Scott Backs Medicaid Expansion
February 21, 2013
Calling it a “compassionate, common-sense step forward,” Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday said he would support a potentially massive expansion of the Medicaid program under the federal Affordable Care Act.
The announcement was a dramatic move for the Republican governor, who launched his political career as an outspoken critic of President Obama’s efforts to overhaul the health-care system. The announcement also shifts the focus of the contentious Medicaid debate squarely to the Legislature, which would have to approve any expansion.
“We have a choice — and it’s not an easy choice — but my job is to worry about every Florida family,” Scott said during a news conference at the Governor’s Mansion.
Even before Scott started the news conference, House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, issued a statement that stopped far short of an endorsement of the expansion. Weatherford said he is looking forward to the recommendations of a select committee that has been studying the Affordable Care Act and that the House’s “actions will be based on principle and rooted in facts.”
“Governor Scott has made his decision and I certainly respect his thoughts,” Weatherford said. “However, the Florida Legislature will make the ultimate decision. I am personally skeptical that this inflexible law will improve the quality of health care in our state and ensure our long-term financial stability.”
Scott said he would support expanding Medicaid eligibility for three years — a period of time in which the federal government is supposed to pay 100 percent of the expansion costs. He said the expansion would have to go through a reauthorization process after three years, which would give the state a chance to determine how it affects health-care costs, quality and access.
The move could lead to hundreds of thousands of newly eligible people signing up for Medicaid coverage. But Scott’s stance drew sharply different reactions, with Democratic lawmakers and groups such as Planned Parenthood applauding the governor and conservative activists all but calling him a traitor.
“Candidate Scott ran on fighting Obamacare and was a leader in that movement,” said Slade O’Brien, Florida director of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity. “To switch, it’s one of the biggest flip-flops I’ve ever seen. It’s going to be remarkably disappointing to the conservative base.”
The Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, meanwhile, sent an email pointing to the fact that about one in five Floridians lack health insurance. It said expanding Medicaid will ensure that women and families have access to basic care.
“Politics should not stand in the way of Floridians getting the preventive care they need,” said Judith Selzer, vice president of public policy and communications for the Planned Parenthood affiliates.
Scott’s announcement came several hours after the Obama administration sent a letter to the state indicating it would approve a proposal to shift almost all Medicaid beneficiaries into managed-care plans. Scott and Republican legislative leaders have long championed that controversial idea, which they say would help hold down Medicaid costs and better coordinate care for beneficiaries.
Speculation swirled in the Capitol on Wednesday about whether federal approval of the managed-care proposal would be tied to state approval of the Medicaid expansion. But Scott denied such a linkage.
Scott and other Republican leaders spent more than two years fighting the Affordable Care Act, which Obama and congressional Democrats approved in March 2010. That fight included a Florida-led legal challenge that ended up in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case. Justices upheld most of the law, but said states must be able to decide whether to carry out the law’s Medicaid expansion.
Republicans have rejected another part of the law that gave the state the choice of running a health-insurance exchange. They decided to let Washington run the exchange, which will be an online marketplace where Floridians can shop for insurance coverage.
But in explaining his decision on the Medicaid expansion, Scott said the overall Supreme Court ruling and Obama’s re-election in November cemented the Affordable Care Act as the “law of the land.” He said he has not changed his view that the best way for people to get health coverage is through their jobs, but he said his decision is aimed at making sure all Floridians have access to care.
“It is not a white flag of surrender to government-run health care,” said Scott, who made a fortune as the hard-driving chief executive of a hospital company.
Perhaps the most-important part of the expansion is that it would make Medicaid coverage available to hundreds of thousands of childless adults who in most cases are not currently eligible for the program. Also, the law would raise the income threshold for eligibility to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, which is higher than the threshold for many people currently enrolled.
The federal government has promised to pay 100 percent of the expansion costs from 2014 through 2016 and then gradually reduce that share to 90 percent in 2020. But Scott and many Republican lawmakers have repeatedly raised questions about how much money the state could be required to pay in the future.
A report released last month by the state Agency for Health Care Administration indicated that Florida could face costs of $3 billion or more over 10 years. But analysts are scheduled to meet March 1 to revise the estimates, and the new numbers could play an important role as lawmakers decide whether they want to pursue an expansion.
While Scott would require what is known as a “sunset” process after three years, it was not immediately clear Wednesday what would happen if the expansion was not reauthorized. Such a process raises the possibility of newly eligible people losing their benefits after three years.
House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston, D-Plantation, said he would prefer that Scott didn’t seek the three year-restriction on the expansion. Nevertheless, Thurston said he was pleased by Scott’s announcement.
“I am confident that this important and necessary expansion of Florida’s Medicaid program will improve the quality of health care in our state and can be achieved in an affordable manner,” Thurston said.
But with Scott running for re-election in 2014, he could face a backlash from conservatives who put him into the governor’s mansion.
