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Scott Investigating Transition Of Government-Run Hospitals

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - Florida Governor Rick Scott has decided to order a review of all government run hospitals in the state by creating a commission to assess and make recommendations on the role of hospital districts.

Governor Scott is looking at "whether it is in the public's best interest to have government entities operating hospitals."

Scott, a disgraced former health care CEO at Columbia/HCA, laid out several areas he wants the new Commission on Review of Taxpayer Funded Hospital Districts to assess and make recommendations on.

The point of the commission is to determine how to transition government-operated hospitals to different "governance models."

Scott wants to know the process for carrying out the transition and how much the taxpayers would see as a return on the value of the assets.

Click here to read the full order from the Governor

Scott wants the commission to "determine whether costs in government-operated hospitals are higher or lower in comparison to similar non-government-operated hospitals," and investigate if "it results in higher or lower Medicaid, Low income Pool or other reimbursement."

The commission was tasked with assessing the national measures of quality in government-run hospitals compared to non-government-operated hospitals.

Scott also wants the commission to look for community tax authorities have created programs allowing access to the poor without having to operate a hospital.

The new commission will gather data and methods for providing access to the poor from each hospital district in Florida to determine "the most cost-effective method for providing outpatient and inpatient hospital services to the broadest population possible and recommend the best models."

Governor Scott chose Dominic Calabro to be the head of the new commission. Calabro is the head of the right-wing group Florida Taxwatch. It has been critical of the Obama administration and has lauded many of Scott's moves, including passing the measure ending teacher tenure.

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