The Florida Society of Neonatologists

THE COALITION TO PROTECT HEALTH CARE ACCESS
To preserve and protect the health care net
for all of Florida’s most vulnerable citizens

Editor's Note: This document was prepared to describe the effects that the Governor's proposed $700 million in Medicaid cuts will have on healthcare deliver in Florida.  After doing an email survey of the FSN membership, the FSN Board of Directors by a majority vote decided to join the coalition described below in opposing these cuts in Medicaid spending.  The list of organizations joining this coalition now numbers more than 70, and includes the Florida Pediatric Society and the Florida Medical Association.

• Oppose the mandatory transfer of Medicaid Medipass patients into Medicaid HMOs. Medipass is program that uses networks of private doctors and health centers, located in every county in the state, who have agreed to work within the managed care parameters of the program. The Governor’s recommendations will take away the patient’s option of choosing between an HMO and the Medipass program, resulting in a loss of $92 million of Medicaid funding. A vast majority of the 600,000 patients who are currently in the Medipass program will be required to enroll in an HMO. Not one Florida Medicaid HMO is currently meeting the national quality standards for patient care!

• Oppose the elimination of coverage to the working poor in the Medically Needy Program. This budget recommendation will eliminate inpatient coverage for the Medically Needy program and transfers an additional burden of $114 million in uncompensated care to local governments and their communities. The majority of the patients affected by this reduction are the "working poor" who qualify for the Medicaid program due to high medical costs resulting from a catastrophic illness or trauma injury.

• Oppose the hard-restricted drug formulary for Medicaid patients and the reduction of $281 million. This budget recommendation would severely restrict patient access to the most effective patient medications and would implement further hindrances on the physicians who treat Medicaid patients. The restricted formulary is in direct opposition to the recommendations of the Medicaid Formulary Study Panel, appointed in 1999 by Governor Bush and former Speaker Thrasher and President Jennings. Restricting access to medications will not save money. Costs will be shifted to other areas, such as hospitalization, and will actually cost the State more money.

• Oppose the forfeiture of nearly $400 million of federal funds to the State of Florida and their local communities. The proposed Medicaid reductions are an extremely ineffective way of trying to balance the state budget because we receive a 56.4% federal match. If this proposal is approved, our local communities would lose 100% of the money for patient care.

Return to top