Last summer, Florida won a $2.3 million federal grant to expand a program that answers questions about health insurance. It's called SHINE -- short for Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders -- but the grant would have let all ages take advantage of the service.
The grant was also going to give the program a direct, toll-free line.
Brian Lee of Tallahassee, an advocate for the elderly, said SHINE could make good use of the money.
"Giving an opportunity to the public to get even better acccess to the SHINE program. Wow, that’s a great opportunity, a great service. It is a great program. It provides a ton of information to people."
But Florida turned down that opportunity, and it's not the first time. Since the Affordable Care Act became law in 2010, Florida state agencies have gone after very few federal grant dollars per person than most states.
A team at the University of Michigan says Florida received the least grant money per person of any state in 2011, and it was 48th last year.
And that’s just grant money. It doesn’t count the $51 billion that Florida turned down for Medicaid expansion – enough to cover 1 million poor people for a decade.
The Department of Elder Affairs, where the SHINE information program is housed, is the agency that won the grant. It asked marketing companies for proposals on branding the hotline and consumer assistance service.
One company that submitted a proposal was Sachs Media Group. Michelle Ubben, chief operating officer, said a lot of effort and time went into it.
“It was right within the sweet spot of what the company does. We felt like it was an exciting piece of work and we were eager to go after it.”
Many companies competed for the $2 million contract. Imagine their surprise when the project was canceled in April, after the proposals were in. No apologies. No real explanation.
“Were you disappointed?" “Oh sure. we were really excited about this being a signature project for the next couple of years that could improve the lives of Floridians and help an agency of government do its job better and take advantage of a historic opportunity.”
Why was the project canceled? It turns out that a House budget analyst sent an e-mail to top officials at the Department of Elder Affairs, asking: Do you have permission from the Legislature to spend this money?
Elder Affairs officials decided to take the hint and call off the project, apparently. None of those involved in the decision would agree to an interview.
Instead, here’s Ryan Duffy, the spokesman for the Florida House: “Our House staff raised the concern that Obamacare’s a law that’s going to impact Floridians of all ages and so the there was concern that the award was given to an agency that deals with elder affairs.”
To some state officials, this refusal to accept federal money is a badge of honor. In March, Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford explained his philosophy to the American Conservative Union:
“States are being lured and I would argue coerced into expanding programs like Medicaid and passing regulations not through federal mandate but with the promise of free money. It’s what states all across the United States are facing right now. They’re trying to buy us off, one by one. But I am not buying it. Florida will not buy it. And America should not buy it.”
To consumer advocate Laura Goodhue of Florida CHAIN - a health advocacy organization - this attitude only hurts the public, especially the poor.
“You're only hurting your own constituents. There were just a number of opportunities that Florida certainly should have taken up, but we didn’t.”
Tallahassee advocate Brian Lee says he can hardly believe the state turned down the money for something as useful as an information line.
“It seems to be a no brainer and lo and behold the state’s going to get caught up in some bureaucratic loophole."