State Rep. Alex Andrade is swinging at three major targets this legislative session — and none of them are softballs. In a conversation on (We Don’t) Color On the Dog, Andrade laid out an aggressive agenda that challenges Florida’s managed Medicaid system, addresses the fallout from the Hope Florida scandal, and takes aim at public agencies stonewalling records requests.
Making Medicaid Plans Earn Their Money
Andrade’s most ambitious move is a conforming bill in the House healthcare budget that would force Medicaid managed care plans to compete on outcomes — specifically, infant mortality rates.
- Details: Under his proposal, the state would withhold 2% of every plan’s revenue. Plans that achieve the greatest reductions in infant mortality can earn it all back. Plans that show any reduction get back 1%. Plans whose infant mortality rates increase face a four-month freeze on new member enrollment — a significant revenue hit.
“We thought that turning Medicaid over to private companies would inject some private market efficiencies into this system,” Andrade said. “But what we’ve really discovered is that there’s no real competition in Medicaid managed care plans.”
He pointed to an alarming trend: some companies have abandoned private health insurance entirely because Medicaid managed care is so profitable. “They’ve gotten out of the private health insurance game entirely because this Medicaid managed care system is so profitable for them. That’s a problem.”
- The racial disparities in infant mortality make the issue even more urgent. “When you see even the racial disparities in infant mortality rates, it’s kind of shocking,” Andrade said. “But again, you see opportunities to bend that curve.”
Hope Florida: ‘Those Are Just the Facts’
Andrade also addressed the governor’s efforts to dismiss the Hope Florida investigation as a “nothing burger,” pointing to an anonymous DOJ source who told a blogger no federal action was forthcoming.
- Not buying it: “I did my investigation. I developed the facts to confirm that James Meyer stole $10 million from a Medicaid program and laundered it to his PAC through the Hope Florida Foundation. Those are just the facts.”
His new bill would prohibit the diversion of state settlement funds to third parties as a condition of settlement, along with provisions barring public officials from fundraising in their official capacity — language DeSantis vetoed last year.
Public Records: ‘Compliance Is Abysmal’
Perhaps closest to home for journalists and citizens alike, Andrade is pushing a bill to overhaul Florida’s public records process. He didn’t mince words about the current state of affairs.
- “Public records compliance is abysmal right now in the state of Florida,” he said. “People view it as a suggestion. Public officials have forgotten that public records are property of the public.”
Under his bill, agencies would have three days to either produce records, provide a good-faith timeline and cost estimate, or cite the specific statutory exemption justifying denial. The bill also streamlines litigation, eliminating the five-day notice requirement before filing suit and stripping agencies of a good-faith presumption if they failed to follow the three-day response process.
“I didn’t think we needed to statutorily spell out how to act honestly and in good faith,” Andrade said, “but based on all my experiences, it appears like it’s necessary.”
- Three fights, one session. Andrade is betting that accountability still matters in Tallahassee.
