Florida’s Conservative Governor Stands On Principle; Floridians Lose Out on Health Care

Gov. Scott is Well and Doing Fine, Thank You; Only the Sick Are Being Harmed

The new health care act provides for a large number of Federal grants for various health care programs.  The grants are designed to help manage care, to improve care and to reduce costs.  In Florida, these goals are not good enough for radical Conservative Governor Rick Scott and the Republican legislature.





A Great State - Just Don't Get Sick



Then there is Florida. Despite having the country’s fourth-highest unemployment rate, its second-highest rate of people without insurance and a $3.7 billion budget gap this year, the state has turned away scores of millions of dollars in grants made available under the Affordable Care Act.

What kind of awful Federal programs is Florida protecting its citizens from.  Well stuff like this.  Florida



has rejected grants aimed at moving long-term care patients into their homes, curbing child abuse through in-home counseling and strengthening state regulation of health premiums. They have shunned money to help sign up eligible recipients for Medicare, educate teenagers on preventing pregnancy and plan for the health insurance exchanges that the law requires by 2014.



Jason Henry for The New York Times

Why is Gov. Scott Smiling - Because he has great health
care coverage and you don't



And the rationale for turning away Federal money for these programs.  Well it must be that Florida does not believe they are effective.  Florida Conservatives wouldn’t prevent needed health care programs from being implemented in the state just because these are Federally funded programs would they?

In interviews, Mr. Scott, a Republican, and state legislative leaders were clear about their rationale. They said they detested everything about the federal health law, which was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge in a case filed by the state. Unless ordered to do otherwise by an appellate court, they said, they had no intention of putting it in place, even if that meant leaving money on the table.

Well, yes they would deny Floridians some improved health care services.  For Conservatives, ideology always comes first, and health care, well the Governor and the legislature probably have great government provided health care, so exactly what’s the problem?