The federal government, under ACA, would have covered ALL expenses for insuring newly eligible people from 2014 thru 2016. That share would only decline to 90% in 2022 and beyond. We stood to gain over $51 billion dollars, but our idiot GOP legislature rejected the Medicaid expansion.
Here in Florida, it would have covered 1/5 of our population: 3.8 MILLION people. To add insult to injury, the GOP legislature came up with its own alternative that would have COST US, the Florida taxpayer, BILLIONS of dollars and yet only cover 115,000 uninsured Floridians.
Rick Scott initially supported the Medicaid expansion and was pushing the teabag legislature to do the right thing after talking about his mother passing away. Whether he was sincere or because there was an election coming up, there was a gleam of hope that for once, FOR ONCE, he would do the right thing for the average Floridian. After the billions he has cost us and the untold damage he's done to this state, we deserve SOMETHING good from our snake-headed governor.
But he couldn't hide from his true nature and did a complete 180, dodging questions on whether he still supported accepting the money and tried to shift the focus to GOP talking points.
You have another chance Rick. There is no good reason on the planet for you to NOT do something right by Floridians and push through what should be a no-brainer. Florida has the highest number of uninsured after Texas. You've done enough for your cronies, the gun nuts, and the superrich. What say for 2014 you do one thing in your miserable existence for someone you are supposed to be looking out for. Just one thing.
10:48 AM PT: As you can see from my blog, the My Stupid State series continues to grow. We are up to #81. My ultimate goal is to kill this series this year, which I will most likely do if Rick Scott is defeated in November. That will show that there is hope for this state.
If he wins again, it will unfortunately grow for years to come. Please do what you can to defeat this criminal this year.