JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Rick Scott is asking hospitals to consider profit sharing to help pay for the cost of uninsured patients known as the low-income pool fund.
LIP money was previously covered by the federal government, but the Obama administration has said that money would soon be pulled.
The State Legislature failed to come up with a budget so far this year because of a battle over how to pay for growing healthcare costs.
The lack of a state budget and questions over how to pay for the LIP fund is leaving the future of UF Health uncertain.
"It's very important to keep it open. That's for sure," Mary Kizer, the mother of a UF Health patient, said.
Kizer said her son is now receiving heart treatment at UF Health and is uninsured.
"Health wise, it just costs so much money to pay for the expenses," Kizer said.
The federal government is pushing Scott to expand Medicaid instead of relying on federal money for the LIP fund, but it's something he has rejected.
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In a letter, Scott asked hospitals to consider a plan for profit sharing, which would mean that hospitals would chip in using profits to cover the cost of uninsured patients.
In a statement, a representative for UF Health said, "We are in the process of carefully reviewing the letter. In the meantime, we continue to focus on our missions of patient care, education and research. We are confident that state and federal officials will work together to ensure access to health care for all citizens of Florida."
"We're really at a log jam," University of North Florida Political Science Professor Dr. Matthew Corrigan said. "I don't think it's a proposal that's going to go very far."
Corrigan said he doesn't believe the profit sharing plan could happen in time for the July 1 deadline for the new state budget.
"They're frankly just scrambling to find an answer to this because you're looking at a budget with over a million dollar hole, and it's a big deal," Corrigan said.
Scott gave hospitals a May 22 deadline for coming up with ideas on how to best profit share. He will discuss the ideas during the May 26 meeting with the newly formed Commission on Healthcare and Hospital funding.