Florida lawmakers have gotten a budget break thanks to a decision by the feds to extend the nation’s public-health emergency due to the pandemic. WFSU's Gina Jordan has more.
The federal government will continue to allocate a 6.2 percentage-point increase in money for Medicaid, which provides health coverage to poor, elderly and disabled people. Before the extension, the additional funding was slated to expire in March. Now, Florida should continue to receive the increased funding through June 30th, the end of the state’s fiscal year. With the pandemic reducing state tax revenues, finding a way to balance the budget will be a major issue during the looming legislative session.
