Manatee County Commission to approve healthcare funding option

A long-debated topic between Manatee County Commissioners, how to pay for indigent healthcare will finally be a done deal.

At its meeting Dec. 1, the commission will approve to move $4 million from its general fund to pay for that type of healthcare, which is designated for people who don't have health insurance or who don't qualify for health care coverage, such as Medicare.

The county will go from using about $7 million from the trust fund which has been funding healthcare for more than 30 years, and $1.3 million from property tax revenue to paying nearly all indigent health care needs from the general fund.

Some commissioners, such as District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, believe the solution is a temporary one that acts as a Band-Aid over a bigger financial break.

To view the meeting agenda, click here.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].