Shortly after his mother's 2013 death, Gov. Rick Scott went on TV to explain his startling decision to drop his strongly-held opposition to President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
The Republican governor said her death had changed his perspective and he could no longer "in good conscience" oppose expanding health care coverage to nearly 1 million Floridians.
Scott conceded this week that was all a ruse. He now says his support for Medicaid expansion was a calculated move designed to win support from the Obama administration for the state's proposal to hand over control of Medicaid to private insurance companies. At the time, he denied that his support was tied to a deal with the federal government.
Now that he's succeeded in privatizing Medicaid, Scott is again railing against Medicaid expansion and is suing the federal government for allegedly forcing it on him.
Scott's office released a statement refuting the Associated Press story.
"The AP incorrectly characterized the Governor’s comments yesterday," the statement read. "The Governor was asked by an AP reporter whether or not his support for Medicaid expansion in 2013 was a ‘lie.’ Governor Scott answered the question by discussing that he came out in support of Medicaid expansion, only if it was fully federally funded, at the same time the federal government granted Florida a waiver to let the state reform its Medicaid system. Unfortunately, the AP editorialized the Governor’s statement."
