Florida Hospital Association

02/27/2026

Don't you agree that strong hospitals mean stronger communities? 👇

Florida's Medicaid program is a vital lifeline for the Sunshine State's most vulnerable residents and that's why the timely approval by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of Florida's pending proposal is critical to maintaining the right care at the right time and in the right setting while keeping costs sustainable. As Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of FHA, recently wrote in an op-ed circulated statewide: "Floridians increasingly must turn to emergency departments — the most resource-intensive point of entry into the health care system — raising, not lowering, federal health care spending."

FHA urges the federal government to promptly approve Florida's State Directed Payment Program to preserve timely care and support hospitals as they serve their communities. Learn more >> https://floridianpress.com/2026/02/accusations-of-anti-florida-cms-bias-continue-to-mount/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQO9N9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFSM3A1RUdpNHRqQVpCMUp6c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrXMk129a1AggPYxwRwr2nAC4vsU7pHTKPd6GhO886nq4mnFUrQJfB_mro7G_aem_0y-mFpjGr3MUwho5fMxSAg

02/27/2026

Hospitals in Florida are more than centers of healing; they are engines for the state’s economic growth.

FHA’s Economic Impact Report shows that hospitals contribute more than $198 billion to the state’s economy annually, support 343,952 jobs and provide more than $34.5 billion in salaries, wages and benefits. Their impact extends far beyond patient care, strengthening communities and driving prosperity statewide. Learn more >> https://fha.org/FHA/FHA/Data-and-Research/Economic-Impact.aspx?hkey=f36ada55-cf8b-4d8b909aece5c9bae50b

02/24/2026

FHA’s newly released University of Florida | IFAS economic impact study shows that Florida’s hospitals contribute more than $198 billion to the state’s economy annually.

View FHA’s 2023 Economic Impact Report >> https://fha.org/FHA/NewsContent/NewReleases/Floridas_Hospitals_Contribute__198Billion__States_Economy.aspx_gl=1*1eyg2si*_ga*MTA0NzMwNDE0NS4xNzU5MTYwMTQy*_ga_3WBMM09571*czE3NzA5NDEzMjMkbzgwJGcxJHQxNzcwOTQxNTg1JGo0NiRsMCRoMA

02/23/2026

Florida's hospitals continue to wait in limbo while CMS holds Florida's State Directed Payment Program application hostage. This program provides vital funding to preserve critical services in their communities.

“I’m concerned that we are dealing with some entrenched opposition to Florida’s program that may not necessarily pertain to CMS’ statutory authority,” said Mary Mayhew, president of FHA.

The majority of states' applications have been approved, leaving Florida's hospitals and congressional delegation frustrated and demanding answers. Further delays in approval may place essential health care services at risk for more than 4.2 million Floridians. Read the full article here >>

The state of Florida and the Trump administration are at odds over a multibillion-dollar application for a Medicaid program for state hospitals.

02/20/2026

Florida State University's College of Business recently hosted the 2026 Business of Healthcare Summit. FHA president and CEO Mary C. Mayhew participated on a panel, discussing recent policy and funding shifts shaping health care business models, Medicare and Medicaid financing, and the ripple effects these have on care delivery, the workforce and system sustainability. Learn more >>

Shevaun Harris spoke for a moment not as a top state government official but as a patient and consumer. “I just got fussed at by my doctor because I

02/18/2026

Florida is one of four states awaiting reauthorization of its State Directed Payment Program. Without timely approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, hospitals across our state face growing financial uncertainty that puts access to essential health care services at risk for more than 4.2 million Floridians, including 2 million children.

“We have a program proposal from the state of Florida to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that is inexplicably stuck. Meanwhile, the federal government has approved 32 other states for similar programs,” said Mary C. Mayhew, president and CEO of FHA. Learn more >>

Neal Dunn led 2 letters last year urging approval, but Florida remains one of a handful of states still awaiting action.

