Representative Geraldine Thompson said Florida should begin aggressively taking steps to implement the Affordable Care Act after wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to fight its implementation, and now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it is constitutional.
Thompson made these observations in an exclusive interview with West Orlando News Online and against the backdrop of recent statements by Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi that, the state would not be implementing the new law, particularly the optional portions such as the insurance exchanges and the expansion of Medicaid.
“I think the governor needs to get ready to implement the Affordable Care Act,” said Thompson. “We in Florida have seen a lot of taxpayer money wasted and spent to fight the implementation of the Law. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided that it is constitutional, that the President did have the authority, and the prerogative to implement this law, I think that the State of Florida should get ready to implement it.”
Thompson added that, she envisages a number of special sessions will be held by the Florida Legislature to deal with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
“The Affordable Healthcare Act will make it affordable, so that people will get insurance, they will seek treatment before they are critically ill and, therefore, it will be less expensive for us to have a healthy population, here, in Florida,” Thompson said.
Read the full interview with Rep. Geraldine Thompson HERE.
