Ashley Lopez: Gov. Rick Scott, whose first foray into politics was launching a campaign aimed at stopping momentum for the health care reform law in 2009, is back to criticizing the law.

Ashley Lopez: Advocates across the country, including in Florida, are proposing ballot initiatives to bypass legislatures unwilling to expand Medicaid.

Ashley Lopez: At the same time the Republican-led Florida Legislature was turning down federal funds that would pay for expanding the state’s Medicaid program to more than 1 million people who cannot afford health insurance, those same state lawmakers were working to keep their own insurance premiums lower than most other state employees.

Ashley Lopez: Florida’s 2013 legislative session ended last week without state lawmakers agreeing on a plan to accept federal money for expanding Medicaid in the state. Now, Democrats are asking the governor to call a special session to work out a deal.

Ashley Lopez: Florida’s legislative session ends in two weeks and state lawmakers say they might not reach a decision on whether to accept the federal government’s health care reform money to expand Medicaid.

Ashley Lopez: Members of the more conservative Florida House released their alternative plan to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act last week. So far, both Democrats and Gov. Rick Scott have criticized the plan.

Ashley Lopez: Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said he is not writing off completely the possibility of expanding Medicaid in the Sunshine State.

Ashley Lopez: It looks like Medicaid expansion in Florida under the federal health care law might not happen.

Ashley Lopez: Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, admitted that his family relied on Medicaid when they were struggling and his baby brother was dying of cancer.

Ashley Lopez: Gov. Rick Scott was arguably one of the most ardent opponents of 2010′s health care reform law. But now, as Florida’s governor, Scott has agreed to enact one of the key, and voluntary, provisions of the law — to expand Medicaid to thousands of poor Floridians who currently lack health care coverage.