By Karen Cyphers on May 4, 2013
To James Madison Institute president and CEO Dr. Bob McClure, House leaders deserve credit for refusing to be rushed into expanding Medicaid this Session.“With some PPACA supporters in Congress now referring to the federal government’s implementation of the health care law as a ‘train wreck,’ this is hardly the time for Florida to climb aboard,” states McClure. “In this case taking no action instead of the wrong action was a wise decision by Florida’s leadership.Expanding a badly flawed program such as Medicaid – which already consumes an inordinate share of the state budget – would not even necessarily benefit those whom it’s intended to help. After all, access to a form of cut-rate health insurance is not the same as access to quality health care.”McClure shared that according to research reported in JMI’s latest Policy Brief, Florida’s Best Medicaid Option under the PPACA: Expand the Reforms, Not the Rolls, uninsured patients in California received better access and better care than those patients who were enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program.“No doubt this is why 30 states still have not signed up to expand their Medicaid program despite the billions of federal dollars offered in hopes states would make a rush to judgment,” McClure said. “The Florida House, recognizing a bait-and-switch deal when it sees one, deserves enormous credit for its refusal to be pressured into a rash decision.”Indeed.That said, in the opinion of this columnist, a special session would be a far more focused context in which to evaluate policy options — before Floridians start being penalized for failing to have health insurance coverage they simply cannot afford to buy, and before the clock runs out on Florida’s ability to draw down billions of federal dollars toward a more thoughtful remedy.http://www.saintpetersblog.com/james-madison-institute-praises-house-for-holding-ground-on-health-reform
