Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled his $91.3 billion “Bold Vision for a Brighter Future” state budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20. The Governor’s proposed budget provides full recurring funding for nursing center Medicaid rates and an increase in quality assessment dollars of almost $8 million dollars. While the budget does not include the renewal of the one-time Medicaid increase from the FY 2018-19 budget. FHCA appreciates that Governor DeSantis has given us a positive starting point for our ongoing discussions with legislators. A budget with no Medicaid funding cuts and increased assessment amounts will set the stage for us to work with House and Senate leadership on the importance of renewing the non-recurring Medicaid funding for nursing centers.
The budget proposal also makes permanent the $98 million Medicaid spending reduction from the Medicaid retroactivity change (from 90 to less than 30 days) as included in the current year budget. House and Senate Leadership have said they will review the policy, so your continued feedback on how this impacts your centers will be important in those discussions. The budget also contains $669,786 for the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) implementation of the Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) program, including Level I screenings and Level II evaluations and determinations.
Other health care changes include $7 million for operations and 124 positions for initial staffing of the new Ardie R. Copas State Veterans’ Nursing Home in St. Lucie County, $6.5 million for capital improvements for state veterans’ nursing homes, $3.4 million for operating costs at the Lake Baldwin State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Orange County, $84.6 million in programs to help combat opioid-related issues, and 830 new waiver slots for home and community-based services.
This year’s budget represents an increase of $2 billion over the current $89.3 billion budget. The Governor’s proposed budget traditionally sets the stage for House and Senate budget discussions, which will begin next week. For full details on the Governor’s FY 2019-20 budget, click here.