As the House and Senate get ready to start negotiating a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Gov. Rick Scott and federal officials announced Wednesday that the state will have $1.5 billion for a key program that helps hospitals care for low-income and uninsured patients.
The money will be available for the “Low Income Pool” program, which provides federal matching funds. State lawmakers had been uncertain about how much money would be available for the program during the fiscal year that starts July 1. The Senate included about $607 million in so-called “LIP” funding in its budget proposal, while the House — pointing to the uncertainty — did not include LIP money in its spending plan.
“Working with the Trump administration to secure a commitment of $1.5 billion in LIP funding for our state will truly improve the quality and access to health care for our most vulnerable populations,” Scott said in a prepared statement Wednesday.
“I appreciate their quick turnaround and commitment to working with Florida to provide additional flexibility for how these funds can be used more efficiently, including allowing money to follow each patient. This will provide better health care for the individuals intended to be served with this funding.”
Source: The News Service of Florida