Florida House likely to reject federal money for doctors

The following article was published in The Fort Myers News Press on February 29, 2012:

 Florida House likely to reject federal money for doctors

By The News Service of Florida 

House budget negotiators appear likely to reject a Senate proposal to use federal money to increase Medicaid payments to primary-care physicians.

The fine print of the Senate budget calls for using $438.5 million in federal money, effective Jan. 1, 2013, to boost physician reimbursement rates. The 2010 federal health overhaul will make money available to states for such an increase.

But House Health Care Appropriations Chairman Matt Hudson, R-Naples, said Tuesday night that the House has a policy of not taking money from the federal health law. Florida Republican leaders have helped spearhead a constitutional challenge to the law.

But Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said the Senate has long wanted to increase physician reimbursements and noted that the state relies heavily on federal money for health services.

“If we have money to pay primary-care doctors more, I think the responsible thing is to do that,” Negron said.

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