After the House prepared the Medicaid reform bill for a final vote Tuesday, Wednesday was the Senate's turn to start to move it through its chamber.
Senators in the Health Regulation Committee passed their version of one of the state's largest consumers of budget funds, despite some concerns from Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who attempted to place several amendments on the bill.
Fasano wanted to ensure that Community Care for the Elderly, nonprofit organizations that provide services to low-income seniors, were able to compete with for-profit managed-care companies.
Were not carving anything out, we just want to level the playing field. Why is it that we want to push out the nonprofits? Fasano said.
But Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, who is sponsoring Senate Bill 1972, said that undercuts what the bill attempts to do -- namely, allow all providers to equally compete for customers and drive down costs.
They are going to have to get in an entrepreneurial frame of mind. Were not going to continue to write checks, Negron said, adding that nonprofits can partner with large companies in order to have the resources needed to compete for Medicaid contracts.
The amendment failed in a narrow 6-5 vote, with Fasano lamenting the absence of Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, who he said could have cast a deciding vote.
Legislators, looking to fill a $3.8 billion budget hole, have targeted the state's Medicaid program for an overhaul. Medicaid is expected to take up nearly 30 percent of the state budget this year.
The bill seeks to drive down the costs of the program by moving recipients into managed-care companies like health management organizations or provider service networks. It also gives those on Medicaid greater freedom to spend their health-care dollars on a greater variety of health-care providers, and increases reimbursement rates for doctors and providers in an effort to increase participation and competition in Medicaid.
Fasano also sought an amendment that would have kept the requirement of transportation of needy Medicaid patients in the hands of the government, but it failed also --as Negron stated it should be incumbent upon medical providers to provide transportation as well.
Lets let them handle it and we move out of it and let them worry about getting the patients to the appointments, Negron said.
But Fasano noted that his amendment would merely keep the Senate bill in line with the House version that is set to be voted on Thursday.
I would ask that you adopt the House position, Fasano implored the committee members.
Despite the setbacks on those amendments, Fasano said he would continue to offer amendments to the bill when it makes it to the Senate floor.
Essentially, the Medicaid reform process is about fundamentally changing how the program is run. Instead of retroactive investigations and oversight to ensure compliance, Florida would contract with Medicaid providers paid for with performance bonds to ensure the managed-care companies meet quality care as well as cost reduction requirements.
I want to get out of the check-writing business and into the contract compliance business, Negron said.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
