Lawmakers on a Senate health policy committee voted along party lines this afternoon in favor of State Sen. Aaron Bean's plan to help uninsured Floridians. It's an alternative to State Sen. Joe Negron's"Healthy Florida" plan, which he presented after lawmakers rejected Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Bean, who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, calls his plan "Health Choice Plus."
He hopes the Florida House, Senate and Gov. Rick Scott can support his approach.
"We all have to say yes in order to move forward, and that's what this plan is," Bean said. "It's another possibility. So it may not be your first choice, but it will be a choice."
No Democrats voted for Bean's alternative.
The program would be run by Florida Health Choices and it would create "health benefit accounts" for adults below 100 percent of the poverty level to help pay for health expenses. Bean says the money would come from enrollees and state funds, but not from the federal government.
Negron's plan would accept federal funds to offer premium assistance to uninsured, low-income adults.
For more on how the Florida Legislature is handling the Affordable Care Act, visit HealthNewsFlorida.org.
