Rick Scott, GOPer champion of Defiance Toward All Things Obummercare was not, would not, could not, wouldn't, under any circumstances, implement Medicaid if he had anything to say about it.
He said Medicaid wouldn't do anyone any good and even went so far as to give out botched math to prove his point that Medicaid was of the devil.
No way was he gonna change his mind about this one!
Oh, hey, guess what?
Rick Scott has come around and is supporting the expansion of Medicaid, a decision that could potentially give health-care coverage to 1 million additional Floridians while simultaneously making Tea Party people's heads explode like that guy in the movie Scanners.
Scott called an impromptu presser at the governor's mansion Wednesday to announce his decision.
"While the federal government is committed to pay 100 percent of the cost, I cannot, in good conscience, deny Floridians the needed access to health care," Scott said.
Without Medicaid expansion, Florida hospitals could face a $53.3 billion increase in uncompensated care costs by 2019, according to one study. The $53 billion in unpaid care costs would coincide with a total $14.1 billion in Medicaid reductions.
Take a step back and think about this for a second.
This is Rick Scott talking.
The same Rick Scott who spearheaded the idea that states can reject federal funds to help sick people (or, more to the point, sick nonrich people), and so screw everybody.
Scott also fed everyone the complete horseshittery that Medicare expansion will cost Florida $1.9 billion a year.
Scott paid for an anti-reform lobby, and his entire platform when he ran for governor was to put a stop to Obamacare.
His fortitude against it was a Tea Party wet dream.
Funny what a Supreme Court decision, Obama's reelection, the Tea Party circling the drain, and abysmal approval ratings can do to one's fortitude.
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