Rick Scott Will Still Opt Out of Health Care, Despite What Voters Said

On Tuesday, Floridians went to the polls and voted against the state GOPer Legislature instilled amendment that would have banned government-mandated health insurance requirements. Basically, had the amendment passed, it would have exempted Floridians from the Affordable Care Act.

But it failed to pass, losing 52 percent to 48 percent.

See also: Rick Scott's Decision to Opt Out of Medicaid Could Cost Hospitals Billions

Despite the will of the people, and despite a study that claims opting out of the Affordable Care Act will cost state hospitals billions of dollars, Gov. Rick Scott is still not budging on his decision to reject it.

Lord Voldemort HAS SPOKEN!

*thunder peals*

Scott started the crusade against Obamacare, and he's not going down without a fight (while taking down Floridians with him). It was 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 he's now just going to ride this wave of bullshit till it drowns us all.

On Wednesday -- the day after Amendment 1 was shot down by the people he supposedly serves -- Scott continued to say that the overhaul would be too expensive to carry out and would harm businesses by raising their costs.

Scott has made these claims before. Because Scott uses fear like a pair of  nunchakus to our proverbial balls.

He's claimed that a company with 20 employees could go out of business because of health-care-law requirements to buy insurance. Which is complete and utter HORSESHIT.

Employers with fewer than 25 employees, whose average annual wages are below $50,000 and offer health insurance, qualify for a tax break of no more than 35 percent. That cap will be lifted to 50 percent in 2014.

Scott also said Medicare expansion will cost Florida $1.9 billion a year. Also, HORSESHIT.

The most recent estimate from the state health care agency says a series of changes to Medicaid could wind up costing about $1.4 billion a year, but that number includes things beyond the expansion to Medicaid that Scott was talking about.

For instance, about $400 million is tied to increased reimbursement payments to Medicaid providers. But the state isn't required to pay that out.

And then there's the recent study by the Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems. Its spokesman, Dr. Bruce Siegel, basically says Florida will be dicked if Scott gets his way.

"The deep cuts to disproportionate share hospital payments over the same period are simply untenable and will prove devastating to society's most vulnerable and to the providers who care for them."

The $53 billion in unpaid care costs would coincide with a total $14.1 billion in Medicaid reductions.

People waited up to eight hours in line to vote, thanks to Gov. McCreepyPants. And when they finally got into the booth, the resoundingly voted "NO" on his and his cronies' health-care bullshit.

But Rick Scott ain't care. If he had hair, he'd flip it.