Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On June 27, 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed HB 7067. The bill required the Department of Health to charge a $150 initial registration fee and $150 biennial renewal fee for out-of-state health care professionals providing health care to Florida residents via telehealth. In his veto letter, Governor DeSantis stated…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On June 25, 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis approved HB 23, the telehealth bill passed during the 2019 legislative session. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2019, except for the payment parity provisions which take effect on January 1, 2020. The bill sets a framework for the use of…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On June 25, 2019, Governor DeSantis signed the healthcare omnibus bill, HB 843. The bill is a compilation of many healthcare issues, including a few health insurance related issues. Health insurance issues in the bill address direct health care agreements and step-therapy protocols. Direct Health Care Agreements The bill…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Health insurance options for Floridians are expanded under SB 322 which was signed by Governor DeSantis on June 25, 2019. The bill took effect the day it was signed. The bill has multiple components: association health plans, short term limited duration health policies, essential health benefits, and health policies…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On June 18, 2019, Governor DeSantis signed HB 7 which expands direct primary care. The Florida Legislature passed the same language expanding direct primary care twice during the 2019 Session – once as a stand-alone bill (HB 7) and once as part of a large healthcare omnibus package, HB…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1113 on June 12, 2019. The bill creates the voluntary health shared savings program for health plans and also contains changes for the state group health insurance program. Shared Savings ProgramThe shared savings part of the bill allows health insurers and HMOs to provide…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On June 7, 2019, Governor DeSantis signed HB 673, the bill to equalize payment for long term care insolvencies by the Florida Life & Health Guaranty Association (FLAHIGA). The bill took effect on June 7th, its signing date. The bill is patterned on the NAIC model act for funding…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel After bouncing between both chambers a couple of times during the waning day of Session, HB 1113 finally passed. The passed bill contains the voluntary health shared savings language like the original bill did, but also contains changes for the state group health insurance program. Procedurally, when the Senate…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Florida Legislature passed the same language expanding direct primary care twice this Session – once as a stand-alone bill and once as part of a large healthcare omnibus package. HB 7 is the stand-alone bill that expands direct primary care. The bill changes all statutory references of “direct…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 673, the bill to equalize payment for long term care insolvencies by the Florida Life & Health Guaranty Association (FLAHIGA), is going to the Governor for signature. It passed the House on April 24, 2019 with a vote of 114-0 and passed the Senate on May 2, 2019…