Florida Medicaid Expansion Ballot Initiative Postponed till 2028 Due to New Law

TL/DR –

The campaign to expand Medicaid in Florida has been delayed until 2028 due to a new state law affecting the process for approving constitutional amendments. The group behind the campaign, Florida Decides Healthcare, has challenged the law in federal court, with the case set for trial in January. Over a million Floridians are currently in a healthcare coverage gap, and the state is among ten that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, resulting in billions of unused federal healthcare funding.

Florida Medicaid Expansion Campaign Postponed to 2028

The campaign to expand Medicaid in Florida has delayed its efforts to 2028 due to a new state law that complicates the approval of constitutional amendments by voters, states a report by APNews.

The group Florida Decides Healthcare had initially planned to have the measure on the 2026 ballot and was challenging the new law in federal court. This case will go to trial in January, as reported by Kate Payne.

Mitch Emerson, Florida Decides Healthcare’s Executive Director, alleges the new law was specifically designed to curb efforts of proposing constitutional amendments to voters, according to a report by Christine Sexton for Florida Phoenix.

Despite challenging numerous alterations in federal court, an appeals court earlier removed an injunction against a restriction that blocked non-citizens from gathering initiative petitions.

“Over a million Floridians are caught in a healthcare coverage gap,” states a report by Tristan Wood for WFSU News. “Their income is too high for Medicaid eligibility, yet they’re unable to afford private health insurance.”

Florida is one of the ten states that have yet to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), leading to billions of dollars in federal healthcare funding left untouched.

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