Negative Effect of Florida’s Refusal to Expand Medicaid Health Insurance

Question: Is Florida losing out because the state government won’t expand Medicaid health insurance under the Affordable Care Act?

Answer: Without getting too political on this hot button topic, the statistics speak for themselves. 1,000,000 Florida residents would benefit from Medicaid expansion in the state. And the inability of low income employees to get private health insurance will cost Florida employers between $145.7 million and $218.6 million in penalties. These penalties on employers would be avoided if these employees were eligible for Medicaid, which they would have been if Florida had expanded Medicaid. This is according to the Orlando Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/print-edition/2013/05/17/how-to-expand-medicaid-save-florida.html?page=all