02/16/2026

FHA recently released its latest economic impact study, underscoring the significant role Florida’s 337 hospitals play in strengthening the state’s economy. From creating and sustaining jobs to generating tax revenues for essential public services and purchasing goods across communities, hospitals are vital economic engines for Florida’s future.

View the full press release to learn more about the impact of Florida hospitals on our state’s economy >> https://fha.org/FHA/News-Content/New-Releases/Floridas_Hospitals_Contribute__198Billion__States_Economy.aspx?_gl=1*1eyg2si*_ga*MTA0NzMwNDE0NS4xNzU5MTYwMTQy*_ga_3WBMM09571*czE3NzA5NDEzMjMkbzgwJGcxJHQxNzcwOTQxNTg1JGo0NiRsMCRoMA

02/13/2026

The Wall Street Journal reports that the nation’s health and social assistance jobs have grown 12.5% in just three years in a recent article titled “Healthcare Is Propping Up the Job Market”. With an aging population and rising demand for care, the health sector has become one of the nation’s most reliable engines of economic growth.

Florida’s hospitals are part of that momentum. Read the WSJ story here >> https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/healthcare-is-propping-up-the-job-marketa3ce973bgaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfiSKKPnVDeQiOGoANRT3xylhDvGoCSoUtVi_ZpDX7Woh72OxcUUpaSrHCndwk%3D&gaa_ts=698e6f27&gaa_sig=2nE5EY5MIsqRe_ga075JYWkQCJi1exghSejS5ALVqNC-EhDDPWHhpGaaDqcCyS7YoyHx15slehjU9uTEgL8v6g%3D%3D

02/13/2026

Florida hospitals are reimbursed for as little as 47% of the cost of care for Medicaid patients. Before the OBBBA was enacted, Florida’s congressional delegation made sure Florida could implement the Medicaid financing program it needed to bring reimbursement closer to the actual cost of care.

Despite the fact that Florida runs a lean Medicaid program, CMS is delaying approval of that plan and timely access to care for all Floridians is at risk. Learn what’s happening in Mary C. Mayhew’s latest op-ed >> https://floridapolitics.com/archives/778102-mary-mayhew-florida-hospitals-need-fair-medicaid-payments-now/

02/12/2026

Florida runs one of the leanest Medicaid programs in the country. Still, CMS continues to delay approval of a critical piece of health care financing for Florida, putting all Floridians’ access to maternity care, behavioral health treatment and specialty pediatric care at risk.

The majority of other states’ proposals have been approved, while Florida waits in limbo. Learn what’s happening and what’s at stake with continued delay >> https://floridapolitics.com/archives/778102-mary-mayhew-florida-hospitals-need-fair-medicaid-payments-now/

02/09/2026

Following her participation on Congressman Aaron Bean's panel on Capitol Hill, FHA President and CEO Mary C. Mayhew told FloridaPolitics in an interview last week that proposals to expand site-neutral payments and cut the 340B charity drug program could further strain hospitals already under financial pressure. With nearly 30% of Florida hospitals operating at a loss, she warned that Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements fall far below the actual cost of care, threatening access to services like maternity care, cancer treatment and emergency services.

“What we want and need from health care is very straightforward,” Mayhew said. “We want it timely. We want it to be efficient, high quality, and produce the best possible outcomes." Learn more >> https://floridapolitics.com/archives/778538-mary-mayhew-fears-washington-push-to-simplify-policy-could-starve-floridas-hospitals/

02/06/2026

"Florida’s health care system is at an inflection point. Hospitals across the state are doing everything they can to keep maternity units open, maintain inpatient psychiatric care and preserve access to specialty children’s care — because Floridians depend on them. But they are working against the headwinds of Medicaid reimbursement amounts that cover only a fraction of the actual cost of care," said Mary C. Mayhew in an opinion piece published this morning in the Tampa Bay Times, urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to approve Florida's State Directed Payment program. Learn more >>

The agency has approved dozens of other states’ Medicaid State Directed Payment programs, but Florida’s ‘remains inexplicably stalled.’