Florida Medicaid a Model to Follow

from the Health Care Blog John Goodman writes quite favorably of Florida's Medicaid reform: The most radical Medicaid reform plan in the country is entering its second year. Initiated by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the program lets enrollees choose among competing private health plans, and they have incentives for healthy behavior in the form of credits to a special type of Health Savings Account. The results:

• Per capital costs are down.... Down?.... Yes, down.... By 7.2%.
• Benefits are up-with enrollees getting over-the-counter drugs and preventive dental care they didn't have before.
• Half the enrollees have engaged in at least one new healthy behavior, earning $4.3 million in credits to their HSA-type accounts.