Healthcare Sales Tax Referendum to be Decided at Tuesday's BOCC Meeting

BRADENTON -- Manatee County Commissioners will vote tomorrow on whether to move forward and put to referendum vote, a plan to add a half-percent Healthcare surtax on the Manatee County sales tax. The proposal could come before Manatee County residents on a special ballot as early as June. The tax would go toward funding indigent healthcare programs currently paid for by funds that were put a side from the proceeds when the county sold Manatee Memorial Hospital, a 319-bed acute care facility currently owned and operated by a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc., one of the largest hospital management companies in the country.

Funding for indigent care had originally been paid from interest from those monies, however, expansion of services and payments later began eating away at the principal leaving the fund vulnerable. However, Florida is about to embark on a massive expansion of its Medicaid program, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. The commission meeting will take place at 9 a.m. in the commission chambers of the county administration building at 1112 Manatee Ave West in Bradenton. It will also be televised on MGA-TV.

Agenda information and attachments:

Item 3. 10:00 A.M. - Item 34 - Health Care Surtax Referendum Ordinance 13-07 * Eschenfelder

Attachment: IndigentHealthTaxORD 13-07.pdf
Attachment: MC Health Care Plan 3.12.13.pdf
Attachment: History of Indigent Health Care Funding.pdf

related:

Healthcare Sales Tax a Bad Deal for Manatee County