MEDICAID EXPANSION SIGN-ON LETTER

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I support the expansion of Medicaid eligibility to all Floridians with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level as allowed under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

 

Medicaid would be a lifeline to the more than 400,000 who would gain health insurance under the proposal. For low income uninsured people in our state Medicaid can provide a way out of the cycle of illness and poverty. At present in Florida, in order to be eligible for Medicaid insurance you have to be a parent and earn less than 30% of the Federal Poverty Level, $6234 a year for a family of three.  

 

Critical improvements are needed in the areas of infant mortality, obesity, diabetes and stroke prevention. Without health coverage people living with physical or mental illness often delay treatment until a condition reaches a crisis leading to costly interventional care.

 

Due to a lack of insurance, many avoid preventive care or early treatments until they can no longer function effectively, creating a further drain on the economy. Medicaid Expansion will not only save lives, it will also add to the economic health of our state by drawing in new federal dollars and creating health sector jobs in our local communities. It also protects thousands of existing healthcare jobs that might be jeopardized without Medicaid Expansion.

 

We support Medicaid Expansion because it will give the working people of Florida the opportunity to stabilize their lives and ultimately strengthen our economy.