The Florida House and Senate are locked into a $4 billion battle over health care funding.

It will be resolved, although it is looking ever more likely that it will push the 2015 Legislature beyond its May 1 deadline into an extended or special session.

But the real significance of this policy fight is that House leaders are signaling that they are prepared for a long-term engagement over changing many aspects of Floridas health care system. One leader called it a war. A more fitting name may be a revolution given the scope of what House leaders want to achieve.

House Appropriations Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land OLakes, said the problem with Floridas health care system is the status quo and all the people who profit from the system.

Come to war with us. Ill fight. And if it costs me my political career, or yours, so be it, Corcoran told House members.

Those are significant comments coming from the House budget chairman who will be the next House speaker following the 2016 elections.

That was followed up this week at the end of what is likely to be the last meeting of the House Health and Human Services Committee. Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, re-emphasized the Houses commitment to bringing more competition and free-market ideas into the health care system.

We know that there is a health care problem in Florida. And we know every time government tries to solve something, we typically (are) a little worse off than had we let some other things happen, Brodeur said.

Brodeur outlined an ambitious set of proposals for the 2016 session, including advancing a plan to curb the number and cost of medical malpractice lawsuits.

Brodeurs comments were bolstered by the appearance of Rep. Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, who will be the House speaker following Corcoran. He emphasized his commitment to changing the health care system.

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Fighting words in Legislature's health care battle