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July 3, 2012

Florida to Opt Out of Medicaid Expansion 
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Less than a week after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld key parts of
President Obama's healthcare law, Florida Gov. Rick Scott says his state
will take advantage of the Court's ruling that states can opt out of the
law's Medicaid expansion. The Court said in its landmark decision last
week that states could choose not to expand Medicaid to cover low-income
people and that the federal government could not punish states by
withholding Medicaid funds. Florida is the largest state so far to
firmly declare it will take advantage of that ruling. Gov. Scott also
said the state would decline to set up a health insurance exchange under
the new law, opting not to provide a regulated market where people can
purchase insurance. More than one-fifth of Florida's residents currently
lack health insurance.

 

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