Highlights:
2017: DeSantis Voted For The American Health Care Act. In May 2017, DeSantis voted for the American Health Care Act which would have significantly repealed portions of the Affordable Care Act by cutting Medicaid, cutting taxes on the rich, removing safeguard for pre-existing conditions and defunding Planned Parenthood. The overall legislation would have in part, also according to Congressional Quarterly, “ma[d]e extensive changes to the 2010 health care overhaul law, by effectively repealing the individual and employer mandates as well as most of the taxes that finance the current system. It would [have], in 2020, convert[ed] Medicaid into a capped entitlement that would provide[d] fixed federal payments to states and end[ed] additional federal funding for the 2010 law’s joint federal-state Medicaid expansion. It would prohibit federal funding to any entity, such as Planned Parenthood, that performs abortions and receives more than $350 million a year in Medicaid funds. […] It would [have] allow[ed] states to receive waivers to exempt insurers from having to provide certain minimum benefits.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 217 to 213. The bill, in modified forms, died in the Senate. [House Vote 256, 5/4/17; Congressional Quarterly, 5/4/17; Kaiser Family Foundation, 5/17; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1628]
2015: DeSantis Voted For A Bill Repealing The Affordable Care Act And Requiring Congressional Committees To Come Up With A Replacement In No Specified Time. In February 2015, DeSantis voted for a bill repealing the Affordable Care Act and directing four Congressional Committees to come up with a replacement, without specifying when this must be done. According to Congressional Quarterly, “this bill repeals the 2010 health care overhaul […] and requires House committees to report legislation to replace the health care law. Under the measure, the repeal would be effective 180 days after enactment (rather than retroactively repealed to a date in 2010, as in the introduced version), and it provides that the provisions of law that were amended or repealed by the health care overhaul would be restored or revived as if the overhaul had not been enacted. […] The bill requires four House committees to report legislation within each of their jurisdictions to replace the 2010 health care overhaul: Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, and Ways and Means. It does not, however, specify a time frame or deadline for those committees to act.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill 239 to 186. The Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 58, 2/3/15; Congressional Quarterly, 1/30/15; Congressional Quarterly, Accessed 10/1/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 596]
2015: DeSantis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act Through Reconciliation As Part Of The FY 2016 Republican Study Committee Budget Resolution. In March 2015, DeSantis voted for repealing the Affordable Care Act through reconciliation. According to the Republican Study Committee, the budget would have “fully repeal[ed] Obamacare spending and tax increases through reconciliation.” The underlying budget resolution would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “provide[d] for $2.804 trillion in new budget authority in fiscal 2016, not including off-budget accounts. The substitute would call for reducing spending by $7.1 trillion over 10 years compared to the Congressional Budget Office baseline.” The vote was on the substitute amendment to a Budget Resolution. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 132 to 294. [House Vote 138, 3/25/15; Republican Study Committee, FY 2016 Budget; Congressional Quarterly, 3/25/15; Congress.gov, H. Amdt. 83; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 27]
2015: DeSantis Voted For A FY 2016 Budget Resolution Which Called For Repealing Most Of The Affordable Care Act. In March 2015, DeSantis voted for a FY 2016 Budget Resolution which called repealing most of the Affordable Care Act. According to Congressional Quarterly, the resolution, “assumes […] that the 2010 health care overhaul is repealed — including its expansion of Medicaid to cover more Americans under the program.” In addition, also according to Congressional Quarterly, the budget resolution calls for the “repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board. […] In repealing the health care law, however, the budget assumes that the reductions made to Medicare by that law would not be repealed; instead, those savings and others would be retained, with the budget calling for them to be used to shore up Medicare rather than ‘paying for new entitlements.’” The vote was on adopting the substitute amendment. The House rejected the amendment 105 to 319. The House later adopted a substitute amendment identical to this except for a change in defense spending and then later passed the budget resolution. The budget resolution died in the Senate, but a similar concurrent resolution did pass both Houses. [House Vote 140, 3/25/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/23/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/30/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 85; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 27]
2015: DeSantis Voted For The FY 2016 Budget Resolution Which Called For Repealing Most Of The Affordable Care Act. In March 2015, DeSantis voted for the FY 2016 budget resolution which called repealing most of the Affordable Care Act. According to Congressional Quarterly, the resolution, “assumes […] that the 2010 health care overhaul is repealed — including its expansion of Medicaid to cover more Americans under the program.” In addition, also according to Congressional Quarterly, the budget resolution calls for the “repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board. […] In repealing the health care law, however, the budget assumes that the reductions made to Medicare by that law would not be repealed; instead, those savings and others would be retained, with the budget calling for them to be used to shore up Medicare rather than ‘paying for new entitlements.’” The vote was on the budget resolution. The House passed the resolution 228 to 199. The budget resolution died in the Senate, but a similar concurrent resolution did pass both Houses. [House Vote 142, 3/25/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/23/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 27]
