Florida hospitals cringe at proposed cuts to Medicaid

St. Petersburg Times, April 16, 2008

If proposed Florida budget cuts to Medicaid take effect, patients could face higher hospital bills and more crowded emergency rooms, according to hospital leaders. Hospitals may also have to end some services or cut back on planned expansions, they added. State lawmakers have proposed cutting millions of dollars in hospital care for the poor: The Senate would cut more than $506-million, while the House would cut more than $468-million. Lawmakers want to reduce the amount the state pays hospitals for patients of Medicaid and two special programs for the aged and disabled.