Scott wants to meet with Sebelius about Medicaid waiver

Gov. Rick Scott wants major changes to Medicaid, a long-standing health care program for the poor. He wants to see more Floridians in private managed-care plans in an effort to save money.

To do that, Scott needs a waiver from the federal government to make changes to the program, which is a joint state-federal partnership.

But his efforts remain in limbo as the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid hasn't ruled on whether to grant that waiver request.

We were unable to get an answer from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid about why it is taking so long to reply to Florida's waiver request and the timeline for a decision.

Bruce Rueben, president of the Florida Hospital Association, said in an email to PolitiFact Florida that the waiver would apply to the period starting July 2014, so the federal government has until the end of June 2014 to approve it. Currently, CMS and the the state's Agency for Health Care Administration are discussing the waiver application, Rueben said.

"In Florida, Medicaid is a huge program with 3.3 million people currently enrolled at a cost of over $22 billion,” Rueben wrote. "It is not surprising that the feds are taking a very careful and thoughtful approach.”

On Nov. 16, Scott wrote a letter to U.S.  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asking for a meeting to discuss both the waiver request and the federal health care law.

"We appreciate all the work your staff has done on the current Medicaid waiver request and look forward to your approval,” he wrote.

Sebelius didn't specifically respond to Scott's request. But on Nov. 20. she sent each state's governor a  letter about implementing the Affordable Care Act that stated "I also welcome the opportunity to meet with you during the upcoming weeks to discuss implementation.”

Scott was a vocal opponent of Obamacare, but he's toned down his rhetoric since President Barack Obama won re-election.

Scott's letter indicated he might now be willing to work with the federal government on some aspects of the health law, but he also said he needed more information.

Federal officials may be holding back a decision on the waiver until they see what steps Scott would be willing to take to implement the federal law.

Scott can't deliver on his promise for a waiver until the federal government acts. With Obama's re-election, the health law is unlikely to be repealed. Scott's letter shows a new round of negotiations between the state and federal government are likely to begin. The outcome, of course, is unknown.  

This promise remains In the Works.