A day after Gov. Rick Scott unveiled his budget, the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee met to hear how his proposed budget would impact state health facilities in the next two years.
Chaired by Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, the committee listened Tuesday to a presentation from Jane Johnson, a policy coordinator from the Office of Policy and Budget and, while Republicans remained firmly in control of the committee, they did have more than their share of questions about the proposed budget.
Noting that the health and human services appropriations consumed $18.4 billion in FY 2002-03, Johnson pointed out that they were more than $28.5 billion in FY 2010-11. Under Scotts budget proposal, the costs would increase to $29.17 billion in FY 2011-12 before lowering to $28.01billion in FY 2012-13.
Of the $29.2 billion planned by the Scott administration for health agencies in FY 2011-12, more than $22 billion would go to the Agency for Health Care Administration, almost 76 percent of the entire amount allocated. Department of Children and Families would take 9.5 percent of the total with almost $2.8 billion, just ahead of the Department of Health which would have more than $2.75 billion. Persons with Disabilities would get almost 3 percent with $842 million while Elder Affairs would have 2.4 percent of the total with $690 million. The state Department of Veterans Affairs would end up with $45.5 million, around 16 percent of the total allocated.
Johnson touched on the core beliefs that Scott adhered to as his team crafted the budget and listed his guiding principles. These principles, said Johnson, included core function, duplication of work, eliminating nonessential tasks and pulling the plug on trust funds when needed.
Rep. Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach, the ranking Democrat on the committee, noted certain principles were missing.
There is no reference to quality of care or accessibility, said Pafford, who wondered if Scott would add those principles to his list.
I know its a personal priority of his, replied Johnson.
I think your question about quality and accessibility is what accountability budgeting is all about, Rep. John Wood, R-Haines City, told Pafford.
Noting that the proposals would eliminate 3,528 positions in FY 2011-12 and 3,771 in FY 2012-13 -- with some of those posts currently vacant -- Johnson said the process proved difficult and that the administration was forced to make hard choices; however, she maintained that many of those jobs would end up in the private sector.
This was very painful for everyone involved but it was necessary since we were living beyond our means, said Johnson. Government cant do everything in the HHS sector that wed like it to do.
Johnson said that the Scott administration would look to push privatization of state developmental disabilities centers, mental health facilities and veterans homes which, they insist, will save almost $104 million. The proposal to privatize veterans' homes drew the ire of Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, the vice chairman of the committee, who insisted the employees at the state homes were doing an excellent job.
I have a real concern with that, said Roberson, noting there were more than 1.7 million veterans in the Sunshine State. I hope the governors office reconsiders it.
Hudson noted that the committee would be dealing with that issue in a meeting next week.
Committee members from both sides of the aisle wanted more details from Johnson and hoped they would get them in future meetings.
We want the old-fashioned spreadsheets, said Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie, who is back in the House where she served four terms after first being elected in 2000. I want to get a very detailed budget.
Hudson agreed, telling Johnson there was a good craving for real information on the committee.
Pafford also expressed dissatisfaction with the Scott administrations first budget proposal insisting, There is so little here.
Republicans on the committee also expressed other concerns. Hudson noted that while he generally wanted to cut government, he did not know if some programs, such as the Poison Control Center, needed to be eliminated. Rep. Daniel Davis, R-Jacksonville, a former president of the Jacksonville City Council, told Johnson in no uncertain terms that while the Scott administration may want to shift the burden of some health agencies to local governments, city and county governments do not have resources either.
One of the leading topics of the upcoming session also emerged in the meeting. Johnson said that while the Scott administration would not propose a Medicaid reform bill, they were happy with legislative efforts made in the 2010 session and expected to work with the House and Senate in crafting a new bill. Democrats on the committee, led by Rep. Janet Cruz of Tampa and Rep. Elaine Schwartz of Hollywood, wondered how the Scott administration could claim that Medicaid reform would save $1.2 billion when it still remained in committee.
Noting they would have still have to deal with the federal government, members of the committee told Johnson they were not optimistic to have the entire issue resolved by the end of the session.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
