with county governments around the state.
The bill, House Bill 5301, changes the way that counties pay
for indigent care under Medicaid.
Previously counties were billed for their indigent
residents’ hospital and nursing home care and they had the ability to review
the bills and contest any questionable charges.
Under the new law, counties no longer have that option and will
be required to pay 85 percent of their disputed bills.
If they contest the bills and lose they will have to pay 100
percent of the costs.
Counties can now also have their sales tax revenue held by
the state to cover the amount owed.
Franklin County commissioners say the impact to the county
would be about 145 thousand dollars, but statewide the impact could be nearly
350 million dollars, which is why the bill was opposed by 60 of Florida’s 67
counties.
Local commissioners had a laundry list of concerns about the
change including that it forces the county to pay even if the individuals being
treated cannot prove that the actually live in the county.
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