AARP Florida today released the following statement regarding House Bill 1239 (Rep. Melo/R-Naples) and Senate Bill 804 (Sen. Albritton/R-Bartow), which propose a 20% cut to daily nursing care for each nursing home resident. AARP Florida Associate State Director Zayne Smith said, “It’s disappointing to see these irresponsible bills continue to move through the legislative process … Read more
The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) applauds the House for passing SB 7014 and sending it to the governor. The legislation will provide health care workers with necessary protections by extending COVID-19 liability measures originally passed last year to help long term care centers address the pandemic and focus their resources on resident care. “FHCA … Read more
A bill currently moving through the Florida House of Representatives will make changes to five major components of the state’s Medicaid program, which covers nearly five million Floridians. House Bill 7047’s revisions would impact the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) program as the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) conducts its next procurement in 2022-2023. … Read more
Florida is one step closer to joining the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which would allow residents to continue receiving behavioral health care from their provider via telehealth, even across state lines. Legislators discussed the benefits of House Bill 953, sponsored by Rep. Christine Hunschofsky (D – Broward) at the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee meeting … Read more
As week five of the 2022 Legislative Session comes to a close, Florida lawmakers have made progress on bills that would expand access to health care by removing or adjusting certain restrictions for providers or other entities. S.B. 1144 allows emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic entities to provide advanced life support services, … Read more
A bill restricting all abortions after 15 weeks of gestation passed the Florida House Professions and Public Health Subcommittee by a 12-6 vote on Jan. 19. This would reduce the current window under Florida statutes for a pregnant person to receive an abortion, which is 24 weeks or until the third trimester begins. The highly … Read more
Legislators are leading a bicameral effort to require Florida nursing homes to be more transparent about how they spend their funds—particularly Medicaid funds. Advocates say funds for staffing recruitment and caregiver pay should be prioritized to help respond to the diminishing care quality in Florida’s long-term care facilities resulting from its health care workforce crisis. … Read more
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with laughter, relaxation, and good company. In this edition of “5 Things We’re Watching,” we feature some of the conversations taking place ahead of the 2022 legislative session, which begins next week. We have a breakdown of health funding in the governor’s … Read more
Florida policymakers have added a number of health bills on their agenda with two weeks left to go before the 2022 Legislative Session. Here are the latest bills to watch, from prescription drug transparency to addressing poor maternal health outcomes. HB 693 – Department of Health’s Outreach to Pregnant Women This bill includes … Read more
In September we highlighted some of the health-related bills that Florida legislators have pre-filed ahead of the next legislative session. In this piece, we have a round-up of health legislation pre-filed in October. SB 678 – Payment caps for insulin drugs: SB 678, a bill sponsored by Sen. Janet Cruz (D- Tampa), would require … Read more