Fla. lawmakers reject federal grant for returning patients home from nursing homes
TALLAHASSEE — A legislative panel rejected a federal grant Friday that could have brought Florida $35.7 million in federal money over the next five years to help patients move from nursing homes to community care, with a narrow majority warning that the grant could lead to state costs that lawmakers don’t want to shoulder.
The Legislative Budget Commission, a 14-member panel authorized to make mid-year budget adjustments, voted 8-6 against giving state health care officials authority to accept $2 million in federal funds to plan for the program. That money could have led to more federal money.
A majority from both the House and Senate members was needed for approval, and House members dug in against the spending.
Some leading Republican lawmakers said the program duplicated state efforts underway and could force the Legislature to pick up the tab for costs once the grant expired.
I realize these are federal dollars, but they’re still taxpayer dollars, said House budget chair Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring.
House and Senate Democrats on the panel voted in favor of the grant, as did Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, and Senate Health and Human Services budget chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart. Both Republicans hinted they thought accepting the grant was worthwhile.
House HHS budget chief Rob Schenck, R-Spring Hill, said Florida was already doing a good job getting nursing home patients out of costly facilities and back home or with relatives, when appropriate.
Since 2009, House officials said the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration with other agencies has moved 1,900 patients to community services – and no patients who wanted to move were denied.
It’s unnecessary, duplicative, and when you couple that with an estimated $6 million in administrative costs for the programI would argue that it’s always dangerous to accept federal money, Schenck said.
Florida is one of 13 states that were awarded a federal demonstration grant for the program. The money comes from the new federal health care law, which the state has challenged in federal court.
The Legislature could have allocated the money during this spring’s legislative session, but the House blocked Senate efforts to include the program in the budget. The Agency for Health Care Administration on Friday again asked for authorization to accept the money.
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