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Scott gets commission plan going

 
Published April 30, 2015

As the 2015 legislative session melted down on Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott moved forward with his proposed Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding.

Scott suggested the idea earlier this month, when he said he would readily call a special session to resolve outstanding budget issues.

"A thoughtful analysis of how taxpayer money supports Florida hospitals, insurance and health care providers will guide us in a special session and aid in the development of the (Fiscal Year) 2016-17 budget," he said in a statement. "This analysis will also help us prepare for the loss of (Low Income Pool) funding if the federal government decides to decline our amendment request before October."

Scott, a former hospital chain CEO, later showed some senators the data on profit margins for the hospitals in their districts — and asked why the state should send taxpayer dollars to institutions that are making money.

On Wednesday, Scott's office released a draft outline "that will guide the commission's investigation on the role of taxpayer funding for hospitals, insurers, and health care providers."

Among the topics the commission will explore: hospital revenues, profit margins, charity care and market concentration. The draft outline also calls for an examination of the salaries and benefits for hospital executives, lobbyists and attorneys.

Scott would like to look at similar data points for Florida's insurance companies.

Several lawmakers have already raised their hands to serve on the commission, including Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla.

A fond farewell

With lots of time on their hands and few bills to consider on the final day, members of the Florida Senate took nearly an hour Wednesday to honor their longtime sergeant at arms, Don Severance, who's retiring after nearly four decades.

The sergeant at arms oversees Senate security and helps members with logistical, family and health issues. It may not be in the job description, but "Sarge" also knows the personal preferences of every senator, from what kind of bourbon they like to their favorite vacation spots. More than once, a sergeant has extricated a senator from a troublesome or potentially compromising situation.

"They're there to keep us out of trouble," Sen. Tom Lee of Brandon said. Lee told a story of how he once got ticketed for parking illegally at the Tallahassee airport and politely handed the ticket back to the officer, only to find out from the sergeant's office that such behavior "is frowned upon in this establishment."

By the time he got to the Capitol, sergeants knew about Lee's "little problem at the airport." Said Lee: "This guy is so wired into our lives."

When Severance, 60, went to work for the Senate in 1976, the president was Democrat Dempsey Barron of Panama City. He became sergeant at arms in 1999 when Toni Jennings was president and served under 21 Senate presidents.