Florida considers managed care program to cut Medicaid costs

In Florida, the state legislature is looking for ways to cut Medicaid costs and one of the options is setting up a state-wide managed care program.

NPR: To Cap Medicaid, Florida Looks To Managed Care
In Tallahassee, Florida's Legislature has one overriding goal this session: to close a $4.5 billion budget shortfall. And one of the key programs it is targeting for cuts is Medicaid (Allen, 3/8).

Health News Florida: House Unveils Medicaid Overhaul
More patient and less confrontational than the Senate, the Florida House has released a proposal to transform Medicaid into a statewide managed-care program during the next five years. ... Both the House and Senate have the same goal: shifting hundreds of thousands of low-income and elderly people into managed-care plans. But they take vastly different approaches. The House bill eschews the Senate's threats to begin having Florida run the program itself -- and potentially give up billions of dollars in federal money -- if Washington doesn't go along with proposed changes (Saunders, 3/7).

The Miami Herald: Sides Gird Up For Medicaid Fight
In Florida, poverty is big business. Just look at the Medicaid healthcare program, which could account for $22 billion in spending in the coming budget year. It's the most expensive program in the state budget right now and funds more than 80,000 providers, from large hospitals to podiatrists. … But with all the increases — 50 percent over five years — lawmakers say they have to tamp down costs and improve care. Their solution: require that HMO-like managed-care companies take more control of Medicaid (Caputo, 3/7).