The battle continues over a proposed Medicaid expansion with lawmakers back in Tallahassee this week trying to pass a budget.

The Senate has signed off, but members of the House may still vote down the plan Friday.

During a tense few hours Thursday, House Republicans agreed the Senate plan was a government entitlement program that would increase the federal deficit. They could vote on the bill Friday.

Rep. Mia Jones stressed the bill would not expand Medicaid and would save the state an estimated $547 million and draw down more than $18 billion federal dollars.

The House and the governor want the Obama administration to extend a hospital fund known as the low-income pool. But the Senate, the Obama administration and hospital groups argue it's more efficient to give people insurance than to pay hospitals for caring for the uninsured retroactively.

Meanwhile, a local group has joined the fight: More than 30 nurses, doctors, pharmacy technicians and patient financial service representatives from Florida Hospital boarded a charter bus Thursday morning en route to Tallahassee. With shirts and signs, they joined other hospital groups in a rally behind lawmakers in favor of a Medicaid expansion, something that has proved to be a huge sticking point.

"We're going to use this money as an investment for primary care that is in fact going to permit these individuals, because of accountability, to lift themselves up so they won't be part of this program and they will be part of the American dream," said Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs. "That's what this is. Someone says, 'That's a lofty, lofty goal.’ And the answer is: That's right." 

The majority of the Senate is in favor of the expansion and voted to accept $51 billion in federal funding to help cover emergency room and hospital visits for about 800,000 low-income Floridians. The Senate passed the plan Wednesday with a 33–3 vote.

But the majority of the House, which has sided with Gov. Rick Scott, is still against expanding Medicaid. They argue that because the state has to cover 10 percent of the cost of expansion, it will blow the budget. They are dubbing it a "$5 million tax."

"We have talked about this issue, we have vetted this issue, we have researched this issue, upside, left, right, all over the place," said Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Lutz. "And here's my message to the Senate: They want us to come dance? We're not dancing." 

Last month, Republicans in the Florida House ended their session early because of the controversial topic — creating an impasse and a bit of a Republican feud between the House and Senate. By the time a vote takes place Friday, the House is expected to defeat the expansion bill. 

However, Florida Hospital employees are hoping that doesn't happen. They want the proposed expansion to pass.

"I feel strongly that health care should be accessible to all people — it shouldn't be just for those who cannot totally afford it, or those can afford health insurance," said Maureen Hovey, the assistant nurse manager at Florida Hospital. "We need to make sure we have coverage for everyone in our community."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.