Florida Counties Plan Lawsuit over State's Medicaid Collection Effort

The Florida Association of Counties is preparing to file a lawsuit in Leon County to challenge the law, HB 5301, that will require counties to pay the state $325 million in disputed Medicaid bills.

"From the outset, we've said that local taxpayers shouldn't be forced to pay for Tallahassee's accounting errors," Chris Holley, the FAC's executive director, told the Orlando Sentinel. "And to ensure that they are not, we will be pursuing legal action."

Legislators have said the state has been unable to collect from counties full payment for Medicaid bills for residents who receive health care through the state-federal program for low-income and disabled patients. They put the past-due tab near $300 million.

The Association of Counties has countered that the past-due payments are the fault of state accounting errors.

Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill on March 29.