Scott opposes bill shifting health departments to local control

TALLAHASSEE

 Gov. Rick Scott said on Tuesday that he opposes a plan to have counties take greater control over local health departments, a move that had local government officials and public health advocates prepared to fight.

The controversial plan, approved by a House health care panel on Monday, would have Florida provide block grants to 67 counties and within two years put the departments under the control of county governments instead of the state health department.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, who has sought to streamline the massive Department of Health over the last several years.

But Scott, a former health care executive who once ran the nation’s largest hospital chain, questioned whether the proposal would reduce costs or improve services.

“If it doesn’t do something that is going to make the lives of Florida citizens better, why would we think about doing that?” Scott asked. “I haven’t seen anything in the bill that does any of those things.”

Scott’s comments, and a tepid reception in the Senate, could doom the idea this year.

Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, one of the top Republicans in that chamber, said out of deference to the House that the Senate would consider the legislation. He said giving counties more flexibility could be beneficial.

But he said that placing the departments under the auspices of county government may “be a bridge too far.”

Scott has been careful this session in commenting on pending legislation, rendering a verdict only a handful of bills.

But his criticism Tuesday of the measure was applauded by some county officials.

Both Manatee and Charlotte counties had expressed fears that the bill would increase their financial obligations for maintaining services offered at the health departments.

“It had a lot of people concerned,” said Nicholas Azzara from Manatee County.

Azzara said that the county commissioners were prepared to discuss the issue with the local delegation, including Rep. Jim Boyd, who voted for the bill, when they travel to Tallahassee next week. Azzara also said the county was poised to write opposition letters.

Azzara said Scott’s opposition indicates that he understood “what this could have meant for the counties.”

Block grants are usually large sums of money from the federal or state government but they have less restrictions on how they need to be spent.

Giving counties control over the health departments would mean those employees no longer worked for the state. As many as 12,000 employees statewide could have been impacted by the policy change.

While Scott said he opposes the block grant approach for county health departments, he is a firm believer that federal block grants would help Florida better manage its Medicaid program.

Defending the mammoth Department of Health also contradicts a report assembled by a hand-picked team assembled by Scott and tasked with making recommendations on how the state’s health and human services system could be improved.

The task force recommended that the state consider merging the Department of Health with other health care related departments. The health department is charged with protecting and promoting public health. It also is responsible for regulating health care professionals and it must be run by a doctor.

The Manatee County Health Department has 126 staff and a $9.2 million operating budget, and five locations, information from the state shows. The county is responsible for funding about 10 percent of the budget, or $929,000, Azzara said.

There are nearly 400 state employees working at the Sarasota County Health Department which has a $29.1 million budget for state fiscal year 2011-12.

Charlotte County spokeswoman Elaine Jones said the proposal would have given the county a stronger voice in what services to provide. But she said the county had concerns that the state wouldn’t adequately fund the health departments.

“Our concern is that they have a habit of providing start-up and discontinuing that funding,” Jones said.