February 6, 2012
By Dalia Colón – There’s a lot of talk swirling about what it’ll take for Florida to remain competitive in the future: Small business tax breaks. High-speed rail. A larger investment in education. But more vital to Florida than any of that, pundits contend, is the health of its citizens. Many warn a proposed Medicaid premium of $10/person/month would force hundreds of thousands of people out of the program because they cannot afford it, thus leaving them without health care. HealthyState.org explores how Floridians’ collective health impacts the state’s education system, the economy, and, ultimately, Florida’s future.
By Kimberly Vlach – In the 2011 legislative session, lawmakers passed a drastic overhaul to the state’s Medicaid program – and one of those changes includes imposing a monthly premium of $10 per person. While HealthyState.org set out to investigate how a $10 premium would help shore up both the health care program and the state budget, we were met with candid responses from the state: the premium isn’t necessary in keeping Medicaid intact and is more a matter of principle. So changing tack, HealthyState.org looks at the reality that even the poor make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. The fact is, Medicaid participants are poverty-stricken, and the hospitals that help serve them know this all too well.
Florida’s Medicaid program accounts for over a quarter of the state’s total budget. States across the nation are implementing severe austerity measures to reign in their spending, including budgets for entitlement programs. Meanwhile, with the economy still weak and unemployment high, people are struggling to survive. But even the poor make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. Take a look at these numbers giving some stark perspective on Florida’s Medicaid situation.
[VIDEO] By Sammy Mack – Medicaid recipient Patrina Williams is a single mom with seven kids, ages 19 to 4. Due to the economy, her full-time job was cut to part-time, and now she earns $960 a month. But if state lawmakers have their way and impose a $10 per person per month premium, $70 a month would devastate her family – and likely force them out of the program. To get a sense of what $10 is worth to a person on Medicaid, HealthyState.org followed Williams and her family.