2015: DeSantis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act, As Part Of The FY 2016 Conference Report Budget Resolution. In April 2015, Ron DeSantis voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act as part of the FY 2016 Conference Report budget resolution. According to Congressional Quarterly, “Adoption of the conference report on the concurrent resolution that would reduce spending by $5.3 trillion over the next 10 years, including $2 trillion in reductions from repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul.” The vote was on the Conference Report; the Conference Report passed by a vote of 226 to 197. The Senate also passed the budget resolution. [House Vote 183, 4/30/15; Congressional Quarterly, 5/5/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]
2015: DeSantis Voted To Repeal Portions Of The Affordable Care Act And To Defund Planned Parenthood For One Year Through A Reconciliation Bill. In October 2015, DeSantis voted to repeal portions of the Affordable Care Act through a reconciliation bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, the reconciliation bill would have “repeal[ed] portions of the 2010 health care law, including: the requirements for most individuals to have health insurance and employers with more than 50 employees to offer it or face penalties, the 2.3 percent tax on the sale of medical devices, the tax on certain high-value employer-sponsored health insurance plans, and the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The measure also would block, for one year, federal funding for Planned Parenthood and would increase funding for community health centers by $235 million in both fiscal 2016 and 2017.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 240 to 189. The Senate later passed a different version of the legislation, which the president vetoed, which failed to be overridden in the House. [House Vote 568, 10/23/15; Congressional Quarterly, 10/23/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3762]
2016: DeSantis Voted For A Bill That Repealed Portions Of The Affordable Care Act, Including Eliminating The Act’s Medicaid Expansion In 2018. In January 2016, DeSantis voted for a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “scrap[ed] in 2018 the law’s Medicaid expansion, as well as subsidies to help individuals buy coverage through the insurance exchanges.” Additionally, according to Congressional Quarterly the bill would have “repeal[ed] portions of the 2010 health care law and block[ed] federal funding for Planned Parenthood for one year. As amended, the bill would zero-out the law’s penalties for noncompliance with the law’s requirements for most individuals to obtain health coverage and employers to offer health insurance.” The vote was on a motion to concur with the Senate amendment which indicated final passage. The House approved the bill by a vote of 240 to 181. The Senate had already passed the measure. President Obama vetoed the legislation, which the House failed to override. [House Vote 6, 1/8/16; Congressional Quarterly, 12/3/15; Real Clear Politics, 12/4/15; NBC News, 1/8/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3762]
2016: DeSantis Voted To Override President Obama’s Veto Of A Bill That Repealed Portions Of The Affordable Care Act, Including Eliminating The Act’s Medicaid Expansion In 2018. In February 2016, Ron DeSantis voted to override President Obama’s veto of a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “scrap[ed] in 2018 the law’s Medicaid expansion, as well as subsidies to help individuals buy coverage through the insurance exchanges.” Additionally, according to Congressional Quarterly the bill would have “repeal[ed] portions of the 2010 health care law and block[ed] federal funding for Planned Parenthood for one year. As amended, the bill would zero-out the law’s penalties for noncompliance with the law’s requirements for most individuals to obtain health coverage and employers to offer health insurance.” The vote was on a veto override, which required a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House, which was 285 in the House. The House rejected the veto override by a vote of 241 to 186. [House Vote 53, 2/2/16; Congressional Quarterly, 12/3/15; Real Clear Politics, 12/4/15; Congressional Quarterly, 2/2/16; NBC News, 1/8/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3762]
2014: DeSantis Voted For The Republican Study Committee’s “American Health Care Reform Act” (AHCRA). In April 2014, DeSantis voted for the Republican Study Committee’s proposed budget resolution for fiscal years 2015 to 2024. According to the Republican Study Committee, their budget would “[i]mplement real patient-centered health care reform that would lower costs and improve access with the RSC's American Health Care Reform Act. […] Republicans aren't simply opposed to Obamacare, and we are not blind to the problems that existed pre-Obamacare. Rising costs, limited access to the health care marketplace, and a serious need for medical malpractice reform were issues that existed both before and after Obamacare. The American Health Care Reform Act (AHCRA), the only comprehensive Obamacare alternative to be endorsed by a majority of House Republicans, was born from this realization.” The House considered the RSC budget as a substitute amendment to House Republicans’ FY 2015 budget resolution; the amendment was rejected by a vote of 133 to 291. [House Vote 175, 4/10/14; Republican Study Committee, 4/7/14]
AHCRA Would Have Eliminated Medicaid Expansion, Jeopardizing Coverage For 14 Million. According to Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “By repealing the ACA, the RSC plan would eliminate health reform’s Medicaid expansion, under which the federal government picks up nearly the full cost of expanding Medicaid to cover individuals up to 138 percent of the poverty line. (Twenty-eight states plus the District of Columbia have adopted the Medicaid expansion to date.) This would jeopardize coverage for the 14 million low-income people whom the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates will gain coverage as a result of the Medicaid expansion.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Accessed 1/26/16]
Washington Post’s Wonkblog: AHCRA Was “Likely To Cover Fewer People Than Obamacare.” According to a Sarah Kliff post on the Washington Post’s Wonkblog, “The Republican Study Committee put out a new proposal Wednesday, billed as legislation that could replace the Affordable Care Act. Dubbed the American Health Care Reform Act, H.R. 3121 starts by repealing President Obama's health law and standing up a whole other set of reforms in its place. The component parts are likely to cover fewer people than Obamacare.” [Kliff post, Washington Post’s Wonkblog, 9/19/13]
AHCRA Would Have Allowed Insurers To Deny Coverage To Those With Pre-Existing Conditions, Except For Those Who Had Continuous Coverage For At Least 18 Months. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Another step backward would occur from the RSC plan’s abandonment of ACA provisions that prohibit insurers in the individual market from refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. The RSC plan would allow insurers to deny coverage in such cases, except for people who have had continuous coverage (through an employer or in the individual market) for at least 18 months.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Accessed 1/26/16]