“Will Medicaid expansion cover me for the knife (Scott) just buried in my back?” Henry Kelley, a tea party leader in Florida, said in a Twitter message.
Pictured: Gov. Rick Scott talks about Obamacare Wednesday at the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee. NSF photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
By The News Service of Florida
Dept. Of Corrections Deficit Jumps To $95 Million
February 21, 2013
The cost of downsizing and consolidating Florida’s prison system cost at least $15 million more than expected this year and the Department of Corrections continues to operate in the red, the state’s prisons secretary told lawmakers Wednesday.
Deficits related to the closure of two correctional facilities, a controversial push to privatize health service and overtime expenses incurred as a result of consolidation combined to deepen the Department of Corrections deficit to $95.2.million.
Speaking to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice, DOC Secretary Michael Crews said miscalculations, and delays in closing at Glades Correctional Institution added to a deficit carried over from previous years.
“That deficit is the Department of Correction’s responsibility,” Crews said. “We don’t point any fingers. That is our job.”
Among the big ticket overages were:
-$13.3 million for additional salaries and overtime required as prisoners in the recently closed facilities were relocated to other institutions.
-$10.9 million in reduced revenue associated with privatization that was not undertaken following a court challenge. The funds were not replaced.
-$14 million in revenue cuts to privatize health services in south Florida, the transfer of which was delayed until December.
-$1.5 million for maintaining climate control and security at two closed facilities. The agency had budgeted $250,000 to keep the lights on and air conditioners running to avoid a buildup of mold.
The overall deficit includes $36 million carried over from the 2011-12 fiscal year. DOC budget chief Mark Talent said the costs included $7 million incurred by delaying the closing of Glades Correctional Institution by five months, a delay lawmakers called for in an effort to cushion the blow.
The committee’s chairman, Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said the agency has to do a better job of estimating its costs, saying estimates in recent years have been woefully unreliable.
“What we need to focus on going forward is to make sure those types of mistakes don’t happen,” committee chairman Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said after the presentation.
Bradley was especially concerned about the additional salary costs that surrounded Glades’ closure.
Crews, who took over at DOC in December and is the sixth secretary at the agency in the past seven years, said the agency significantly underestimated the cost of shutting down facilities, especially in the area of increased personnel costs.
“This is one area as far as staff where we really missed the boat,” Crews said.
As lawmakers in 2011 were debating a massive effort to privatize prisons in the southern third of the state, some of them warned about unanticipated costs of the plan, which eventually was defeated.
Committee members took turns Wednesday chastising the agency for continued budget shortfalls, with both Democrat and Republican members saying the agency needs to get its house in order by the end of the current fiscal year.
“We’ve got to find a way to get our hands and arms around the deficit and make sure it doesn’t exponentially continue to increase,” said Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa.
“That’s just bad management at the end of the day,” Bradley said. “We’ve talked about the reasons why today, but we have to end it. We have to figure out how much it costs to put someone in jail and keep them there.”
By The News Service of Florida
Ernest Ward Celebrates FFA Week With Breakfast
February 21, 2013
FFA students at Ernest Ward Middle School did their part to celebrate National FFA Week with a Wednesday morning breakfast for faculty and staff.
Students cooked a breakfast of eggs, grits, biscuits, bacon, sausage and more for the EWMS faculty and staff.
Pictured: FFA students at Ernest Ward Middle School provided breakfast for the school’s faculty and staff Wednesday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Relay For Life Garage Sale Saturday
February 21, 2013
The American Cancer Society will host a “Parking Lot Garage Sale” for all local area Relay for Life teams on Saturday.
Relay teams can reserve a space for free for raising funds for the their individual teams and Relay events in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The funds raised will go to each Relay team’s goal.
The public is invited to attend and find some great bargains, including rummage sale items, craft items and baked goods.
The garage sale will take place Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon at 5401 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 100 in Pensacola, just off Airport Boulevard. To reserve a space, contact lgaston@shhpens.org.
A similar event will be held in March.
Pine Forest Eagles Beat Gulf Breeze
February 21, 2013
One night after being no-hit in Milton, the Pine Forest varsity softball team rattled off eight hits to beat visiting Gulf Breeze, 10-2, on Wednesday night.
Senior captain Kellie Payne delivered the big blow, a monstrous two-run homer in the sixth inning that made the score 9-2. Sophomores Tiana Acevedo and Rebecca Rudd each drove in two runs for the Lady Eagles, who improved to 3-3 on the young season.
Junior Janessa Landas (2-1) allowed just one earned run in seven innings. She scattered six hits and two walks while striking out four.
Pine Forest scored four runs in the second inning. Kelley led off with a single, and the Eagles scored twice thanks to back-to-back hit batsmen and back-to-back walks. Brooke Lauter scored on a wild pitch, and two outs later, Rudd stole home to make it 4-0.
