Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/211425
Sarasota News Leader November 15, 2013 Page 18 The judge also ruled that the county does In a Nov. 8 email to county staffers, not have to pay the hospitals because of the Commissioner Nora Patterson congratulated method of reimbursement they were seeking. the County Attorney's Office and also noted the decision was a significant one. "The Plaintiffs contend that the privilege The ruling should not impact other aspects belongs not to the private hospitals but rather of county healthcare actions or the Sarasota to the patients whose care is reimbursed," Hospital District because only one paragraph the circuit judge wrote in her Nov. 4 decision. of the Special Act was ruled unconstitutional, "The Plaintiffs' request for reimbursement, Preisser noted. however, is for direct payment to the hosLast year, in a separate healthcare dispute, pitals, rather than a relief to patients, and the county protested the amount of Medicaid therefore, the Court finds that the privilege bills it would be required to pay under a law would be afforded to the private hospitals." the Legislature passed at the behest of Gov. Rick Scott. That law called for Florida counA SIGNIFICANT RULING ties to pay Medicaid charges they had rejected The ruling is significant because of the savings from 2001 through April 2012, because the counties had deemed the charges not to have the county will realize, said county spokesinvolved their residents. man Curt Preisser. While early estimates put the expense at County Commissioner Christine Robinson did approximately $6.2 million, the County not want to comment on specifics of the case, Commission voted in August 2012 to pay because the hospitals can appeal the decision about $3.5 million. It saved some money within the 30-day window. But Robinson did under a state ruling by not contesting the note that the ruling, if upheld, would keep a matter further. However, county staff conbig expense off the county's balance sheets. tinued to maintain that some of the bills the state claimed Sarasota County owed were for patients in other counties. % "It will be status quo," Robinson added. Venice Regional Medical Center was one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Image from www.veniceregional.com