The Citrus County Hospital Board, which owns the property of HCA Florida Citrus Hospital in Inverness, is preparing to dissolve, Citrus County Chronicle reported Oct. 17.
Here are five things to know:
1. The decision follows the conclusion of a legal dispute with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration over alleged Medicaid overpayments. AHCA initially claimed nearly $5.9 million had been overpaid to the hospital, and the matter was settled in June 2024 for $650,000 after years of appeals and negotiations.
2. The settlement allows the board to begin its wind-down after delays caused by the litigation. CCHB General Counsel William Grant told the Chronicle that prior efforts to shift responsibilities to local governments were declined while the case was pending.
3. The dissolution process could be finalized by late 2026, Mr. Grant said. Attorneys must first revise the board’s more than 1,500-page lease agreement with Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare.
4. Established in 1949 as a special taxing district, the board historically “levied up to three mills of property tax” to fund operations and ensure hospital access for local residents, the Chronicle reported.
5. The board began phasing out property tax collections in 2011, and state legislation in 2014 allowed it to lease hospital facilities to for-profit operators. That change enabled HCA Healthcare to assume operations of then-Citrus Memorial Hospital, while the board retained ownership of the property.
Becker’s has reached out to the Citrus County Hospital Board and will update this story if more information becomes available.
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