Recently the city of Cocoa approved a resolution supporting Medicaid expansion in the state of Florida.
The decision not to expand Medicaid in Florida is cruel and political. This pandemic has made it obvious to many, who have lost their employer sponsored health insurance, how difficult it can be to obtain coverage. Medicaid expansion would provide health insurance to over 800,000 Florida citizens.
Prior to the pandemic Florida had $2.6 billion per year in uncompensated hospital care costs — increasing health insurance costs for all of us. The Medicaid expansion would provide our state budget with needed revenue savings of approximately $198.9 million annually and $385 million over a five-year period.
For me this is a financial and moral reason to implement the Medicaid expansion. Let's work with our state legislators to take care of our citizens rather than play politics with lives.