AHCRA Would Have Eliminated Nearly All Of The ACA’s Consumer Protections, Including Allowing Children To Stay On Their Parents’ Plan Until Age 26 And Charging Women Higher Premiums Than Men. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “The RSC plan also would eliminate nearly all consumer protections and market reforms that have taken effect under health reform. It would allow insurers once again to: set annual and lifetime dollar limits on the coverage they provide; require cost-sharing charges for preventive care; place no annual limit on beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs (under current law, nearly all plans— including large employer and self-insured plans — must cap annual out-of-pocket costs for in-network covered services at $6,600 for individuals and $13,200 for families in 2015); limit the children whom parents can include on their plans to those 21 and younger, rather than those up to age 26; charge people higher premiums in the individual and small-group markets based on their health status; charge older people premiums that are more than three times what they charge younger people in the individual and small-group markets (the limit under health reform is 3 to 1); charge women higher premiums than men in the individual and small-group markets; and leave sizeable gaps in the coverage they offer, since the requirement that plans cover important basic benefits (such as prescription drug coverage or maternity care) would be repealed, thereby allowing plans to omit such benefits (as they were able to do in many states prior to health reform).” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Accessed 1/26/16]
2014: DeSantis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act, As Part Of Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal. In April 2014, DeSantis voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as part of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2015 to 2024. According to The Hill, “Rep. Paul Ryan’s final House budget includes a full repeal of ObamaCare. […] Ryan did not lay out the parameters of a replacement, or say what would happen to those who have already obtained coverage under the new healthcare law. But Ryan, seen as a future GOP White House hopeful, said the law was a ‘costly mistake’ that needed to be replaced.” The House adopted the budget resolution by a vote of 219 to 205, but the Senate did not. [House Vote 177, 4/10/14; The Hill, 4/1/14; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 96]
2013: DeSantis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. In May 2013, DeSantis voted for a bill that, according to the Congressional Research Service, “Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective as of its enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act. Repeals the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the Act's enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by the Act's health care provisions.” The bill passed by a vote of 229 to 195. The bill was placed on the Senate Calendar but no further action was taken. [House Vote 154, 5/16/13; CRS Summary of H.R. 45, 5/16/13; Congressional Actions, H.R. 45]
2013: DeSantis Voted For Repealing The Affordable Care Act As Part Of The FY 2014 Ryan Budget. In March 2013, DeSantis voted for repealing the Affordable Care Act, as part of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2014 to 2023. According to the House Budget Committee, the budget would “Repeal the President’s health-care law.” The resolution passed the House by a vote of 221 to 207, but died in the Senate. [House Vote 88, 3/21/13; House Budget Committee, 3/12/13; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 25]
2013: DeSantis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. In March 2013, DeSantis voted to support repealing the Affordable Care Act, as part of the Republican Study Committee’s proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2014 to 2023. According to the Republican Committee, the budget would “Repeal the President’s health-care law.” The vote was on an amendment to the House budget resolution replacing the entire budget with the RSC’s proposed budget; the amendment failed by a vote of 104 to 132 with 171 Democrats voting present. According to Congressional Quarterly, “Repeating a strategy from last year, 171 Democrats voted “present” to push Republicans to vote against the RSC plan to make sure it did not have enough support to replace the Ryan plan.” [House Vote 86, 3/21/13; Republican Study Committee, 3/18/13; Congressional Quarterly, 3/25/13; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 35; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 25]
More Than 3.2 Million People In Florida Have Signed Up For Health Insurance Through The Affordable Care Act, More Than Any Other State. According to WUSF, “Florida leads the nation in health insurance enrollment through the Affordable Care Act, according to a release from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Over 3.2 million people in the state signed up for the benefits through the Marketplace. That’s nearly 500,000 more than last year.” [WUSF, 1/27/23]
More Than 8.4 Million People In Florida Have Pre-Existing Conditions. According to the Center for American Progress, 8,443,600 people in Florida have a pre-existing condition, making up 52% of the non-elderly population in Florida. [Center for American Progress, 10/2/19]
More Than 5.5 Million People In Florida Benefit From The Affordable Care Act’s Prohibition On Lifetime Limits. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 5,587,000 people in Florida benefit “from the Affordable Care Acts Prohibition on Lifetime Limits on Health Benefits.” [Department of Health and Human Services, 3/4/12]
2015: DeSantis Voted To Cut Medicaid By About $500 Billion Over Ten Years, $1.35 Trillion Relative To Current Law By Including Obamacare Reductions As Part Of The FY 2016 Conference Report Budget Resolution. In April 2015, DeSantis voted to cut Medicaid by about $500 billion over ten years as part of the FY 2016 conference report budget resolution. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, “The budget agreement would also deeply cut the rest of Medicaid. While it doesn’t clearly say by how much, the cut appears to be roughly $500 billion (or about 13 percent) over ten years. (The total Medicaid cut, including repeal of the Medicaid expansion, would be about $1.35 trillion, relative to current law, over that period.).” The vote was on the Conference Report; the Conference Report passed by a vote of 226 to 197. The Senate also passed the budget resolution. [House Vote 183, 4/30/15; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 5/1/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]
