By Sanford Silverman, M.D. — A decision that would affect thousands of injured workers, undermine the doctor-patient relationship and add to unemployment during the worst economy of our lifetimes should not be made in the dark, during the waning hours of the Legislature, without debate. For all these reasons, Gov. Charlie Crist should veto HB 5603.

By Bill Herrle — The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small-business advocacy organization, has supported the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Obama’s health-care law since it was launched by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum in March. But now, our support is official: NFIB has joined the lawsuit as a plaintiff, and is the only group named on the lawsuit with the 20 states.

The Florida Legislature may have saved the lives of unborn children with one hand, but increased the likelihood that some of those children will be abused with the other.

Halting abortions should not be an end in itself. If GOP legislators saved Kwansha’s baby, they are now morally bound to make sure that the child – and every other neglected child in Florida – gets the care, nutrition, education and love necessary to grow up to be a healthy and productive human being.

Health industry mogul Rick Scott is running for governor of Florida and touting his health platform. But he’s not offering ideas for helping 4 million uninsured Floridians get affordable health care. No, he’s bragging about his efforts to kill the federal health law that does try to help them. His campaign press release also leaves out the checkered past of the health-care company Scott founded.

Making Medicaid recipients – Florida’s most vulnerable citizens – the scapegoat for budget woes is wrong. The real culprit of a shortfall is the Legislature itself. Lawmakers chose to use “extra” one-time stimulus money to replace longstanding state funding for Medicaid, making it appear that the state needs to increase its investment to keep up with growth. In fact, spending was artificially lowered in 2009 due to disinvestment in Medicaid.

Get 32 million uninsured people covered, including 3 million Floridians, and those who already pay for coverage should gain some financial relief.

As more doctors close offices, trading private practices for corporate medicine, their office nurses and support staff are thrown into the unemployment line.

It’s cost-effective to treat those in jail with mental illnesses and substance abuse issues so they can successfully re-enter society.

With politics and price proving big drivers, the Florida Legislature is poised to overhaul the state’s $19 billion Medicaid program by having managed care serve an even larger share of low-income Floridians.

With the Legislature at the halfway point, its time to catch-up on several issues that we’ve examined at FloridaThinks. Some things that once looked hot – like oil drilling – may be fading. While other measures expected to draw more controversy – like leadership funds – are done and sitting on Gov. Charlie Crist’s desk awaiting approval. Here’s a handicapper’s guide to the session’s home stretch.

More than 3.8 million Floridians lack health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. Two state plans have 6,000 enrollees — 0.1% of the state’s uninsured population.

By Margaret Lynn Duggar

When the Florida Legislature convenes, our elected officials will have to come up with ways to close a $3 billion deficit. While $100 million in savings wouldn’t be a total answer, it could be a significant step. How could they save at least $100 million?
One way would be to ax [...]

By Richard Morrison
The Florida Medicaid program is not sustainable in its current form, even if it is all handed to managed-care companies as some have proposed. The demand is too great and the revenue base is too small for the program to survive.
Many hospital providers participate in the program essentially because they have [...]

By John Kennedy
Associate Editor
The pie charts might remind you of Pac-Man, the 1980s video game.
Medicaid costs in Florida have been gobbling up a steadily increasing share of the overall cost of running government. They snag 26 percent of the state’s $66.5 billion budget now – and are on track to eat up 31 percent [...]