Though Gov. Rick Scott, R, believes shortening the Medicaid enrollment period for Florida residents will save the state $98 million, critics of the move contend it will have a much greater impact than the administration projects, according to the Orlando Weekly.
Federal Medicaid policies cover medical bills for new enrollees up to three months before they enroll for Medicaid coverage as long as they were economically eligible during that time. Mr. Scott submitted a waiver request to the federal government proposing to shorten the enrollment period to 30 days from 90-days, which he estimates will affect 39,000 Florida Medicaid recipients and save the state $98 million — drastically lower than previously estimated. In 2017 the secretary for the state's Agency for Health Care Administration sent a letter to HHS claiming the shortened period would save the state as much as $500 million.
"I would say that Governor Scott’s Medicaid numbers should be carefully and independently analyzed," said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, according to the Orlando Weekly. "I certainly regard them with a healthy degree of skepticism."
These critics believe the administration's previous estimate more accurately depicts the negative impact this change would have. However, Florida officials argue that covering potentially inefficient and ineffective care before the patient was enrolled in Medicaid sticks the state with an overly expensive bill.