PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County commissioners voted to preserve Medicaid funds for county hospitals during an emergency commission meeting last week.
The vote, unanimous among present commissioners at the meeting, was held two days before the GOP-supported "big, beautiful bill" was signed into law on July 4.
WATCH: Health care leaders ask county for change to continue serving Medicaid patients
The decision allows hospitals to pay more than $300 million in taxes, which gets funneled to the state health care administration, matched by the federal government and then dispersed back to health care providers to help cover Medicaid expenses.
The new law would freeze the amount hospitals could pay into the fund, therefore lowering the amount of money available.
“Without these increased payments, it is estimated that local hospitals would incur over $100 million in uncovered Medicaid costs annually,” said county staff in documents to commissioners. “Or 60 cents on each dollar of coverage rendered to a medicaid patient."
Officials from Tenet Healthcare, HCA Florida and Baptist Health asked county officials for the change to continue serving Medicaid patients, which one leader estimated was about 37% of their patients at one location.
RELATED COVERAGE: Local health care advocates worry about what comes next
“It’s incredibly important to our hospitals,” said Don Chester, who works for Tenet Healthcare’s Palm Beach Medical Network at St. Mary’s Hospital.
“By acting now, Palm Beach County will ensure our hospitals don’t miss out on this very important critical change. The vote enables our facilities to end Medicaid losses as we provide care to all regardless of their income," said Jason Kimbrell, CEO of HCA Florida Palms West Hospital, on July 2.
Chester said he also believes those patients on Medicaid will need more services than they currently receive.
“We also fear they are going to come sicker because they won’t want to come to get care right away,” he said.
