Florida Governor Crist Announces Arrival Of $363 Million In Federal Medicaid Funds

March 24, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced that the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has initiated its first draw of more than $363 million in increased federal stimulus funds allowed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This funding represents the increase in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) – or Medicaid matching funds – earned for the quarter ending December 31, 2008.

An additional request for more than $412 million of the $454 million for the January through March 2009 quarter will be initiated later today, followed by routine weekly funding requests.

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“These dollars will ensure that programs for Florida’s most vulnerable will continue during these extraordinary economic times,” Governor Crist said. “I applaud the Agency for Health Care Administration being proactive in accessing these important resources for Florida families.”

Under the stimulus package, the federal share of Medicaid Program expenditures increases from 55.4 percent to 67.64 percent. This funding formula includes tiered increases in FMAP based on quarterly unemployment rates. AHCA anticipates that Florida Medicaid will receive approximately $4.2 billion from the federal stimulus package over the next 27 months. This increase in federal funding will be used to fund the Medicaid program.

“We have seen steady increases in the number of Floridians relying on Medicaid,” AHCA Secretary Holly Benson said. “This increase in federal funding comes at a critical time and will free up state money that would have otherwise been used to fund the Medicaid program.”

The federal stimulus funding is subject to appropriation by the Florida Legislature, and Governor Crist looks forward to working with the Legislature to obtain the necessary approval. For more information about Florida’s use of the federal recovery dollars made available through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, please visit www.FlaRecovery.com.

Source: Florida Governor