Has the Federal Govt. rescued Florida's Medicare system?

From the Orlando Business Journal

by Matt Coleman

Federal health officials have put the brakes on the Florida Legislature’s ongoing play to overhaul Medicaid and move to a statewide managed-care program, according to The Associated Press.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent a letter Thursday to the Agency for Health Care Administration, which oversees Medicaid in Florida, saying the agency would only renew a five-county Medicaid pilot program and not approve a statewide roll out of managed care, the AP reports.

The agency said a new managed-care proposal would have to be submitted by the Legislature that assures quality care for Medicaid patients. Budget negotiations between the House and Senate are currently snarled up as state lawmakers attempt to rectify divergent plans before the May 6 end of the legislative session.

The five-county managed-care pilot program was implemented by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2006 and expires June 30. A continuation of the program requires federal approval, but a waiver can’t be issued until the Legislature sorts out its plans to take the pilot statewide.

A study issued this month by the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University and commissioned by the Jacksonville-based Jessie Ball duPont Fund found that the risks tied to managed care have been minimized by Florida lawmakers. The study found “no clear evidence that the managed care pilot programs are saving money, and if they are, whether it is through efficiencies or at the expense of needed care.”

Read more: AP: Feds put brakes on Florida Medicaid overhaul | Orlando Business Journal

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