2015: DeSantis Voted For The FY 2016 Budget Resolution Which Called For Cutting And Block Granting Medicaid. In March 2015, DeSantis voted for the FY 2016 budget resolution which called for cutting and block granting Medicaid. According to Congressional Quarterly, the resolution, “assumes that the federal share of the joint federal-state Medicaid program will be converted into block grants to states and that the 2010 health care overhaul is repealed — including its expansion of Medicaid to cover more Americans under the program, which the committee says will otherwise increase the eligible population for the program and significantly increase Medicaid costs. The committee proposes that Medicaid be combined with the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP, which is already block-granted).” The vote was on the budget resolution. The House passed the resolution 228 to 199. The budget resolution died in the Senate, but a similar concurrent resolution did pass both Houses. [House Vote 142, 3/25/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/23/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 27]
2015: DeSantis Voted For A FY 2016 Budget Resolution Which Called For Cutting And Block Granting Medicaid. In March 2015, DeSantis voted for a FY 2016 Budget Resolution which called for cutting and block granting Medicaid. According to Congressional Quarterly, the resolution, “assumes that the federal share of the joint federal-state Medicaid program will be converted into block grants to states and that the 2010 health care overhaul is repealed — including its expansion of Medicaid to cover more Americans under the program, which the committee says will otherwise increase the eligible population for the program and significantly increase Medicaid costs. The committee proposes that Medicaid be combined with the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP, which is already block-granted).” The vote was on the adopting the substitute amendment. The House passed the amendment 219 to 208 and later passed the budget resolution. The budget resolution died in the Senate, but a similar concurrent resolution did pass both Houses. [House Vote 141, 3/25/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/23/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 86; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 27]
2015: DeSantis Voted For A FY 2016 Budget Resolution Which Called For Cutting And Block Granting Medicaid. In March 2015, DeSantis voted for a FY 2016 Budget Resolution which called for cutting and block granting Medicaid. According to Congressional Quarterly, the resolution, “assumes that the federal share of the joint federal-state Medicaid program will be converted into block grants to states and that the 2010 health care overhaul is repealed — including its expansion of Medicaid to cover more Americans under the program, which the committee says will otherwise increase the eligible population for the program and significantly increase Medicaid costs. The committee proposes that Medicaid be combined with the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP, which is already block-granted).” The vote was on the adopting the substitute amendment. The House rejected the amendment 105 to 319. The House later adopted a substitute amendment identical to this except for a change in defense spending and then later passed the budget resolution. The budget resolution died in the Senate, but a similar concurrent resolution did pass both Houses. [House Vote 140, 3/25/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/23/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/30/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 85; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 27]
2015: DeSantis Voted To Block Grant Medicaid At Pre-Affordable Care Act Levels As Part Of The FY 2016 Republican Study Committee Budget Resolution. In March 2015, DeSantis voted for block granting Medicaid. According to the Republican Study Committee, the budget proposes “combining Medicaid and CHIP funding into a single, streamlined block grant at the pre-Obamacare levels.” The underlying budget resolution would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “provide[d] for $2.804 trillion in new budget authority in fiscal 2016, not including off-budget accounts. The substitute would call for reducing spending by $7.1 trillion over 10 years compared to the Congressional Budget Office baseline.” The vote was on the substitute amendment to a Budget Resolution. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 132 to 294. [House Vote 138, 3/25/15; Republican Study Committee, FY 2016 Budget; Congressional Quarterly, 3/25/15; Congress.gov, H. Amdt. 83; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 27]
Think Progress: History Shows Block Granting Results In Program Cuts. According to Think Progress, “Given the freedom that usually comes with block grants, [the states] could make many choices in implementing them. But ultimately the reform would mean a severe cut, if past experience is any guide. […] Of the 11 major programs created with block grants in recent decades, eight have shrunk. Some of the declines are severe: Title 1 funding, or Education for the Disadvantaged, has fallen 115 percent since it was created, while the Social Services Block Grant has fallen 87 percent and the Community Development Block Grant, Home Investment Partnership Program, and the Training and Employment Services Block Grants have all seen declines around 60 percent.” [Think Progress, 3/18/15]
2014: DeSantis Voted To Cut Medicaid Funding By 26 Percent In 2024 By Block Granting The Program And Limiting Future Funding, As Part Of Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal; Cuts Would Be In Addition To Those Caused By Repealing ACA. In April 2014, DeSantis voted for House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2015 to 2024. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “The Medicaid block grant proposal in the budget plan proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan on April 1 would cut federal Medicaid (and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP) funding by 26 percent by 2024, because the funding would no longer keep pace with health care costs or with expected Medicaid enrollment growth as the population ages. […] These cuts would come on top of repealing the health reform law’s Medicaid expansion.” The House adopted the budget resolution by a vote of 219 to 205, but the Senate did not. [House Vote 177, 4/10/14; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/4/14; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 96]
