DeSantis Administration Defends Diverting $10M Medicaid Settlement to Charity

Experts question state's logic in allocating funds from Centene settlement.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 2:59am

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A heavily textured, fragmented painting in shades of blue, green, and grey, depicting an abstract representation of stacked dollar bills, conveying the complex and opaque nature of the Medicaid settlement funds.An abstract painting captures the tangled allocation of a major Medicaid settlement, raising questions about transparency in Florida's use of taxpayer funds.Tallahassee Today

The DeSantis administration in Florida has released a detailed explanation defending its decision to divert $10 million from a $67 million Medicaid settlement with Centene to the Hope Florida Foundation, a charity created by the administration. However, Medicaid experts have questioned the state's reasoning, arguing that all the settlement money should have gone to the state and federal Medicaid programs.

Why it matters

The diversion of Medicaid settlement funds to a DeSantis-linked charity has raised concerns about the transparency and accountability of the state's handling of taxpayer money. Experts argue that the full settlement amount should have been returned to the Medicaid program, which is jointly funded by the state and federal government.

The details

The state's Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) claimed that only $57 million of the $67 million settlement was considered 'potential Medicaid-related damages,' allowing the remaining $10 million to be directed to the Hope Florida charity. However, Medicaid experts questioned this logic, stating that all the money should be owed to the state and federal taxpayers. The DeSantis administration also appeared to be at odds with its own move to reimburse the federal government based on the full $67 million amount.

  • In October 2022, Florida reached a $67 million settlement with Centene, a Medicaid contractor found to have overbilled the state's Medicaid system.
  • In April 2025, the DeSantis administration released a detailed explanation defending the diversion of $10 million from the settlement to the Hope Florida Foundation.

The players

Ron DeSantis

The governor of Florida who created the Hope Florida Foundation, which received $10 million from the Centene settlement.

Andrew Sheeran

The general counsel for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, who wrote a memo to lawmakers defending the state's allocation of the Centene settlement funds.

Scott Newton

A former FBI agent and federal prosecutor with experience investigating healthcare fraud, who argued that the Medicaid settlement funds are taxpayer money that should have been fully returned to the Medicaid program.

Andy Schneider

A research professor at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy with over 50 years of experience with the Medicaid program, who questioned why the entire $67 million settlement amount was not owed to the state's Medicaid program.

Alex Andrade

A Republican state representative who has been investigating the Hope Florida Foundation and the state's accounting of the Centene settlement.

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What they’re saying

“It totally debunks the bogus media narratives that were out there.”

— Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida

“The character, the very identity of the program's funding never changes. It is and remains the taxpayers' money.”

— Scott Newton, Former FBI agent and federal prosecutor

“It's not clear to me why the entire $67 million settlement amount isn't owed to the state's Medicaid program.”

— Andy Schneider, Research professor, Georgetown University

What’s next

The Florida legislature is expected to continue investigating the state's handling of the Centene settlement and the allocation of funds to the Hope Florida Foundation.

The takeaway

This case highlights ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in the DeSantis administration's use of Medicaid settlement funds, raising questions about the state's commitment to fully restoring taxpayer money to the Medicaid program.