House Committee Rejects Medicaid Expansion

A Florida House committee on the Affordable Care Act said today Florida should not accept billions of dollars in federal funds to expand Medicaid coverage to nearly 1 million uninsured residents under the new federal health law.

The House committee voted along party lines this afternoon against Medicaid expansion. Naples Republican Matt Hudson says he doesn't believe the federal government will actually pay for the cost of the expansion.

“The federal  government has had a challenge almost every single day over the last six months, yet somehow we're to believe that they'll be rock solid, nothing will change for a decade,” Hudson said.

The vote came hours after the state's chief economist said the expansion was the right thing for Florida to do.

For more on the impact of the vote against Medicaid expansion, visit HealthNewsFlorida.org.