In the News
On Medicare’s 50th Anniversary, Ron DeSantis Has Nothing to Celebrate
Today, as seniors in Florida and across nation celebrate the 50th anniversary of Medicare, the Tea Party Congressman running to replace Marco Rubio in the United States Senate has nothing to celebrate.
“Congressman Ron DeSantis voted three times in three years to turn the Medicare system Florida’s seniors have earned through a lifetime of hard work into a voucher system,” said FDP spokesman Max Steele. “According to the Congressional Budget Office, if DeSantis got his way, Floridians between the ages of 45 and 54 would be forced into a voucher program that would cost them $800 more each year. Florida seniors already on Medicare could end up paying $1,200 more per year for their care than they would under traditional Medicare.
“Now that he’s running for Senate, Congressman DeSantis will have to explain to Florida’s 6.6 million seniors and soon-to-be seniors why he supports ending Medicare as they know it.”
Use this county-by-county breakdown to see just how many Floridians Ron DeSantis’ reckless support of the Ryan budget could impact.
| County | Soon-to-be Seniors | Medicare Aged | Potentially Impacted |
| Alachua County | 26,920 | 37,181 | 64,101 |
| Baker County | 3,874 | 4,491 | 8,365 |
| Bay County | 25,353 | 34,491 | 59,844 |
| Bradford County | 3,709 | 5,358 | 9,067 |
| Brevard County | 81,810 | 136,535 | 218,345 |
| Broward County | 280,341 | 288,270 | 568,611 |
| Calhoun County | 2,057 | 2,807 | 4,864 |
| Charlotte County | 19,935 | 56,533 | 76,468 |
| Citrus County | 17,002 | 53,286 | 70,288 |
| Clay County | 29,963 | 33,564 | 63,527 |
| Collier County | 42,518 | 81,473 | 123,991 |
| Columbia County | 9,021 | 14,445 | 23,466 |
| DeSoto County | 4,289 | 6,556 | 10,845 |
| Dixie County | 2,283 | 4,112 | 6,395 |
| Duval County | 122,251 | 138,334 | 260,585 |
| Escambia County | 39,543 | 63,053 | 102,596 |
| Flagler County | 12,779 | 29,756 | 42,535 |
| Franklin County | 1,537 | 2,562 | 4,099 |
| Gadsden County | 6,555 | 9,358 | 15,913 |
| Gilchrist County | 2,263 | 3,645 | 5,908 |
| Glades County | 1,652 | 2,214 | 3,866 |
| Gulf County | 2,507 | 3,342 | 5,849 |
| Hamilton County | 1,851 | 2,797 | 4,648 |
| Hardee County | 3,305 | 4,191 | 7,496 |
| Hendry County | 4,828 | 5,357 | 10,185 |
| Hernando County | 22,793 | 54,644 | 77,437 |
| Highlands County | 10,554 | 31,735 | 42,289 |
| Hillsborough County | 182,703 | 199,714 | 382,417 |
| Holmes County | 2,720 | 4,963 | 7,683 |
| Indian River County | 18,184 | 42,357 | 60,541 |
| Jackson County | 6,762 | 11,193 | 17,955 |
| Jefferson County | 2,140 | 3,266 | 5,406 |
| Lafayette County | 1,183 | 1,040 | 2,223 |
| Lake County | 40,537 | 86,502 | 127,039 |
| Lee County | 83,900 | 155,811 | 239,711 |
| Leon County | 30,830 | 35,741 | 66,571 |
| Levy County | 5,455 | 10,892 | 16,347 |
| Liberty County | 1,286 | 1,315 | 2,601 |
| Madison County | 2,589 | 4,111 | 6,700 |
| Manatee County | 45,337 | 82,451 | 127,788 |
| Marion County | 41,756 | 103,138 | 144,894 |
| Martin County | 20,977 | 41,544 | 62,521 |
| Miami-Dade County | 397,135 | 421,714 | 818,849 |
| Monroe County | 12,205 | 15,422 | 27,627 |
| Nassau County | 11,034 | 16,326 | 27,360 |
| Okaloosa County | 26,064 | 34,679 | 60,743 |
| Okeechobee County | 5,217 | 8,001 | 13,218 |
| Orange County | 171,606 | 155,106 | 326,712 |
| Osceola County | 41,871 | 44,909 | 86,780 |
| Palm Beach County | 191,681 | 292,308 | 483,989 |
| Pasco County | 66,923 | 115,878 | 182,801 |
| Pinellas County | 138,381 | 225,337 | 363,718 |
| Polk County | 79,897 | 134,357 | 214,254 |
| Putnam County | 9,629 | 18,692 | 28,321 |
| St. Johns County | 32,732 | 40,374 | 73,106 |
| St. Lucie County | 38,891 | 66,120 | 105,011 |
| Santa Rosa County | 24,704 | 28,175 | 52,879 |
| Sarasota County | 49,293 | 122,484 | 171,777 |
| Seminole County | 65,707 | 67,804 | 133,511 |
| Sumter County | 8,525 | 52,142 | 60,667 |
| Suwannee County | 5,702 | 10,814 | 16,516 |
| Taylor County | 3,157 | 4,661 | 7,818 |
| Union County | 2,274 | 2,007 | 4,281 |
| Volusia County | 69,233 | 128,738 | 197,971 |
| Wakulla County | 4,948 | 4,935 | 9,883 |
| Walton County | 8,861 | 11,657 | 20,518 |
| Washington County | 3,565 | 5,613 | 9,178 |
| Totals | 2,737,087 | 3,922,381 | 6,659,468 |
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DeSantis Voted For The Ryan Budget Three Times. [Vote 88, 3/21/13; Vote 177, 4/10/14; Vote 142, 3/25/15]