Brittney Hunt: Florida’s Medicaid overhaul delivers stronger outcomes and lower costs

More than a decade ago, Florida made a bold decision to transform how health care is delivered to its most vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries. By shifting from a fragmented, fee-for-service model to a single, coordinated system of care managed by Florida’s health plans, the state has improved health outcomes for Medicaid members and reined in costs for taxpayers.

This transformation continues to yield results for Floridians. Today, more than 4 million Floridians receive care through Medicaid, with the vast majority – 78% – receiving their health care from one of Florida’s health plans. This single coordinated system, known as the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) Program, has demonstrably performed above the national average, kept members satisfied with their services and controll