Yoho Leads FL Delegation Urging CMS not to Hold LIP Funding Hostage to Medicaid Expansion

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Ted S. Yoho (R-FL-03) has sent a letter, along with other members of the Florida delegation, to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acting administrator Andy Slavitt, asking him to not tie Low Income Pool (LIP) funding to the expansion of Medicaid.

Congressman Yoho gave the following statement:

“The state of Florida should not be coerced into expanding Medicaid by the federal government. All Floridians, especially those in low income communities, deserve access to quality health care and should not be penalized.  

“LIP funding is essential for helping local governments make investments in their own health care delivery systems, fund hospitals for providing services to the current Medicaid population, fund the faculties at Florida’s medical schools for services provided to the current Medicaid population, and offset losses providers incur from rendering services to uninsured and underinsured Floridians.

“This funding in no way should be tied to whether or not Florida expands Medicaid. Furthermore, independent studies have verified that whether or not Medicaid is expanded in Florida there will still be a large price tag left over associated with uncompensated care. I hope CMS takes our letter seriously and will not try to hold LIP funding hostage to an expansion of Medicaid and deny health care to the most needy.”  

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Congressman Ted Yoho serves on the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Committees. He represents North Florida’s 3rd Congressional District