Press Releases

Miami, FL -- Congresswoman Wilson is leading a Florida congressional delegation letter to Governor Ron DeSantis, urging him allow Florida to opt in to the Medicaid expansion provision in the Affordable Care Act. Despite overwhelming evidence that expanding Medicaid has dramatically reduced the uninsured rate by providing access to care to the most vulnerable people in our nation, Florida is one of 17 states that has declined to do so. Furthermore, the long-term effects of the coronavirus are not yet known. Medicaid expansion will provide a safety net to protect the victims both now and against any future complications attributable to the virus.

"The lack of access to care is especially troubling during this global pandemic. As of April 21, 2020, the state of Florida had 27,495 official cases of coronavirus. That number includes 4,063 hospitalizations and more than 800 deaths," the letter reads. "Many of those impacted are in black, brown and poor communities that have traditionally been saddled with untreated underlying conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus. Those underlying conditions are exactly the kinds of conditions preventative care would address under a Medicaid expansion."

The coronavirus pandemic has caused millions of people to simultaneously lose their jobs and their health insurance and widened the gaps in economic safety nets. Expanding Medicaid during this troubling period will decree those gaps and help strengthen Florida's ability to meet the challenges of this health-care crisis.

"It is no secret that Republican legislators across the nation have had a long-standing opposition to the Affordable Care Act, but this is a time to set aside political ideology and put people first," said Congresswoman Wilson. "Yes, it will be costly, but the state would receive $65 billion over the next 10 years by expanding Medicaid. This is a necessary step to diminish COVID-19's calamitous effect on Floridians now and in the future."

To read a draft of the letter, click here.