Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs has joined other Central Florida mayors and the Association of Counties (FAC) urging Gov. Rick Scott to veto a bill that modifies how Medicaid costs are apportioned and will leave local taxpayers holding the bag for millions of dollars in state accounting errors.
Scott said Tuesday he has not decided whether to sign Florida House Bill (HB 5301), the pending Medicaid legislation. Instead, he has called for a county-by-county review to determine how much money is owed by local governments.
But, if Scott does sign off on the Medicaid bill, it is estimated that Orange County’s past bills, would be $26 million, dating back to 2001.
Jacobs in a letter to Scott late last month, expressed her “deep concern” for the new approach being contemplated, pointing out that it “is fundamentally unfair.”
“Should it (HB 5301) pass in its present form, the financial impact of over $22 million in “back billing” and a minimum of $23 million per year going forward, will have a significant impact on the services we can provide our citizens,” Jacobs wrote to Scott in a letter dated February 24, 2012.
Orange County’s Medicaid costs amounted to $15 million and $17 million, in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
In a meeting yesterday in Tallahassee, Jacobs again urged Scott not to sign HB 5301.
Scott’s decision is complicated as HB 5301 contains other aspects, including a cost-saving measure that limits the number of times Medicaid beneficiaries can visit emergency rooms annually.
Scott has until March 29 to make a decision.
