Florida Eliminates Most Hope Florida Mentions in Medicaid Contract.
In October, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration updated its Medicaid managed‑care contract, eliminating roughly 80 percent of references to the Hope Florida initiative. The revision applied uniformly to all state vendors and was made without public notice.
The original 620‑page contract listed Hope Florida several times and tasked the nonprofit with providing services such as loneliness support to Medicaid enrollees. The program was described as a tool to reduce long‑term assistance dependence for certain residents.
The amended version replaces the name with generic language such as “program navigator” and cuts mentions from 34 to 7. Core obligations for vendors remain largely the same, though all references to loneliness services were removed.
Representative Alex Andrade sought details from the agency, which stated that Hope Florida remains part of the contract. No further explanation has been released, and requests for the related public records were not answered.
Hope Florida has come under scrutiny since a grand jury investigation was announced in Leon County over a $10 million donation tied to a Medicaid–Centene settlement and the nonprofit’s unclear structure. The program’s controversies have attracted political attention and prompted renewed oversight.