Florida's GOP governor agrees to key Obamacare provision
(CNN) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott reversed course on Wednesday and said his state would temporarily accept the provision expanding Medicaid coverage included in the new healthcare law spearheaded by President Barack Obama.
Scott becomes the seventh GOP governor to sign on to the plan, rejected by some high-profile state chief executives still at odds with the politically charged law considered by many Republicans as a government overreach and widely known as Obamacare.
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Scott changed his mind after the federal government agreed to grant the Sunshine State a waiver allowing for the privatization of Medicaid, which Scott had said was a necessary step before he endorsed expansion of the healthcare program for the poor.
“While the federal government is committed to paying 100 percent of the cost of new people in Medicaid, I cannot, in good conscience, deny the uninsured access to care," he said. “We will support a three-year expansion of our Medicaid program under the new healthcare law, as long as the federal government meets their commitment to pay 100 percent of the cost during this time."
The federal government will pick up the total cost of the expensive expansion for the first three years, after which the funding will phase down to 90%. The program covers all adults with annual incomes at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, which is currently $14,404 for an individual.
Scott said he supports legislation that “would sunset after three years and need to be reauthorized.”
During his 2010 bid for governor, he campaigned heavily against Obama's health plan, including the so-called "individual mandate" at the core of the initiative that requires citizens to obtain health insurance.
He had vowed to support GOP attempts to repeal the law, but after Obama's re-election in November conceded those efforts were unlikely to succeed.
He also said he wouldn't implement the Medicaid expansion, along with a measure establishing state run health care exchanges. In its 2012 decision upholding Obamacare, the Supreme Court ruled that states could opt out of those elements of the law.
Scott said in his Wednesday statement that his decision “is not a white flag of surrender to government-run healthcare” but instead practical. If his state had opted out, he argued, Floridians’ federal taxes would be funding this coverage in other states while uninsured people in Florida received no benefit.
Scott joined Rick Snyder of Michigan, John Kasich of Ohio, Jan Brewer of Arizona, Brian Sandoval of Nevada, Susana Martinez of New Mexico, and Jack Dalrymple of North Dakota in endorsing the Medicaid expansion. So far, 19 states and the District of Columbia have indicated they will accept the federal funds.
Other Republican governors, including some who are considered potential 2016 presidential candidates, have rejected all or parts of the measure, including Bobby Jindal in Louisiana and Rick Perry in Texas.
Gov. Bob McDonnell joined them on Wednesday in announcing his opposition to the Medicaid expansion. He cited future costs to his state.
"To do so would be irresponsible and place crushing financial burdens on future governors and legislatures," he said in a statement.
At least 10 states have so far said no.
Governors Chris Christie of New Jersey, another potential presidential candidate, has yet to detail his plans on the Medicaid expansion.
While Scott said Wednesday that he supports the Medicaid expansion, final approval will be required from the state's legislature.
The Supreme Court last summer upheld the individual mandate and the Medicaid expansion, though it allowed states to choose whether to participate in the expansion program. It could reduce the number of uninsured adults by more than 11 million by 2019, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation estimate.
- CNN’s Gregory Wallace contributed to this report
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"privatize"?? I'll believe it when we have more details. That sounds to me like a sales pitch on Scott's part. If it turns out not to be, then follow the money...he already pushed the drug-testing crap and then designated a medical provider/clinics his wife owns as the drug testing company. This guy is the biggest Medicare fraudster in history and FL is the king of Medicare and Miedcaid fraud amongst the states. This "privatization" language seems to me as likely just his way of euphamizing his acceptance of the provision, and the deal he struck likely contains some small provision that gives him the barest toe-hold for the claim.
Staring re-election in the face Rick? Yeah, I thought so. Too little too late buckaroo.
The people mad because obamacare went through, without the white house leaders an republicans,an boehner an they all mad.
One by one these republican governors who tried to slander and demonize the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), are having to admit that it is a good thing and they were just playing fear politics, which is the one thing they are actually very good at.
Hahahaha, have you looked at this guys approval rating. Not gonna help Rick Scott
at this rate there wil be no Republicans left – by 2014 the only GOP left will be
1. unemployed GOP politicians
2. 10 independents that used to be GOP and now do not pick sides
3. tea party members who are still thinking Rove is their man
4. a few lonely republicans who will be looked upon as OLD and TIRED
If I was a GOP politican I would think closely about my future – especially if you have aspirations of still being a politician
PS switch before it is TOO Late
He must be up for re-election.
And how many other mothers are going without healthcare?
God forbid if any of these Repub mamas have to suffer.
Wow. "Sure, as long as somebody else is paying for it, I'm all for it."- really doesn't sound like the response the Republicans want us to think they'd make.
Holy frioles! No conservatives crying about this?
This guy "agreed" to the law of the land. What a tool!
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has found a way to profit off of Obamacare .
Didn't he run a medical company that defrauded the government ?
Imagine that. Another repug governor taking his words back because he has realized that he war wrong.
Whyen the word ugly zombie and extortionist ever comes up I think of this guy. How Florida, the land of retirees, ever voted for somebody who was a government cheater of everything good for them continues to be a mystery.
Scott lost my vote and all my families votes.