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Marion County approves special assessment to support hospitals' Medicaid reimbursement program
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a special, non‑ad valorem assessment on county hospitals to preserve enhanced Medicaid reimbursement programs; hospital leaders told the board the measure helps care for uninsured and under‑insured patients.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously July 1 to adopt a resolution creating a non‑ad valorem special assessment on county hospitals intended to preserve and expand enhanced Medicaid reimbursement arrangements.
County Attorney presentation and hospital representatives framed the assessment as a countywide mechanism limited to hospitals, not individual homeowners. Erica Scola, president and CEO of AdventHealth Ocala, told commissioners the program “generates critically needed funds to support hospitals in Marion County” and helps “deliver high quality care, especially to our most vulnerable and underserved residents.” An executive from HCA Ocala described a patient who benefited from the program after a traumatic accident and said the funding “enabled him to have access to health care” without direct costs to the patient.
County counsel said hospitals sought to increase their assessment rates within current statutory limits because recent developments in the federal budget process could otherwise freeze rates. Commissioners did not amend the proposal and approved the resolution by motion (Commissioner Stone) and second (Commissioner Curry) without recorded opposition.
Why it matters: county officials and hospital leaders said the assessment enables hospitals to access state and federal Medicaid‑related reimbursement programs that offset uncompensated care costs and maintain services to uninsured residents. The adopted measure applies only to hospital properties named in the program and does not change property taxes for residential owners.
What happened next: the motion to approve passed unanimously. County staff and hospital counsel indicated the hospitals had participated in the county’s assessment program in prior years and supported using the existing authority this year.
Speakers at the hearing included Erica Scola (AdventHealth Ocala) and an HCA executive who addressed the board, along with County Attorney and staff who explained the statutory and procedural background.
Ending: Commissioners thanked the hospital leaders for their partnership; the board did not set a separate implementation date in the public discussion and recorded the unanimous vote approving the resolution.
