An exasperated incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, concluding a three-day tour of medical facilities across the state, vowed to do everything in his power to improve a “broken Medicaid system.”

With approximately $20 billion of Florida’s $70 billion annual budget going to Medicaid, the Merritt Island Republican said the system is spiraling out of control -- and pointed blame at new federal health-care laws backed by President Barack Obama and medical malpractice lawsuits.

During a Friday afternoon press conference at the Florida Press Center in Tallahassee, Haridopolos said, “The fact is that Obamacare substantially expands Florida’s Medicaid system by adding a projected 1.4 million people to an already overburdened system. As members of the Florida Legislature, we consistently hear from Medicaid patients, but we wanted to go on this tour and bring the Capitol to the people who are on the front lines of the health-care crisis.”

Haridopolos said the new laws can lead to a large amount of the state population being on Medicaid.

“We’re looking at potentially one in four Floridians being in the system,” he said, adding that this means the other three Floridians will have to pay for it.

Joined by Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, and Sen. Joe Negron, R-Palm City, Haridopolos focused on improving the quality of care, access and costs during the tour. The senators toured facilities in Brandon, Clewiston, Gainesville, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee and Tampa. Other members of the Legislature joined Haridopolos, Gaetz and Negron to participate in round-table discussions at each of the stops. 

“It’s been an eventful three days,” said Haridopolos at the tour’s conclusion.

He criticized the new federal laws, maintaining the measures create 159 new agencies and the entire system is centered around government.

Flanked by his wife, Stephanie, a physician, as well as by Gaetz and Negron, Haridopolos said that needed to change. “We think it should be patient-centered health care,” he said.

Gaetz focused his critique of Florida’s Medicaid system on expanding costs. “The answer is not more money despite what they say in Tallahassee,” he said. “What we heard is criticism of a system that doesn’t work because resources are spent the wrong way.”

“There’s no back-end cost control in the current system,” said Gaetz. “We’ve doubled the amount of dollars we’ve spent and we certainly have not doubled the effectiveness of the program.”

Criticizing the high costs of malpractice insurance, the senators said tort reform is an important part of keeping medical and Medicaid costs down.

“What we’ve consistently heard during these round-table discussions is that doctors who have protections against malpractice lawsuits have the ability to deliver a higher quality of care to their patients,” said Haridopolos. “A key component to reforming our state’s Medicaid system is addressing tort reform and ensuring that primary care doctors are not discouraged from treating Medicaid patients because of malpractice suits.”

Haridopolos said tort reform will be a high priority of the Legislature. “For us to take it off the table is silly,” he said. “It has to be on the table.”

Negron praised the medical services being performed. “The medical care is topnotch and I’m proud of it." Negron said the system needs more flexibility, allowing Medicaid patients more of a choice.

“Flexibility and the ability to choose between plans is essential,” agreed Haridopolos.

Asked if federal dollars will be coming to help the state’s Medicaid through the FMAP funds, Haridopolos said that members of Congress told him they don't know when the vote will be scheduled.