Florida Governor Wants An ACA Repeal “As Quickly As Can Get It Done”
On December 19th, 2016, Florida Governor Rick Scott had a meeting with nominated Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tom Price. While Scott and Price barely met for a half hour, it left the Florida governor optimistic about the fate of health care for his state. Price—formerly an orthopedic surgeon in Georgia—was picked by President-Elect Donald Trump as secretary of HHS and has very pointed feelings on the Affordable Care Act, as does Scott.
Both Price and Scott are eager for a repeal. Scott’s past as the CEO of Columbia/HCA, which was the largest healthcare company while on his watch, may have affected his motives in the healthcare sector as Governor. Scott rejected many aspects of the ACA, including Medicaid expansion—another piece of the ACA puzzle that Price also hopes to dismantle.
Scott’s greatest hope for the nation’s healthcare platform involves flexibility—something he and other governors are not alone in championing. Scott even referenced it during his brief meeting with Price. However, if Section 1332—the ACA’s State Innovation Waivers—is not repealed, the ability to modify aspects of the ACA on a state-by-state basis remains limited and will only grow more complicated once Trump enters office and begins any process of dismantling the Affordable Care Act.
While Scott has emphasized that a renewed sense of competition within markets will benefit the cost-effectiveness of healthcare, there is a question of how that will mesh with a national platform. Scott’s dreams are punctuated by much of what both Trump and Price apparently have in store for healthcare reform, though the pragmatics of their plans still remain in question.
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