Per
SunSentinel:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/os-health-care-tallahassee-20150505-story.html
TALLAHASSEE — After a legislative session where he largely stayed out of the health-care battle consuming the House and Senate, Gov. Rick Scott spurred to action Tuesday, vowing to examine hospital finances and to meet with federal officials to break Florida's budget logjam.
The governor then flew to Washington ahead of a meeting Wednesday with federal Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. He said he plans to ask her for an extension of the Low Income Pool — a Medicaid program that pays hospitals for care of the poor and uninsured that is key to the health-care fight.
Earlier, Scott issued an executive order setting up the Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding to look at the finances, political contributions, lobbying efforts and quality and cost of care provided at hospitals funded in part by taxpayer money.
"We ought to know how those dollars are spent, what's the outcome of those dollars, are they spent efficiently?" Scott said.
Scott will appoint commission members and said meetings will begin "promptly," but he didn't give a specific date.
The commission, which will also look at hospital executives' compensation and the cost of health-care services, has local hospitals gearing up for the inquiry. They want the commission to take into account the care they provide that goes unpaid by patients who can't afford it.
"We look forward to participating fully and showing the complete story of all the benefits not-for-profit hospitals provide to the community they serve," Florida Hospital spokesman Mike Griffin said.
In an email, Orlando Health spokeswoman Kena Lewis wrote, "We will continue to closely monitor the situation and review different options that would enable us to continue to serve the community, to the best of our ability, in a financially sound manner."
But Scott could be on tenuous political ground as he digs into hospitals' finances. His history as CEO of the Columbia/HCA hospital chain who resigned in 1997 as the company was being investigated for Medicare billing fraud, eventually paying $1.7 billion in fines, is likely to resurface.
The new commission's directive to look at the lobbying and political contribution efforts make for a delicate situation as well for Scott, since the Florida Hospital Association, the main lobbying group for hospitals in the state, has given $1.28 million to the Republican Party of Florida since 1996, including $227,000 since the 2012 election cycle.
FHA has given the Florida Democratic Party $472,700 since 1996, including $122,800 since November 2012.
Scott will be in Washington to discuss LIP, a $2.2 billion program that uses local tax funds to draw down $1.3 billion in federal funding that expires June 30.
Federal officials stated last year they would not extend it further without significant changes, and in a letter to the state last month suggested the fate of LIP could be tied to Florida's decision on Medicaid expansion.
Scott sued the federal government last week for what he called efforts to "coerce" the state into accepting Medicaid expansion by withdrawing LIP funds.
He also sent a letter to President Barack Obama last month urging him to extend the program but was criticized for being away from the Capitol during key moments of the session that led to the budget stalemate in the Legislature.
The House and Senate bogged down over health-care spending, adjourning the legislative session last week without addressing any of Scott's priorities. His goals of $673 million in tax cuts, increased K-12 education spending and frozen higher-education tuition fees are in limbo since the chambers could not agree on a budget.
The Senate insists that Medicaid expansion be a part of budget talks, while House Republicans refuse to discuss it. Senators say an answer from the federal government about the future of LIP is needed, or an alternative Medicaid expansion plan that they have proposed needs to be in place to make up for the lost funds.
The Senate expansion plan would provide coverage to 800,000 Floridians who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but has work, co-pay and premium requirements.
Scott said it was a dead issue — although he previously supported Medicaid expansion — but hospitals say the expansion of LIP and Medicaid expansion are both needed.
"It's not going to happen. There's no support in the House. I'm not going to support it; it's not a program that's worked," Scott said Tuesday.
Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, himself an executive with Orlando Health, has proposed a three-week special session to pass a budget starting June 1. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, is still developing a response.
Scott said he wants a clear answer from the federal government on LIP so lawmakers can pass a budget before June 30, the end of the fiscal year. If they don't, it could lead to a state-government shutdown.
"We have to get a budget done by the end of June, and I'm going to make sure we continue to run the state," Scott said.
