Florida Medical Association officials voted in a closed door session over the weekend to take a position in opposition to the state’s proposed Medicaid overhaul.
A number of doctors have been opposed to the shift of most Medicaid patients into managed care, but few would say so publicly. Likewise, the association has been silent on the issue until now.
Health News Florida reported that FMA leaders passed a resolution Sunday to discourage the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from approving the waiver that would allow for revamping the system.
The FMA’s new president, Dr. Miguel Machado, said the group would send a letter to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making its opposition known.
“The letter will explain that we understand the budget constraints of the Legislature, but we cannot approve of expanding managed care,” Machado told Health News Florida.
Dr. Arthur Palamara of Hollywood told the news organization that the FMA has long opposed the overhaul but this is the organization’s most tangible and public move to date.
