- April 26, 2024
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Flagler County will pay a bill of almost $97,000 for two residents’ medical bills. Online sales tax on the horizon?
In line with the Health Care Responsibility Act, which states that counties must match up to $1 million of federal funding paid to Medicare/Medicaid patients who receive emergency services outside of county borders, the Flagler County Board of County Commission approved Dec. 5 the payment of two residents’ hospital bills, totaling $96,684.99.
Last year, the county paid a total of $100,000 for out-of-county indigent care. Most years, the board budgets about $200,000 for such charges, according to County Administrator Craig Coffey.
“We wouldn’t want to pay this if we didn’t have to,” he said. “(But) we have never gone over (budget). And this payment won’t put us over, either.”
Regardless, the issue got the board talking about recent increases to its yearly expenses, handed down from state and federal governments.
“You mentioned we were going to have some heavy Medicaid expenses (this year),” Commissioner Alan Peterson told Coffey, in reference to a recent $560,000 state bill received by staff. “Are these a part of that (increased obligation)?”
They are, Coffey confirmed. Previously, the county would be charged about $260,000 annually for the same expenses.
One of the two out-of-county Medicaid bills approved for payment Dec. 5, for $69,681.83, was received from Halifax Medical Center. The other, for $27,003.16, was from Orlando Regional Medical.
If charges like these continue adding up, Peterson said, Flagler has to start seriously considering alternative forms of revenue — specifically, online sales tax.
“It concerns me that current budget projections for the state predict another $2 billion in shortfall,” he said. “If another $2 billion has to be taken … there’s not going to be very much left.”
He noted that sales tax is currently not being collected online for counties in which merchandise is purchased. If the board could organize, he suggested, it could lobby at the state level for a requirement to be enacted.
“I think, because of the dire straits that the state is in,” he said, “that we should attempt to pursue this particular revenue source.”
The board revisited the possibility of lobbying for tax revenue from online booking companies, as well. A recent Putnam County resolution was cited, which urged the Florida Legislature not to extend any form of tax exemption to virtual travel sites.
“The online travel company decision,” said Commissioner Milissa Holland, “will hopefully open up a lot of avenues in getting (these merchants) to pay their fair share.”
Holland also serves as chairwoman of the Tourist Development Council and is a member of the Northeast Florida Regional Council, with residents from Putnam.
The online booking issue will be brought back before the board at the next joint intergovernmental meeting, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13, in the Emergency Operations Center. The issue of rallying for general online sales tax will be on the board’s Dec. 19 agenda.