Urban Institute Analysis Of Similar 2012 Ryan Plan Estimated It Would Lead States To Drop Between 14.3 And 20.5 Million People From Medicaid; Loss Of ACA Medicaid Expansion Would Affect At Least 13 Million People Beyond That. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Chairman Ryan claims in his budget plan that the block grant would ease states’ fiscal burdens, improve the safety net for low-income Americans, and provide better access to care among beneficiaries. In its analysis of the similar block grant from the House’s budget plan in 2012, however, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concluded that unless states increased their own Medicaid funding very substantially to make up for the Ryan plan’s deep Medicaid funding cuts, they would have to take such steps as cutting eligibility, which would lead to more uninsured low-income people; cutting covered health services, which would lead to more underinsured low-income people; and/or cutting the already low payment rates to health care providers, which would likely cause more doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes to withdraw from Medicaid and thereby reduce beneficiaries’ access to care. The Urban Institute similarly estimated that the 2012 block grant proposal would lead states to drop between 14.3 million and 20.5 million people from Medicaid by the tenth year. (That would be in addition to the 13 million people who would lose their new coverage or no longer gain coverage in the future due to repeal of the Medicaid expansion, with the number rising as high as 17 million if all states take up the expansion.) More than 40 million people would likely end up losing coverage overall after also taking into account the budget’s repeal of health reform’s exchange subsidies. The Urban Institute also estimated that the 2012 block grant proposal would have resulted in cuts in reimbursements to health care providers and managed care plans of more than 30 percent by the tenth year. This year’s proposal in Ryan’s budget would likely result in similarly severe cuts.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/4/14]
2014: DeSantis Voted To Turn Medicaid Into A Block Grant, But Cuts $460 Billion More Than The Ryan Budget By Freezing The Grant Amount For 10 Years. In April 2014, DeSantis voted for the Republican Study Committee’s proposed budget resolution for fiscal years 2015 to 2024. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, “[T]he Republican Study Committee has come out with its own proposal to balance the budget in just four years. […] The RSC budget gets its savings in a similar way to the Ryan budget, but it goes further in a number of areas. […] Like the Ryan budget, it block grants Medicaid, but freezes the grants at FY 2015 levels for ten years, saving almost $460 billion more than Ryan’s proposal.” The House considered the RSC budget as a substitute amendment to House Republicans’ FY 2015 budget resolution; the amendment was rejected by a vote of 133 to 291. [House Vote 175, 4/10/14; Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, 4/9/14; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 615; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 96]
2013: DeSantis Voted For Replacing Guaranteed Medicaid Payments To States With A Block Grant As Part Of The FY 2014 Ryan Budget. In March 2013, DeSantis voted for converting Medicaid to a block grant, as part of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2014 to 2023. According to the House Budget Committee, “The budget resolution proposes to transform Medicaid from an open-ended entitlement into a block-granted program like State Children’s Health Insurance Program.” The resolution passed the House by a vote of 221 to 207, but died in the Senate. [House Vote 88, 3/21/13; House Budget Committee, 3/12/13; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 25]
CRS Said That The Conversion Of Medicaid To A Block Grant “Would Make It Very Difficult For States To Maintain Their Current Medicaid Program,” Potentially Leading To Reduced Payments To Providers, Benefits Cuts Or Eligibility Restrictions. According to the Congressional Research Service, “However, even with significant efficiency gains, the magnitude of the federal Medicaid spending reductions under this proposal would make it difficult for states to maintain their current Medicaid programs. As a result, states would have to weigh the impact of maintaining current Medicaid service levels against other state priorities for spending. They could choose to constrain Medicaid expenditures by reducing provider reimbursement rates, limiting benefit packages, and/or restricting eligibility. These types of programmatic changes could also affect the access to and the quality of medical care for Medicaid enrollees.” The report was about Ryan’s budget resolution for FY2013, which contained similar Medicaid block grant provisions. [Congressional Research Service, 3/29/12]
Under Ryan’s Similar FY2012 Block Grant Proposal, Estimated That Between 14 And 27 Million People Would Lose Medicaid Coverage By 2021. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “The Urban Institute estimated that a similar Medicaid block grant proposal that Chairman Ryan included in his budget last year would lead states to drop between 14 million and 27 million people from Medicaid by 2021 (on top of the coverage losses resulting from repealing the health reform law’s Medicaid expansion).” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/20/12]
Medicaid Provided Coverage To 67 Million People In 2012, Including 32 Million Children, 19 Million Adults, 6 Million Seniors And 11 Million Disabled. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; “In 2012, Medicaid provided health coverage for 67 million low-income Americans over the course of the year, including 32 million children, 19 million adults (mostly low-income working parents), 6 million seniors, and 11 million persons with disabilities, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 5/8/13]
Children Account For About Half Of Medicaid Enrollees. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; “Children account for nearly half of all Medicaid enrollees but just one-fifth of Medicaid spending.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 5/8/13]
