Independent Living Systems (ILS) is focused on advocating for legislation that can improve comprehensive services for Floridians with developmental disabilities during the current session.
ILS offers clinical and third-party administrative services to managed care organizations and providers that serve high-cost, complex member populations in the Medicare, Medicaid, and dual-eligible market.
President David Rogers told State of Reform that he participated in a panel presentation on long-term care (LTC) for the Florida House Health and Human Services Committee in February to advocate for LTC services. He discussed challenges LTC patients have with both medical and nonmedical needs, and described the challenges of serving the dual-eligible population.
“ILS approaches each session watching any/all bills that touch Medicaid, especially Medicaid long-term services and supports for the elderly and disabled,” Rogers said.
ILS is prioritizing Rep. Wyman Duggan’s (R-Jacksonville) House Bill 831 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 1084, sponsored by Sen. Jay Trumbull (R-Panama City). The bills would require the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to select a qualified LTC plan to establish a pilot program in Miami-Dade County to provide coverage of comprehensive services for Medicaid recipients who have developmental disabilities.
“These bills propose a pilot program to offer an integrated coverage model for (people) with developmental disabilities,” Rogers said. “ILS and its subsidiary, Florida Community Care (FCC), have been a part of Florida’s successful transformation to a managed LTC program. That transformation has rebalanced the delivery of LTC by moving more services to home and community-based settings, and helping elders avoid more costly institutional placement.
This shift enables the state to serve more seniors. ILS/FCC supports HB 831 and SB 1084 because we believe managed long-term services and supports can drive similar positive results for (people) with developmental disabilities.”
HB 831 was unanimously passed by the House Health and Human Services Committee on April 10th and awaits a second reading in the House. SB 1084 was passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services on Tuesday.
ILS will continue to build its Medicare footprint with the help of its partners moving forward, Rogers said.
“ILS subsidiary Florida Complete Care (FC2) is an Institutional Special Needs Plan (I-SNP) serving Medicare beneficiaries who need an institutional level of care,” he said. “FC2 is the fastest-growing I-SNP in Florida, having enrolled close to 900 members in just one year of operation.”