Florida Gov. Scott has suggested to the state’s hospital executives that they share some of their  total of $3.7 billion in profits to help the state “transition” from depending on federal funding for the state’s Low Income Pool for safety-net hospitals.

He told The Miami Herald:

“This would be similar to how large market baseball teams share revenues with small market baseball teams.”

The state has received $1 billion-$2 billion a year from the federal government to support its LIP program to aid the state’s safety-net hospitals.

The  idea comes as lawmakers stalemate  on how to fund growing healthcare costs in Florida, whose government has refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. That refusal has led to threatening sounds from Washington about continued LIP support.