Counties to Challenge Medicaid Accounting Law
The Florida Association of Counties announced this week that it would challenge HB 5301, which passed in the recent legislative session and has been signed into law by Governor Rick Scott. Three counties (Pasco, Manatee and Leon) have indicated they will join the association’s suit and other counties also are expected to do so. The counties assert that HB 5301 is an unfunded mandate that essentially holds the counties responsible for errors the state government has made in accounting for the Medicaid program. The amount at issue is estimated to be $300 million.
Florida counties are required to pay a portion of the state’s share for certain Medicaid services. State officials have responded that any amounts allegedly owed by the counties due to accounting errors will be reviewed and corrected but the counties owe other amounts they simply have not paid as the recent economic downturn has affectedtheir budgets. Governor Rick Scott has said the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) will meet with every county in the state to discuss their concerns with the billing system. The Florida Association of Counties disagrees that the issue can be so readily dismissed, calling the new law a “backdoor tax hike” on Floridians.