There are more families in Florida than anywhere else in the nation which would have negatively been affected if the Supreme Court had not ruled in favor of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). At this point, there are over 1.3 million Florida families who are saving over $3,000 through tax credits which enables them to afford health insurance.
The argument that the ACA is not helping people in the state makes no sense, and our leaders are losing millions of dollars each week from the federal government. Fighting to repeal a law that the Supreme Courts’ decision has made the law of the land is on the wrong side of history. Leaving billion of dollars in Washington which is earmarked for Florida is bad management, and it is time for Floridians to speak as one.
It does not matter if you are Republican, Democrat or an Independent; rational minds and common sense Floridians understand that our governor and some of our leaders are leading the residents down the wrong road, and there is need for change. Floridians must address Medicaid expansion, and Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, is not letting this initiative die.
The Senate President called the court ruling “welcome news” for the state, but said Florida must still address the issue of low-income, working residents who fall into the coverage gap. “The Senate remains committed to addressing this serious health care problem through a free-market Florida solution that maximizes consumer choice and personal responsibility, while protecting state sovereignty” says Senate President Gardiner.
I am not sure what that statement actually means, but Florida residents need to speak with one voice and demand Medicaid expansion from our leadership. As a result of the Supreme Court ruling, about 93% of the 1.3 million Floridians who signed up for coverage this year received subsidies. The average health insurance monthly premium is $88 with the subsidies, and without it, the cost could have jumped to approximately $376 per month.
There are still one million Florida residents that don’t qualify for the government network and would qualify for coverage based on the Medicaid expansion. The ACA is saving Floridians lives, and residents that never had health care coverage are now able to have it for the first time in their life.
For Governor Scott and Florida’s House of Representatives to deny all Floridians an opportunity to get affordable health care is a moral indictment on their common sense and management skills. Instead of robbing Peter to pay Paul, there is money in the federal government for the state to improve health care services and deliverables.
If the Supreme Court understands the intent and significance of the ACA, it is time for opponents like Governor Scott to get on board, and stop trying to undermine the law of the land. The Supreme Courts’ ruling is a call to action for all Floridians, but in 2016, we must elect more Democrats who are progressive, and on the correct side of history.
