Florida Medicaid

Open enrollment for the health care marketplace lasts until Jan. 15. But if people want coverage on Jan. 1, they must be enrolled by Dec. 15.

The estimates show an anticipated $417 million deficit in Medicaid for the current fiscal year, which will end June 30, and a $1.434 billion deficit in the 2022-23 fiscal year.

The total is up from an estimated enrollment of 4.524 million people for the recently completed 2020-21 fiscal year, according to economists who work for the governor and Legislature,

The average premium through the ACA marketplace reportedly fell 25% in April due to tax subsidies in the American Rescue Plan. Meantime, Florida's Medicaid enrollment continued to climb in June.

Advocates for poor, elderly and disabled individuals, who have been pressing the DeSantis administration to leverage the additional funding since spring, hailed the plan.

Florida Medicaid officials assessed more than $1 million in damages against all 11 managed health care plans that have contracts with the state, as well as three managed dental care companies.

The dispute stems from a decision by the HHS “disallowing” Medicaid reimbursements from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2013, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in South Florida.

Lawmakers in recent years have been unable to reach agreements to end the 60-day regular legislative sessions on time.

House Speaker Chris Sprowls wants to extend Medicaid coverage for mothers after giving birth from the current two months to a year.

A group of lawmakers in the state House of Representatives from both parties stood together and said they want to extend the 60 days of Medicaid coverage after birth.

It would allow for mothers to receive Medicaid coverage for a full year, rather than the current two months.

A report from the Florida Policy Institute found that Medicaid expansion could save the state $200 million while extending health care coverage to over 900,000 residents.