Hospitals that treated Pulse victims may lose additional funding in governor's proposed budget

Two hospital systems in Central Florida could lose up to $88 million in state funding combined under the governor's proposed budget.

Florida Hospital and Orlando Health don't do enough charity work to qualify for extra money.

Shortly after the Pulse nightclub terrorist attack on June 12, the victims were rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center and Florida Hospital.

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In total, both hospitals wrote off about $5.5 million in costs, but the hospitals could now lose state funding for not providing enough charity care.

“There's no need to invest general revenue dollars in hospitals, again, that have very high profit margins already and that aren't doing much in the way of low-income care,” said Justin Senior, secretary for The Agency Health Care Administration.

Under Gov. RIck Scott's proposed budget, hospitals will lose Medicaid money if their charity work doesn't add up to about two-thirds of their profits.

The numbers from 2015 show ORMC was at 43 percent and Florida Hospital was at 51 percent. The cuts would total about $88 million for both facilities.

“We're going to continue to make the add-on payment for the hospitals that are actually doing the charity care,” said Senior.

This area outside of ORMC was once a memorial to the Pulse victims. The club is up the road.

On Monday, the governor said he appreciated the hospital's response, but said that doesn't make it an exception to the expectation.

The money is supposed to help offset the costs for low-income patients who can't pay for treatment. In a statement, the governor called the two hospitals the most profitable in the state.

But Florida Hospital defended its record, saying it has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to benefit the community. It's still too early to know how the cuts could impact patients

The governor's budget would also cut another $581 million for hospitals by reducing the amount they can receive from Medicaid for services they provide.

Cox Media Group