Medicaid Reform Clears Another House Committee

The Medicaid reform bills backed by the leadership in the Legislature cleared the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

Members of the Legislature, the public and the medical community have recognized the urgent need to reform our states broken Medicaid program, said Rep. Rob Schenck, R-Spring Hill, who is pushing the bills from his perch as chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee. The Medicaid program in its current form is unable to guarantee access or deliver quality care to Floridians, and the cost to the state to maintain the program continues to rise at an unsustainable rate.

The House Medicaid proposal, which is the product of months of gathering input from stakeholders and building on the principles outlined in the Joint Medicaid Memorial passed by the House and Senate last fall, is a common-sense reform plan that will offer long-term viability, as well as ensure access to quality care, added Schenck. If the Legislature takes no action, the current Medicaid program will continue to hemorrhage the state budget to the serious detriment of all other programs. I commend my fellow members for passing the House Medicaid reform proposal today, and am confident that this proposal will continue to gain support.

With the leadership continuing to fight for the bills, they should clear the House with little problem.

The House Medicaid reform package will make Floridas Medicaid program more patient-centered, outcome-oriented, and cost-effective, insisted House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami. Our current Medicaid system is not delivering value for either consumers or taxpayers. By moving to a statewide managed-care program, we can deliver better and more stable services, while ensuring costs are controlled.