The Florida Legislature is trying to decide whether to move forward with parts of the federal Affordable Care Act. Backers, including two physicians, urged the lawmakers to expand Medicaid eligibility to hundreds of thousands more people.
Palm Beach Gardens resident Arie Strobel said she and her daughter have been unable to get coverage since her husband died suddenly in 2009.
"We're blessed to have good health, really, because we don't get a lot of health care. I haven't been to the doctor in a few years", Strobel said. "I get my daughter whatever she needs when she's really sick, but for routine stuff…we kind of earn a pass on that."
Lawmakers also took up the law's effects on Florida businesses. Employers and insurance industry officials said they fear coverage requirements in the law could drive up costs for businesses.