2013: DeSantis Voted To Replace Guaranteed Medicaid Payments To States With A Block Grant Set At FY2014 Levels. In March 2013, DeSantis voted to support converting Medicaid to a block grant, as part of the Republican Study Committee’s proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2014 to 2023. According to the Republican Study Committee, “The RSC proposes combining Medicaid and CHIP funding into a single, streamlined block grant at FY 2014 levels and giving states maximum flexibility to address the unique health care needs of their vulnerable citizens.” The vote was on an amendment to the House budget resolution replacing the entire budget with the RSC’s proposed budget; the amendment failed by a vote of 104 to 132 with 171 Democrats voting present. According to Congressional Quarterly, “Repeating a strategy from last year, 171 Democrats voted “present” to push Republicans to vote against the RSC plan to make sure it did not have enough support to replace the Ryan plan.” [House Vote 86, 3/21/13; Republican Study Committee, 3/18/13; Congressional Quarterly, 3/25/13; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 35; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 25]
The Center On Budget And Policy Priorities Estimated That A Similar Proposal In The FY2013 Republican Study Committee Budget Would Cut Medicaid Funding In Half By 2022. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Because the block grant would be frozen at 2012 levels and not adjust annually for increases in enrollment (e.g., as the population ages) or rising health care costs, the RSC budget would slash Medicaid funding by $1.1 trillion — or 30 percent — over the next ten years, relative to current law. (This does not count the loss of the substantial additional federal Medicaid funding that states would receive under the ACA to expand Medicaid but that they wouldn’t receive under the RSC budget because it would repeal the ACA.) By 2022, federal funding would be 47 percent below what states would otherwise receive through Medicaid that year. These funding cuts are even larger than those required under the severe proposal to convert Medicaid to a block grant and sharply cut its funding included in the Ryan budget plan.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/28/13]
In Congress, DeSantis Voted Against Legislation To Lower Prescription Drug Prices
In Congress, DeSantis Voted Against A Congressional Motion Aimed At Prohibiting “Mergers That Would Unreasonably Increase The Costs Of Pharmaceutical Drugs.” According to the American Independent, “However, when DeSantis was a member of the House of Representatives, he voted against legislation that would lower the high cost of prescription drug costs multiple times. […] In 2018, DeSantis voted against a congressional motion aimed at prohibiting ‘mergers that would unreasonably increase the costs of pharmaceutical drugs.’” [American Independent, 1/13/23]
DeSantis Voted Against The Bipartisan Budget Act Of 2015, Which Included A Measure Forcing Drug Companies To Pay Rebates To The Federal Government For Raising Prices Beyond Inflation. According to the American Independent, “However, when DeSantis was a member of the House of Representatives, he voted against legislation that would lower the high cost of prescription drug costs multiple times. […] He also voted against the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which included a measure that forced drug companies to pay rebates to the federal government if they raised drug prices more than the cost of inflation. The bill was introduced in response to convicted felon Martin Shkreli’s company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, hiking the cost of Daraprim — an antiparasitic drug — overnight back in 2015. Turing raised the price of Daraprim from $13.50 a pill to $750 a pill, despite the fact that nothing about it had changed. The House of Representatives passed the bill 266-167, with all “no” votes coming from Republicans. The bill eventually became law.” [American Independent, 1/13/23]
2019 – January 2023: DeSantis Accepted More Than $350,000 In Campaign Contributions From The Pharmaceutical Industry. According to the American Independent, “However, when DeSantis was a member of the House of Representatives, he voted against legislation that would lower the high cost of prescription drug costs multiple times. He’s taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry since he was sworn in as governor in 2019, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. DeSantis has accepted more than $350,000 in campaign contributions from pharmaceutical companies since 2019, including more than $53,000 in 2022 and more than $316,000 in 2021.” [American Independent, 1/13/23]
DeSantis’ Budget Proposal Made Permanent A $98 Million Medicaid Spending Reduction, Which Had Been Passed By The State Legislature In The Previous Year. According to the Jacksonville Business Journal, “DeSantis' budget proposal would make permanent a $98 million reduction in Medicaid spending that was backed by the Legislature last year. The cut is a result of eliminating a ‘retroactivity’ policy in which the state has picked up health-care bills while patients prepare to enroll in the Medicaid program.” [Jacksonville Business Journal, 2/4/19]
September 2018: DeSantis Said He Opposed Expanding Medicaid For Floridians. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Even if Democrats take back the governor's mansion, don't expect Medicaid expansion - let alone Medicare for all - in Florida any time soon. That's the message from leaders of the Florida Legislature as the governor's race between Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis inches toward its November conclusion. […] ‘Medicaid expansion is a winning issue for candidates,’ Alker said, noting that according to her research, even states run by Republicans that have expanded Medicaid have seen improved health outcomes. But DeSantis, who voted for the Republicans' American Health Care Act in 2017, said in a Wednesday email that the best way to give customers greater access to affordable health care would be to improve the economy so everyone can get a good plan through their employer or on the open market. ‘Expanding Medicaid,’ DeSantis said, ‘would extend to able-bodied adults. That's not what Medicaid was designed for, that's not what taxpayers pay for, and that's not how healthcare or government should work.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 9/13/18]
DeSantis Spokesperson Said He Was “Opposed To The Expansion Of Medicaid In Florida,” Even As The Federal Government Provided Additional Incentives To States Who Had Not Yet Expanded Medicaid. According to the Florida Phoenix, “Tucked into the Biden administration’s massive federal relief package is a major provision to expand benefits for low-income people in Florida and other states that haven’t adopted Medicaid expansion, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The $1.9 trillion stimulus plan signed earlier this March provides financial incentives in the millions to expand Medicaid in the dozen or so states. But Florida isn’t buying in. In the past, governors and lawmakers in Florida have been opposed to Medicaid expansion. And Gov. Ron DeSantis is still not on board, even though the giant relief package is in place and providing incentives. According to The Washington Times, DeSantis is a ‘hard no’ on the issue. ‘The governor remains opposed to the expansion of Medicaid in Florida,’ DeSantis spokesman Cody McCloud said in the recent Washington Times story.” [Florida Phoenix, 3/25/21]
