Tom Price: Florida Right to Reject State-based Health Care Exchange, Medicaid Expansion

As Florida legislators debate how to respond to the overhaul of the federal health care system, and Gov. Rick Scott continues trying to get Health and Human Services officials to accept theSunshine State’s views on Medicaid funding, atleast one U.S. congressman believes they don’t have to rush.

U.S. Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., on the Budget Committee and Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, supported how Florida and 30 other states have refused to set up state-run health-care exchanges by 2014.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if HHS had to contract that out or delay the implementation of the federal exchange, because they are nowhere near doing it,” Price said on Thursday, while attending the Foundation of Associated Industries of Florida’s Health Care Affordability Summit in Orlando. “Or they’ll do it in a way that Washington tends to do it, which is half-hearted …”