TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Rick Scott says Florida can't afford expanding its health-care program and he won't make any effort to implement provisions of the federal health-care law upheld last week by the nation's high court.
But the announcement might be more political calculation than policy substance.
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney hopes to turn the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision into a rallying cry for his candidacy, proclaiming the only way to repeal the law now would be to defeat President Barack Obama this fall.
And Scott's office said Saturday that while the governor would continue to push for a repeal of the law, the state would follow any of its mandates required ahead of the November election.
"If there is any part of the law that requires action before November, Florida will comply, but he is committed to repealing the law before it ever takes effect," Scott spokesman Lane Wright said.
Florida has already refused more than $4 million to set up a website "affordable insurance exchange" where people could shop for insurance policies, but the Affordable Care Act calls for the federal government to create the exchange for any state that refuses to do so by 2014...