December 2022: COVID-19-Era Medicaid Coverage Was Set To Expire In 2023. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Hundreds of thousands of Florida’s poorest children could lose health insurance next year when the federal government is expected to end expanded Medicaid coverage put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The looming crisis has prompted a coalition of 40 Florida nonprofits, health organizations and child advocacy groups to sign a letter sent Wednesday to Gov. Ron DeSantis, urging the state to release its plans for managing the transition.” [Tampa Bay Times, 12/8/22]
Expanded Medicaid Coverage From The Federal Program Added Around 1.7 Million Floridians To Medicaid System During The Pandemic. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “The number of Floridians relying on the federal program that provides medical coverage for individuals with disabilities and very low-income families and children rose by 1.7 million during the public health emergency to 5.5 million, roughly one quarter of the state’s population. That was largely the result of the federal government paying states additional money to keep people covered through the federal program during the pandemic even though they were no longer eligible, according to a study by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.” [Tampa Bay Times, 12/8/22]
Florida’s Medicaid Director Tom Wallace Told State Legislative Officials That 1.75 Million Floridians Could Lose Medicaid Coverage. According to Florida Politics, “As many as 1.75 million Floridians could lose Medicaid coverage once the state begins taking steps on April 1 to return its Medicaid program to pre-pandemic levels.[…] In all, 1.75 million people may lose Medicaid coverage, according to the rewinding document posted on the Department of Children and Families website.” [Florida Politics, 1/19/23]
DeSantis Administration Appeared Set To Clear Rolls “Relatively Quickly” Per Wallace. According to Florida Politics, “As many as 1.75 million Floridians could lose Medicaid coverage once the state begins taking steps on April 1 to return its Medicaid program to pre-pandemic levels. […] The state will first start purging from the program ineligible beneficiaries who haven’t availed themselves to any of the health care Medicaid covers. The DeSantis administration will then focus on disenrolling ineligible beneficiaries who have been receiving care but no longer qualify for Medicaid. ‘They will probably come off relatively quickly,’ Florida Medicaid Director Tom Wallace told members of a Senate health care spending panel Wednesday.” [Florida Politics, 1/19/23]
DeSantis Said He Would Not Expand Federal Medicaid Coverage To Undocumented People. According to Florida Politics, “The Biden administration is making Medicaid available for nearly 580,000 people who came to the United States as children but can’t otherwise qualify for Medicaid because of their immigration status. But Florida won’t be taking advantage of the option that was announced in April. In fact, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is doubling down on its opposition. DeSantis made clear at a Jacksonville news conference Wednesday he has no intention of tapping into the program. […] The new law also aims to understand undocumented immigrants’ health care costs better because, as the Governor noted: ‘You show up to an emergency room, they treat you; it doesn’t matter if you are illegal or legal.’” [Florida Politics, 5/10/23]
Florida Lost $66.1 Billion In Federal Funding By Not Expanding Medicaid. According to the Urban Institute, Florida lost out on $66.1 billion in federal funding by not expanding Medicaid. [Urban Institute, August 2014]
Florida Lost $22.6 Billion In Hospital Reimbursement By Not Expanding Medicaid. According to the Urban Institute, Florida lost out on $22.6 billion in hospital reimbursement by not expanding Medicaid. [Urban Institute, August 2014]
2015: DeSantis Voted Against Effectively Making Permanent The 9/11 First Responders Health Care Program As Part Of The 2016 Omnibus And Tax Extender Bill. In December 2015, DeSantis voted against effectively making permanent the 9/11 first responders health care program. According to Congressional Quarterly, the legislation “reauthorize[d] a 9/11 first responders health care program and related compensation fund. The legislation would offset the costs of those and other policies with limits in federal Medicaid reimbursements for medical equipment and changes to Medicare.” In addition, according to the Washington Post, “Congress voted in 2010 to create a new federal health program for police officers, firefighters, construction workers and others who worked at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of 9/11; hundreds are suffering from cancer, respiratory illnesses and other maladies. […] The spending bill extends the health program until 2090 and adds another five years to a separate victims compensation fund, costing a total of $8 billion.” The legislation was, according to Congressional Quarterly, a FY 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The vote was on a motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill with an amendment. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 316 to 113. The legislation was later combined with a tax extender bill. The Senate passed the larger measure and the president signed it. [House Vote 705, 12/18/15; Congressional Quarterly, 12/18/15; Congressional Quarterly, 12/15/15; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/15; Congressional Quarterly, 12/16/15; Washington Post, 12/16/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2029]
