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President Obama's two-day stop in Miami has nothing to do with Florida's upcoming special legislative session forced by a disagreement over how to fund healthcare. But the White House couldn't avoid a reporter's question Wednesday about the president's opinion on the opposition from statehouse Republicans to expanding Medicaid under Obamacare. "We have demonstrated a willingness to work closely with state leaders to tailor solutions" to their residents, Press Secretary Josh Earnest said when asked about the issue in a conference call with Florida reporters. "The refusal of Republican officials in Florida to put the interests of their citizens ahead of their own political arguments is something that we've been disappointed by." (Mazzei, 5/27)

Medicaid expansion supporters are targeting Hialeah — the zip code that saw more health insurance sign-ups than any other in the country. Several other zip codes with the highest enrollment were also in South Florida. Health advocates say those enrollment numbers show the need to expand Medicaid to more than 800,000 Floridians who fall into a coverage gap. They make too much money to qualify for regular Medicaid but too little to qualify for a subsidy in the federal exchange. (5/28)

With a special legislative session set for next week, South Florida lawmakers, hospital representatives and health groups gathered Wednesday to discuss Medicaid expansion, the future of healthcare in Florida and a looming Supreme Court decision on subsidies. Sen. Rene Garcia, a Miami Republican who chairs the Senate healthcare budget committee, in a panel discussion with Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, and Rep. David Richardson, D-Miami Beach, said a healthcare crisis still exists in Florida after the Legislature adjourned without passing a budget. About 850,000 Floridians fall into the healthcare “gap” created when Florida chose not to expand Medicaid. (Herrera, 5/27)

The Obama administration once again has found itself on the defensive over the Affordable Care Act. Last month, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) filed a lawsuit alleging that the federal government is illegally attempting to force states to expand their Medicaid programs by not renewing funding measures for uncompensated care programs. ... The agency issued similar warnings to Kansas and Tennessee. Officials in Kansas and Texas are backing Florida's challenge. (Drost, 5/27)

Texas hospitals are hoping the legislature’s move to boost their reimbursement rates in the 2016-2017 budget curries favor with CMS when it considers whether to renew separate pots of funding to cover uncompensated care. Lawmakers in Austin are set to approve their next budget just days after CMS preliminarily told Florida that it would significantly cut the amount of money going into that state’s uncompensated care program, the Low Income Pool. (Pradhan, 5/27)

Medicaid reform is the $12 billion question in North Carolina, as legislators debate the best way to control costs for the federal-state insurance program for low-income residents, most of them children. A recent issue brief from the Wake Forest University law school offers a good overview of the options they’re considering, as well as what our state might learn from reform programs in Oregon and Ohio. (Helms, 5/27)