ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County leaders are meeting to launch a campaign in hopes of eliminating the Medicaid gap and push forward Medicaid expansion.

What You Need To Know

  • Community organizations say they started a ballot collection initiative to get Medicaid expansion on the ballot

  • Recently, Orange County Commissioners allocated $4.5 million to offer medical debt relief for residents

  • Organizers have until the end of 2025 to collect signatures, so the issue can go on the ballot in November 2026

Community organizations are gathering signatures on petitions all over Florida to try to get it done.

More than a dozen people gathered Thursday at the State Regional Service Center, which is responsible for administration of Medicaid, on West Robinson Street in Orlando to make the announcement.

Community organizations say they started a ballot collection initiative to get Medicaid expansion on the ballot.

They say they're going all around Florida trying to get signatures to allow voters to decide how Medicaid is administered in Florida.

Just this week, Spectrum News reported hundreds of thousands of Floridians have lost coverage after a federal pandemic exemption was lifted.

Spectrum News caught up with Central Florida Jobs with Justice organizers hours before the press conference.

Organizers said their goal is to fill the need to bridge Medicaid coverage gaps, lower costs for families and hold state politicians accountable for reduced state funding.

Along with those from Central Florida Jobs for Justice, representatives of Florida Voices for Health also spent the evening taking the time expressing why they want to bridge the Medicaid gap.

“Floridians face so many barriers towards accessing quality affordable healthcare in our state,” said Florida Voices for Health advocacy director Acadia Jacob. 

Recently, Orange County Commissioners allocated $4.5 million to offer medical debt relief for residents.

Tara Felten, lead organizer from Central Florida Jobs with Justice, said through the past year, the organization has seen a widespread Medicaid unwind, leaving many families and individuals without coverage.

“When we go into the community and explain the unwind, that's the kind of the disconnect that I think that's so frustrating, like folks weren't even really fully understanding why they were losing their Medicaid coverage,” said Felten. “It's been a tough time through the pandemic, and just like the rising cost of everything, people are barely above water. And so to add this — like additional stressor that they didn't even really expect to come — it's actually make or break,  life or death.”

That was especially true for Matthew Grocholske, a Winter Park resident who said he’s determined to make a difference and help those around him. 

“My grandpa passed away because he unfortunately went into medical debt," Grocholske said. "It was something traumatic for my whole family.” 

In a statement to Spectrum News on Thursday, Orange County government officials said Florida has prioritized the use of $4.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for medical debt relief that could potentially eliminate $424 million in medical debt for an estimated 154,000 residents.

“This initiative is in detailed review and evaluation, and then will be pending final approval by the Board of County Commissioners,” said Orange County senior public information officer Amanda Dukes.

Organizers have until the end of 2025 to collect petitions to allow the Medicaid expansion question to go on the ballot in November 2026.

According to the health policy research group KFF, Florida is one of 10 states that has not provided health care access through Medicaid to low income adults ages 19 to 64 who do not have minor children or a disability.