2017: DeSantis Voted Against The May 2017 FY 2017 Omnibus Appropriations Bill That Included A Permanent Fix For Health Benefits To Retired Coal Miners. In May 2017, DeSantis voted against the FY 2017 omnibus appropriations bill that would keep much of the government open and would have provided $1.16 trillion in discretionary spending. According to PBS, “On Monday, lawmakers announced that they had reached a permanent solution for miners by glomming a health care fix onto the new government funding bill on track for passage this week. Funding for the miners provision would rely on trade fees, called customs user fees, that apply to a variety of transactions like merchandise processing, harbor maintenance and passenger transportation. All told, it would net about $1.38 billion over the next ten years, according to a recent Congressional Budget Office estimate — more than enough to fund those health benefits for the next decade.” Overall, the legislation would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “provide[d] $1.16 trillion in discretionary appropriations through Sept. 30, 2017 for federal departments and agencies covered by the remaining 11 fiscal 2017 spending bills. […] The measure would also [have] provide[d] $608 million for health benefits for retired coal miners, $296 million for Medicaid payments to Puerto Rico, and $341 million to replace 40 miles of existing fencing along the southwestern border, though the designs of the fencing must have been ‘previously deployed’.” The vote was on a motion to concur in the Senate amendments. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 309 to 118. The Senate later also agreed to the legislation, sending the bill to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 249, 5/3/17; PBS, 5/2/17; Congressional Quarterly, 5/2/17; Congressional Quarterly, 5/4/17; Congressional Actions, H.R. 244]
June 2021: DeSantis Signed Legislation Which Essentially Doubled The Budget For The “Office Of Minority Health And Equity Health” Which Aimed To “Increase Health Equity” In Florida. According to the Daily Beast, “In June 2021, DeSantis signed legislation beefing up the ‘Office of Minority Health and Equity Health,’ essentially doubling its budget. Among other initiatives, the bill required the office to ramp up efforts that ‘develop and promote the statewide implementation of policies, programs, and practices that increase health equity in this state.’” [Daily Beast, 3/13/23]
The Legislation Funded Efforts To Reduce “Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities” And Resources For Providers To Improve Cultural Competency. According to the Daily Beast, “In June 2021, DeSantis signed legislation beefing up the ‘Office of Minority Health and Equity Health,’ essentially doubling its budget. […] The legislation allotted a new $4.4 million to the ‘Closing the Gap’ program, for ‘reducing racial and ethnic health disparities,’ including for maternal health. Through the bill, DeSantis—who has made a show of slashing so-called ‘woke’ government programs—also increased ‘resources for providers who wish to improve cultural competency’ and designated local liaisons to communicate with state officials.” [Daily Beast, 3/13/23]
The Legislation Included Funding For Prideline Youth Services, Advocating On Behalf Of South Florida LGBTQ Teens. According to the Daily Beast, “The legislation allotted a new $4.4 million to the ‘Closing the Gap’ program, for ‘reducing racial and ethnic health disparities,’ including for maternal health. […] The Closing the Gap grantees for 2021 include Prideline Youth Services, which has advocated on behalf of South Florida LGBTQ teens for more than a decade.” [Daily Beast, 3/13/23]
The Leader Of The Office Wrote An Op-Ed Calling For Addressing Systemic Racism. According to the Daily Beast, “The month before DeSantis doubled the OMH budget, the man who has led the office since at least 2018 published an op-ed in the Tallahassee Democrat addressing ‘systemic racism.’ ‘Systemic racism has come to the forefront, and with it the deep-rooted issues surrounding social justice as it relates to health, especially for the Black community,’ Dr. Owen Quinonez wrote in the op-ed, which focused on minimizing racial disparities among tobacco users.” [Daily Beast, 3/13/23]
DeSantis Has Subsequently Defined His National Brand Against “Woke” Policies Similar To Those Included In The Bill. According to the Daily Beast, “DeSantis, widely considered the biggest Republican threat to former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, has boosted his national profile in large part by targeting government support for so-called ‘woke’ policies—initiatives that in general advocate for a more inclusive cultural understanding of and support for historically marginalized communities. While those reactionary efforts have received enthusiastic backing from the state’s conservative legislature, two years ago that legislature threw more muscle behind inclusive health outreach. The 2021 bill—which was spearheaded by some of Florida’s top progressives, including state Reps. Anna Eskimani and Kamia Brown—enjoyed unanimous bipartisan support in the legislature before DeSantis put his signature on it.” [Daily Beast, 3/13/23]
DeSantis Suggested As President He Would Have Conspiracy Theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Lead The FDA Or CDC. According to Politico, “Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might have an offer to run a federal agency in 2025 — but not for the party he is running to gain the nomination from. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is struggling to gain steam in the GOP primary, mused on Wednesday in an interview with Clay Travis on OutKick that he generally aligns with Kennedy’s conservative views on Covid-19 policies and vaccines. Those views, DeSantis indicated, could make him a pick to lead a federal agency with medical jurisdiction. ‘If you’re president, sic him on the FDA if he’d be willing to serve. Or sic him on CDC,’ DeSantis said, in response to a question about whether he would pick Kennedy as a running mate. ‘In terms of being veep, if there’s 70 percent of the issues that he may be averse to our base on, that just creates an issue.’” [Politico, 7/26/23]
Kennedy Has Previously Suggested That COVID-19 Was Engineered To Be Less Lethal Towards Asian And Jewish Populations
Kennedy Has Previously Suggested That COVID-19 Was Engineered To Be Less Lethal Towards Asian And Jewish Populations. According to Politico, “Kennedy, who remains a long shot for the Democratic presidential nomination, has aired contentious views over vaccines, having questioned their effectiveness on several occasions. In the past few weeks, he came under sharp fire from liberals for suggesting that Covid was engineered to be less lethal to Asian and Jewish people.” [Politico, 7/26/23]
DeSantis Received Criticism From Other 2024 Hopefuls Over Having Kennedy To Head Federal Agencies
Pence Attacked DeSantis Over His Possible Kennedy Appointment, Said He Would Only Consider “Pro-Life Americans” And That “Pro-Abortion Democrats Like RFK, Jr. Would Not Even Make The List.” According to Politico, “Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday evening called out DeSantis on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter — though it wasn’t RFK Jr.’s questionable vaccine rhetoric the former head of the White House’s coronavirus task force took issue with. ‘When I am President, I will only consider Pro-Life Americans to lead FDA, CDC, or HHS,’ Pence said in his post. ‘To be clear, pro-abortion Democrats like RFK, Jr. would not even make the list.’” [Politico, 7/26/23]