The Florida Current reports that Florida will be receiving $1 billion in Low Income Pool money after negotiations between federal and state officials.
“„The lone obstacle between the state and federal government in Medicaid 1115 waiver negotiations appears to have been settled as state officials announced on Tuesday that Florida will continue to receive $1 billion to fund health care for the poor, uninsured and underinsured.
“„Medicaid Deputy Director of Finance Phil Williams told a hospital panel on Tuesday that the state will continue to receive $1 billion in Low Income Pool money for three years. But the news wasn’t all good as Williams discussed with the hospital-dominated board some of the new reporting requirements and benchmarks for primary-care funding.
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“„The Medicaid 1115 waiver makes possible a mandatory managed-care program in five Florida counties. But Florida has been negotiating to extend the program for more than a year. The fate of the low income pool has been one of the bigger stumbling blocks.
“„The waiver is important because to launch its new statewide mandatory Medicaid managed-care program the state needs the waiver. Because the existing five-county pilot program and the new statewide program are not identical, the 1115 waiver will need to be amended. Florida already has sent the amendments to the federal government to consider even though the underlying waiver still is pending.
“„There have been concerns over the lack of accountability in the pilot project throughout its five years. And the concerns that they’ve had have not been resolved. I think that’s universally recognized. [The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] has said look, you’re getting a waiver, all these federal rules relaxed, so in exchange for that we need some basic assurance that the power given to managed care plans is not going to be abused.