Patients and health advocates will rally across Florida to urge Gov. Rick Scott and lawmakers to expand Medicaid to nearly 1 million residents.
Thursday's rally is slated to take place in Miami, Tallahassee, Tampa and Orlando and will include a coalition of nearly 100 organizations. They want lawmakers to accept roughly $50 billion from the federal government over the next decade to offer health coverage to residents who are too poor to qualify for tax credits in the marketplace, yet earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.
The federal government has agreed to pay 100 percent of the costs for three years and start phasing down to 95 percent in 2017. State Republicans have expressed concern that the feds will not make good on that promise, leaving the state on the hook for the tab.
Hospitals, the Florida Medical Association and many business groups all support Medicaid expansion.
