Rick Scott’s Medicaid Lie

Governor Rick Scott has made a political mission out of demonizing the Affordable Care Act and it’s costs to Floridians. But Scott’s claim that the expansion of medicaid would cost Florida’s taxpayers $1.9 billion was a flat out wrong. According to the Nation Magazine, Scott is simply making up the figures as the Federal Government will pay for full implementation of the expanded Medicaid program from 2014 through 2016.

Stateline magazine clarifies the medicaid provisions:

“For the first three years of the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, which takes effect in 2014, the federal government will pick up 100 percent of the new costs. But starting in 2017, the federal share will gradually decline until it reaches 90 percent in 2020, where it will remain.”

According to ACHA’s own estimates funding the medicaid provisions beginning in 2017 would cost Florida far less than $1.9 billion per year. But Scott continues to cite his own experience in the Health Care industry when justifying his numbers and theories as to how the law will affect patients.

So once again Rick Scott is putting ideology over people, politics aver policy and using his own phony health care experience to justify his decision making.  As Scott continues his best effort to confuse the public about the new law, he does Florida’s citizens a grave disservice. It’s time Florida’s Democrats redirected the debate and took the Governor head on regarding Medicaid.