The Jacksonville City Council fails on a resolution calling for Medicaid expansion

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In September, Jacksonville City Councilman Rahman Johnson introduced a resolution highlighting what he said is an urgent need for broader health care coverage in Duval County. The resolution would have called on state lawmakers to work on expanding Medicaid.

But the resolution failed in the rules committee by a 3-4 vote. Councilman Terrance Freeman said this was a state issue as he joined Councilmen Nick Howland, Mike Gay and Chris Miller in opposing the resolution. Council members Michael Boylan, Matt Carlucci and Rahman Johnson supported the resolution.

During deliberations in the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety (NCSPHS) Committee, members were split 3-3.

According to the City Council’s Research Division, approximately 112,000 residents are still uninsured, and many more are underinsured. The county ranks 46 out of 67 in statewide health outcomes.

If passed, the Department of Legislative Services would be directed to provide a copy of the resolution to the Duval County Legislative Delegation, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Governor Ron DeSantis.

On the NCSPHS committee, the vote was 3-3, with Councilmembers Ken Amaro, Michael Boylan and Tyrona Clark-Murray supporting the resolution and Councilmembers Joe Carlucci, Chris Miller and Ronald Salem opposing it. The vote led to an automatic postponement due to the absence of Councilman Jimmy Peluso.

Dr. Alejandro Alonso, an emergency medicine expert, presented data highlighting poor health outcomes in Duval County and Florida overall, highlighting the potential for Medicaid expansion to reduce death rates and chronic conditions.

Council Member Boylan reiterated the importance of expanding access to preventive care, while Council Member Johnson noted that preventative measures could lead to cost savings in the long run. However, Councilman Miller expressed skepticism and questioned the effectiveness of the Medicaid expansion in improving health outcomes.

Assemblyman Johnson also acknowledged that while the bill had support in the Senate, it lacked sufficient support in the House of Representatives.