MIAMI -

Florida's Republican lawmakers are reluctantly acknowledging that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and are taking steps to determine exactly what that will look like. The Sunshine State has one of the highest numbers of uninsured residents in the country, some of the most stringent eligibility requirements for health care safety nets, a large number of legal immigrants and a proposal to privatize its Medicaid program statewide.

So how will the federal health overhaul impact that? There are still a lot of unanswered questions, perhaps the biggest being whether Gov. Rick Scott will expand Florida's Medicaid rolls. The Republican governor was a vocal opponent of so-called "Obamacare" but softened his stance after the November election. He remains wary of the increased cost a Medicaid expansion could bring to Florida taxpayers and has been accused of playing politics with numbers after he referenced figures showing costs could be as high as $26 billion over a decade. The state health agency later revised that figure to $3 billion.

Florida lawmakers are also playing catch-up because the Legislative session is not convening until March, after or very close to federal deadlines.

Here are some questions and answers about how the Affordable Care Act could play out in Florida.

Q: How many Floridians are uninsured and how many of those are projected to get insurance under the exchange?

A: Florida had the nation's third-highest rate of residents without health insurance during the past three years, according to Census data. It also has some of the most stringent eligibility requirements in the country for Medicaid. A family of three with income of $11,000 a year makes too much to qualify and single residents are not covered.

Nearly 1 million people are estimated to take advantage of the state exchange, including residents who are employed and the unemployed. Many would be eligible for federal subsidies to help pay for it.

Q: How many people Floridians are currently served by Medicaid and how many more will be served if lawmakers choose Medicaid expansion?

A: Florida's Medicaid program currently costs more than $21 billion a year, with the federal government picking up roughly half the tab. It covers nearly 3 million people - about half are children - and consumes about 30 percent of the state budget. About 900,000 more residents could be covered if Florida decides to expand its Medicaid rolls.

See the original post:

What the new health care market means for Fla.