Rx for Florida Medicaid in light of PPACA

As states struggle with the growing costs of Medicaid as well as the uncertainty surrounding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA"), they are working to manage the costs of Medicaid while at the same time maintaining adequate healthcare for their citizens. PPACA will challenge families' financial health, and bring new economic burdens to states.

Florida Governor Rick Scott recently pledged, "In light of the threat of ObamaCare's rapid growth of Florida's Medicaid population, we must ensure Floridians have the doctors they need to receive quality care, while also protecting taxpayers from out-of-control Medicaid costs."[i][i]

Is there a way to ensure that Medicaid has enough funds without Floridians incurring additional taxes? Whitnae Hallbauer, Regent Law J.D. 2012, has written an article which considers whether the Florida intestate succession statutes, which allow for a decedent's children only to take part of the intestate estate with the surviving spouse should be altered to allow for the elderly parents of the decedent to take part of the intestate estate as well when the parents rely on Medicaid. She writes, "In order to help alleviate the problems that the Medicaid program in Florida will be facing in the future, especially since the elder generation population will continue to grow in the upcoming years, Florida may need to temporarily change the intestacy statutes as one option to relieve the burden of Medicaid." Read her article here.

New health care laws will challenge states and families economically, and may even carry with them new concerns for family deconstruction.

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[i][i] Governor Scott Signs Legislation Reinforcing Florida’s Health Care Safety Net, THE OFFICE OF THE 45TH GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA RICK SCOTT (July 1, 2011), http://www.flgov.com/2011/07/01/governor-scott-signs-legislation-reinforcing-florida%E2%80%99s-health-care-safety-net/.