Tampa, FL – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor urges the Florida Legislature to swiftly implement the expanded Medicaid coverage for Floridians and today highlighted the harm to Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and all Tampa Bay area families if the legislature fails to do so. TGH, one of Florida's largest "safety net" hospitals, faces daunting challenges with the loss of funds for uncompensated care unless Medicaid is expanded to cover more Floridians. Read more »

Research institutions in all 50 states will see their budgets decrease this year as a result of across the board spending cuts. That includes Tampa’s Moffitt Cancer Center. Read more »

“Families and businesses across Florida will be well-served by doctor visits and medical care under the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. Florida has more to gain than just about any other state and the state’s economic prospects are looking brighter with the move toward the broad expansion of health services to likely a million Floridians. The Florida Legislature should move swiftly to implement this vital health care reform and follow the near unanimous advice of health professionals, consumer advocates and economists. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said today she is outraged by information that demonstrates Gov. Scott was warned by the state’s top economist that the numbers he was using were wrong relating to the cost of Medicaid expansion. Gov. Scott presented flawed cost estimates to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at their meeting yesterday in Washington. Read more »

Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius met today to discuss Medicaid expansion and health policy issues in the state of Florida. U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor released the following statement: Read more »

U.S. Representative Kathy Castor announced today the award of $500,000 to Hillsborough County public schools for a school-based health center. The grant, which is authorized under the Affordable Care Act, will allow the school district to construct a health center to provide health services to children from economically distressed families in the USF area. Read more »

After years of resistance to the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) by Republican leadership in the State of Florida, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor announced today that she is buoyed by reports that the state will not oppose an important ACA provision relating to increased reimbursements to primary care physicians treating Medicaid patients – predominately children, seniors and pregnant women. Castor championed this provision for inclusion into the ACA in July 2009 as a member of the Energy & Commerce Committee and has worked to ensure broad-based implementation because of its importance to Florida families and their access to health care. Read more »

Nearly 200,000 Florida seniors and people with disabilities have saved more than $338 million on prescription drugs as a result of the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor announced today. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also show that in 2012, almost 200,000 beneficiaries in the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known as the “doughnut hole” have saved an average of $658. Read more »

Nearly 1 million seniors in the Tampa Bay area would be forced to pay more for their health care premiums and would see a reduction in preventive care services if Congress implements Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said today, citing new data from the House Energy and Commerce Committee. House Republicans already have voted for the Ryan budget, which severely cuts Medicare and Medicaid. Under the plan, Floridians age 54 and younger would be given vouchers or coupons to cover their health care costs from a private insurance company. Read more »

“House Republicans should join us in taking action on jobs instead of wasting enormous amounts of time on another health care debate. Instead of working to create jobs or strengthen the middle class, the GOP appears fixated on having the same debate over the Affordable Care Act. The House has now voted on health care at least 30 times this session. Read more »