TALLAHASSEE | After more than five hours of heated discussion Thursday, the dynamic of Floridas health care expansion debate officially shifted to 74 House Republicans versus the rest of the Legislature.

That chambers GOP majority Thursday protected a plan, sponsored by Rep. Travis Cummings, R-Orange Park, that would rely on state funding to offer $2,000 to low-income parents and those eligible for disability under Social Security.

The plan would require those eligible to make a $25 monthly contribution to a health care account. Money in the account would be used to shop for health care on Florida Health Choices, a marketplace created by lawmakers in 2008. Once fully implemented, it would cost an estimated $237 million each year.

The debate centered on an amendment sponsored by Rep. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, that would have replaced the House plan with a version authored in the Senate. The Senate plan, sponsored by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, would use $51 billion over the next decade under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, to place people into private insurance.

Its supported by Democrats, Gov. Rick Scott, business and hospital-aligned special interest groups, and was passed out of its last Senate committee stop on a unanimous vote.

It would require a monthly contribution of $15 to $20 and cover about 1.1 million people currently uninsured when fully implemented. Of those, 438,113 would be covered next year.

Under Obamacare, the first three years would be covered by the federal government.

House Republicans have balked at the idea of accepting federal funds because they see it as an inconsistent funding source.

They just increased our taxes and are still trillions of dollars in debt, said Rep. Jimmie, R-Lecanto.

Democrats point to the fact that Floridas budget already includes billions in federal money, including $14 billion for health care in the Houses proposed budget.

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Florida House swats health care plan to use federal money