TU: Mayor Alvin Brown not sure of cost to Jacksonville for Medicaid

And here is yet another possible draw on our tax dollars if we have to pay the additional money on Medicaid, and I hope you remember all the money that is being spent on non-essential things when we are expecting next year's budget to be short a huge amount due to pensions and now may have to add another 3 million of the almost 10 million to the outstanding total as well. You thoughts on this greatly appreciated.

TALLAHASSEE - A controversial new law that could cost local governments $325 million in disputed Medicaid payments has Jacksonville City Hall scrambling to determine exactly how big a hit city taxpayers could face.

A bill signed by Gov. Rick Scott last week included a provision requiring local governments to make what the state calls “unpaid” Medicaid payments. Local governments, who lobbied hard against the provision, said the reason they haven’t made the payments is because they are actually errors that resulted from what they call a flawed electronic billing system the state adopted in 2008.

The issue may soon head to the courts. The Florida Association of Counties said Tuesday it is strongly considering suing the state. The group led the lobbying push against the provision during this year’s Legislature.

The city currently makes $9.6 million in annual Medicaid payments. The system is funded by federal, state, and local money.

Mayor Alvin Brown says asking Jacksonville to make back payments could cost the city an additional $9.5 million over the next three years, but his office is still gauging the total number.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on April 11, 2012 at 6:26am: I am not sure Amanda, and it can only get worse. But it does seem rediculous to me that they passed a bill to subsidize green energy companies with millions and millions of dollars, but we do not have the money on the state level to pay for medicaid? The governor has not signed the bill as yet, and I guess we can hope he does not pass the energy bill, but the whole thing sounds very much like the same faux common sense being used at the federal government level to me.

Comment by amanda choate on April 10, 2012 at 9:14pm: The legislature totally pushed its responsibility onto cities and counties. They are balancing their budget by shifting their costs onto others. They will be sued and lose. The law is against them. The effort to stop the funding of Medicaid has led to this situation. We have to come up with a way to pay for this medical treatment or stop doing it. Any solutions?

TU: Mayor Alvin Brown not sure of cost to Jacksonville for Medicaid

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