Articles

Crist: Fla. applying for $817 million in stimulus

by Bill Kaczor

Posted on March 09, 2009 – Tampa Tribune

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida will apply forits first installment of federal Medicaid stimulus money, Gov. CharlieCrist said Monday at a meeting of the Florida Hospital Association.

Paperworkwill be filed Tuesday to increase the federal share of thestate-federal health care program for the poor from 55.4 percent to67.6 percent and that would send $817 million in stimulus to Floridafor a six-month period retroactive to October.

Asa result, the state would save money on the Medicaid program that canbe used for other purposes such as avoiding a potential budget deficitand cutting other programs. The Legislature, though, would have toappropriate the additional federal dollars before it could be used foranything.

"It means you have more at a time when you need it most," Crist said later.

Don Winstead, the governor's recently appointed "stimulus czar," accompanied Crist.

"Withoutthis money, the Legislature would be faced with very hard decisionsabout eliminating coverages or eliminating protections such as themedically needy program," said Winstead, who is on loan to thegovernor's office from the Department of Children & Families, wherehe is deputy secretary.

The medically needyprogram is separate from Medicaid. It pays for the health care ofpeople who can't get private health insurance because of chronic orcatastrophic illnesses and have spent all their own money.

The$817 million in Medicaid stimulus would cover the rest of the currentbudget year that runs through June 30. That money would be the firstinstallment on more than $4 billion in Medicaid stimulus the stateexpects to get over three budget years.

Overall, Florida is expecting about $13.4 billion in stimulus in that span.

JoblessFloridians will begin getting the first stimulus dollars by the end ofMarch - a $25 per week increase in unemployment compensation benefits.

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