The Dolphins chipped away with a run in the fourth and fifth innings before the Eagles added three in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Rudd stole five bases, scored twice and made two diving catches in center field. Senior Miranda Kelley went 2-for-4, scored twice, drove in a run and stole two bases. Senior Aleecia Ybarra went 1-for-2 with two walks, a run and there stolen bases.
Vehicle Fire Near Home Quickly Extinguished
February 21, 2013
Firefighters from the Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue were able to quickly extinguish a vehicle fire Wednesday afternoon that was threatening a nearby home. The fire was reported about 2:45 p.m. on Stacey Road. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
One Tate High Building Evacuated Due To Small Fire
February 20, 2013
One building at Tate High School was evacuated Wednesday morning after a small fire in a bathroom.
The fire was contained to a soap dispenser in a Hall Building bathroom about 9:40 a.m. The fire was quickly extinguished, and there were no injuries reported.
The incident is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the school resource officers and school administration.
The school district and Crime Stoppers are offering a $300 reward for information on who may have started the fire, (850) 433-STOP.
An update to this story is published here.
Accountant: Century’s Budget In Good Shape
February 20, 2013
As of the last day of 2012, the Town of Century’s budget was in good financial shape, the town’s accountant said this week.
The town’s gas department revenue was down about $10,000 for the final three months of the year, with warmer weather translating to decreased natural gas sales. But accountant Robert Hudson said colder weather the remainder of the winter could quickly bring the department’s income in line with budgeted numbers.
Otherwise, Century’s budget is on target, account Robert Hudson told the town council.
“Things look from a financial perspective, we are even with about where we projected,” Hudson said.
Century’s total 2012-2013 budget is just under $2.9 million.
Broxson Withdraws Bill To Allow Oil Drilling In Blackwater River Forest
February 20, 2013
[Updated 1 p.m.] Rep. Doug Broxson withdrew a bill today that would have allowed private companies to drill for oil and gas in the Blackwater River State Forest in north Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. The bill was withdrawn after public outcry against the idea.
Broxson said drilling could have created as many as 300 new jobs while creating $30 to $60 million in revenue for the state. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had already given a nod to the plan to drill on 190,000 acres if natural assets were not disturbed.
The idea of drilling in a pristine forest has sparked a public outcry to stop the legislation. Sisters Marsha and Erin Fuqua created a Facebook page Save Blackwater River State Forest that has grown to over 1,500 likes, while a petition against Broxson’s bill has accumulated over 2,200 signatures.
“Since filing HB 431, our office has received many emails and phone calls, both in support and opposition to this bill, but very few people seem to have a sense of what the bill actually does,” Broxson said Wednesday afternoon. “I believe that we should have further discussion about how the leases in Blackwater are determined and managed, but in light of the misinformation about this bill, it is probably best to take the legislation off the table until we can have a more public conversation to address the facts.”
Broxson will still hold town hall meeting on Blackwater drilling on Monday, February 25 at the Jay Community Center from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. The meeting will include representatives from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Florida Forrest Service, who will provide information and answer questions regarding the issue of oil drilling on state lands.
“I look forward to continuing this discussion on Monday and in the future as a means to safeguard our quality of life and achieve maximum economic benefit for every citizen in Northwest Florida,” Broxson said.
Oil fields have operated in Jay — less than 10 miles from the Blackwater River State Forest — since the early 1970’s when oil and gas were discovered in northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1p.m. on 2/20/2013 to reflect Broxson’s bill was withdrawn hours after our original story was posted.
Charges Dismissed Against Walnut Hill Man For Not Delivering Yetis
February 20, 2013
Multiple theft charges have been dismissed against a Walnut Hill man arrested last summer for allegedly collecting cash for Yeti coolers but not delivering the merchandise.
Timothy James Barry, 51, was arrested on four counts of grand theft and three counts of petit theft after an investigation by the State Attorney’s Office and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Judge Joel Boles has granted a defense motion to dismiss the criminal charges against Barry.
“He ruled that there was no criminal intent,” Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said Tuesday,”and that this is a civil, not criminal, matter.” Marcille said the victims in the case would have the legal option to pursue damages in civil court.
Barry, owner of Baywatch Arms & Accessories, allegedly accepted $2,944.18 during the summer of 2011 from seven people to order Yeti brand coolers, a high-end ice chest, on their behalf. After the coolers were not received from Barry, the victims filed a complaint.
Certified letters were sent by the victims and the State Attorney’s Office in an attempt to collect the money. According to an arrest report, Barry admitted to receiving the money from the victims and told deputies on June 4, 2012, that he was unable to repay them.
Barry provided the victims and the State Attorney’s Office with “numerous excuses to avoid coming in to clear that matter up”the arrest report states. One victim told the State Attorney’s Office that he contact the Yeti Cooler company and was told the order was complete and awaiting payment from Barry.