Government
Florida passes governor's Medicaid reform package
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 23, 2005
The Florida Legislature has passed a modified version of Gov. Jeb Bush's reform proposal for the state's Medicaid program, which has a budget of about $15 billion and provides coverage for 2.3 million residents. Under the measure, much of the administration of benefits and services will be turned over to private insurers, which will have some flexibility over the scope of services offered. However, changes were made to the final bill that give the Legislature ultimate say over what services the plans must cover.
The legislation also overruled a provision slipped into Florida's budget bill that would have allowed the state to change what Medicaid pays physicians retroactively with as little as 48 hours' notice.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/05/23/gvbf0523.htm.
