Politico: “Hope Florida will face further scrutiny this week over its relationship with the state Agency for Health Care Administration, with state lawmakers probing newly enacted requirements for Medicaid operators that include sharing patient data, incentivized participation and the transfer of $10 million last year.
The program, led by first lady Casey DeSantis, aims to connect eligible residents in need with resources in the community. Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the Legislature this year to etch Hope Florida into state law, spurring questions about the organization and how it receives and spends its funding.
Hope Florida had already partnered with the Florida Department of Children and Families, providing agency staffers to help take calls from eligible residents. The flagship initiative for Casey DeSantis, who is widely thought to be considering a run for governor next year, also received a tremendous lift from AHCA. The agency, which oversees most of the Medicaid program, has made participation in Hope Florida a contractual requirement for insurance companies that provide managed care coverage for the majority of the state’s more than 4.3 million Medicaid enrollees.”