Dr. Staats: When will Florida finally join the club and cover all residents for Medicaid?

Florida has been one of only a few states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage to those residents who find themselves in an impossible health care situation: They make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford the premiums in the marketplace.

According to the Florida Policy Institute, that income threshold is $7,000 a year for a family of three in the Sunshine State. Let that sink in for a minute. How can a family who makes $7,000 a year pay full price for health insurance? They can’t.

Now it seems we are about to become one of just 10 states who haven't done so, as North Carolina recently passed legislation to expand coverage.

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Note that both the House and Senate in North Carolina are solidly Republican. Like Florida, North Carolina has hundreds of thousands of residents who fall in the gap. So why are they supporting expansion? Probably because it makes sense, both ethically and fiscally.

Ethically, it’s hard to argue against expanding health care services. States who have expanded Medicaid have lower overall mortality rates, better health outcomes and lower infant mortality rates compared to states who have not expanded Medicaid. In addition, we know many people are forced to choose between health care and other basic needs, to the detriment of their health.

Opponents say sure, it’s the right thing to do; but it would cost too much.

There may have been a time when the cost was debatable, along with its overall effect on both public and private health insurance. Now that we are more than a decade out from the start of expansion, however there is no debate.

Federal dollars — tax dollars that most Floridians are paying while getting zero benefit — continue to pay for 90% of the cost; workers with Medicaid coverage were better able to maintain work and/or look for work; marketplace insurance premiums went down by an average of 7% in states that expanded Medicaid; many jobs and facilities are created for the provision of these much-needed services; and (most telling) not a single state who expanded Medicaid has chosen to discontinue the program.

In short, the fear that expanding Medicaid to cover those who fall into the coverage gap (an ethical “no-brainer”) would result in some kind of economic catastrophe doesn't hold up to the facts. The legislators in North Carolina saw this and did the right thing. Florida’s leaders need to recognize the benefits of Medicaid Expansion and also do the right thing.

North Carolina just proved that people can come together despite political differences. It’s time we did the same.

Dr. Nancy Staats is a board-certified anesthesiologist with 28 years of clinical experience. She is also a founding member of For Florida’s Health, a coalition of medical professionals, health care advocates and small business owners pushing for quality, affordable health coverage in the Sunshine State. She lives in Jacksonville.

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Expanding Medicaid coverage is the right thing to do