by David Beasley
A nonprofit group is gathering signatures to put Medicaid expansion in Florida on the ballot in 2026.
“Our mission is to let voters decide whether Florida should expand Medicaid, bring billions of our tax dollars home, increase jobs, grow our economy, and provide access to care to over one million people,” said the group, Florida Decides Healthcare. “Together, we can make health care a reality for all Floridians.”
It will require 1 million signatures of registered voters in Florida in order to get the measure on the ballot, the group said. As of Dec. 31, the state has more than 13.3 million registered voters.
If Medicaid expansion is approved, “billions of our tax dollars would be brought back to our state to pay for healthcare,” the organization said. “The increased demand for health services would create more than 130,000 new jobs in Florida.”
The expansion would help working families who have jobs without health insurance, the group said.
Individuals earning less than $20,782 a year for an individual or families making less than $35,631 a year for a family of three would qualify, it said.
“We’re talking about delivering health care to near-retirees who have lost their benefits, people with chronic medical conditions, and Floridians who can’t afford to see a doctor right now,” Florida Decides Healthcare said.
Florida is one of 10 states without expanded Medicaid, the health care program jointly funded by the state and federal government.
However, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has opposed Medicaid expansion in the state as has the Legislature.
Medicaid expansion is “dead on arrival” in the 2024 legislative session, House Speaker Paul Renner has said in published reports.
DeSantis’ office did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
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David Beasley is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Medicaid Expansion Supporters” by NatalieMaynor. CC BY 2.0.
