Medicaid expansion plan tops 63,000 signatures
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (NEWS SERVICE FLORIDA) - Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand Medicaid coverage in Florida are getting close to reaching a key threshold.
The political committee Florida Decides Healthcare, Inc., had submitted 63,714 valid petition signatures to the state as of Monday morning, nearing a 76,632-signature threshold that would trigger a review by the Florida Supreme Court, according to the state Division of Elections website. The committee has submitted more than 40,000 signatures since mid-April.
The proposal, which would go on the November 2020 ballot, would expand Medicaid coverage to low-income adults who currently are not eligible. Florida lawmakers have repeatedly rejected such an expansion, which is optional for states under the federal Affordable Care Act.
The proposed constitutional amendment would expand eligibility to people whose incomes are up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. If the proposal reaches the 76,632-signature mark, the Supreme Court would review the ballot wording. If justices sign off, Florida Decides Healthcare would then need to submit a total of 766,200 signatures to get on the ballot.
The committee reported receiving $90,950 in in-kind contributions in April, with $86,601 coming from The Fairness Project, a Washington, D.C.-based group that has worked on ballot initiatives in other states.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.