Venice mayor plans to revisit Medicaid expansion in January

Dec. 29—VENICE — Mayor Ron Feinsod wants to bring a representative of the League of Women Voters of Florida Health Care team in to make a presentation to the Venice City Council about the expansion of Medicaid in Florida.

Feinsod plans to schedule a presentation by Diane Dimperio, chairman of the League of Women Voters of Florida Health Care Team, as soon as the council's first meeting on Jan. 12, 2021.

"To me, it's a fiscally responsible move for the state to do this, and it's a socially responsible move for the state to do this," Feinsod said. "This resolution by the city is not a political statement; it is simply a statement of support for something that is beneficial to the lives of the people in the state and the fiscal responsibility of the state to the taxpayers, to do what's best with the taxpayers dollars.

"Politics aside, I think passing this resolution is a statement that the city of Venice cares about the state and cares about the fiscal responsibility of the state."

When Feinsod brought the matter up at the Dec. 8 council meeting, several board members thought the issue was outside the city's purview.

Council Member Joe Neunder, a chiropractor, said the matter is clearly an issue for the American Medical Association or hospital lobbyists that needs to be addressed in Tallahassee or Washington, D.C.

Council Member Helen Moore was equally vocal in stressing that she viewed the issue as a partisan political issue.

"This is not a political board we are on," she noted.

Council Member Nick Pachota also characterized the issue as partisan and political but was open to having the city's lobbyist weigh in.

Those three board members were on the short side of a 4-3 vote to postpone authorizing staff to draft a resolution urging the Florida Legislature to approve Medicaid expansion for qualified individuals under age 65.

Vice Mayor Rich Cautero was arguably the swing vote, since he both thought the matter was outside the city council's purview but was in favor of hearing more from the city's lobbyist. He voted along with Feinsod and council members Mitzie Fiedler and Brian Kelly.

When the Sarasota Legislative Delegation heard from local governments and nonprofits about priorities for the 2021 State Legislative Session, local representatives of the League of Women Voters were among those who asked the local delegation to expand access to health care.

Dimperio noted that the League of Women Voters weighs in on issues that are political in nature but in a nonpartisan fashion. For example, the League does not endorse individual candidates.

"We look at issues, we study them, we decide if, based on objective criteria analysis, if there's enough information for us to take a position," Dimperio said. "A lot of times we're silent on issues."

Recent analysis used by the League suggests that before the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly 870,000 people in Florida could benefit by expanding Medicare coverage to those younger than age 65 who meet the corresponding guidelines.

Since then, the number of potentially eligible Florida residents may be roughly a million people, she added.

The federal government covers about 90% of the cost of expansion, with money that Florida residents are already paying through taxes.

Dimperio said she would likely talk to the Venice City Council about the potential impact of those dollars entering the state's economy, as well as the benefits of more comprehensive health care coverage.

"We have some pretty solid data both from the state of Florida, and looking at other states, it's of fiscal advantage to the state," Dimperio said.

When Gov. Rick Scott declined to expand Medicare as part of the original rollout of the Affordable Care Act, one of the main arguments against expansion was the potential for the federal government to reduce its contribution, forcing the state to increase its funding to maintain coverage.

Since the Supreme Court has struck down the mandate for care, Dimperio said, if the state found that Medicaid expansion was too costly, it could shrink it back down.

"We can always leave, we can always withdraw — even if you have to call a special session, you can withdraw," Dimperio said.

"No other state has withdrawn from the program," she added. "People are happy with it."

"They're happy with the health care, they're happy with the bottom lines."

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