Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel SB 418, the Senate essential health benefits bill, is now in its last committee after passing the Senate Health Policy Committee on April 1, 2019. It was not amended by the Committee. The essential health benefits part of the bill provides more health insurance options for Floridians by permitting…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate will mandate health insurance coverage for children’s hearing aids under a bill approved on April 1, 2019 by the Senate Health Policy Committee. The bill has one committee left. Currently, there is no mandated health insurance coverage for hearing aids for children. SB 572 would change that…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 23 is described by the bill sponsor as a way to solve the health care provider workforce shortage in Florida. It allows over 35 types of Florida licensed health care providers to use telehealth within their scope of practice. It also allows out-of-state providers to use telehealth if…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 111, expands the scope of practice for pharmacists in two different ways. One, it allows pharmacists to test for, screen for, and treat the flu, strep, and other non-chronic health conditions such as lice, skin conditions, and minor uncomplicated infections. The protocols for pharmacists testing and treating these…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 7 expands direct primary care and is a priority bill of the House. By expanding direct primary care to more specialized medical services, the bill meets Speaker Oliva’s goal of increasing health care options to Floridians in order to reduce health care costs. The bill changes all statutory references…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 1363, the House frozen formulary bill, was amended in committee on March 26, 2019 to lock in the pricing of drugs on the formulary for the plan year to prevent drug companies from taking advantage of the frozen formulary by increasing drug prices during the plan year when…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House Health Market Reform Subcommittee expanded the enteral formula mandate bill when they met on March 26, 2019. They adopted one amendment to HB 539. Under the amended bill, the limit on enteral formulas under individual or group health insurance policies is increased from $2,500 to $5,000. Also,…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill related to patient referrals by health care providers and described by the bill sponsor as enacting “a more free market approach to healthcare” passed its second committee on March 26, 2019. It was not amended. The bill has one committee left. There is no Senate companion bill. …
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel This week, both chambers moved their bills creating a voluntary health shared savings incentive program. Both bills are now in their last committee. The shared savings program created by HB 1113 allows health insurers and HMOs to provide cash or other incentives to insureds when they obtain shoppable health care…
By: Greenberg Traurig The Senate Health Policy Committee met on March 25, 2019 to consider SB 1528 Prescription Drug Importation Programs for Public Programs (reported favorably as amended). The bill passed with a strike all amendment. SB 1528 Prescription Drug Importation Programs for Public Programs was presented by enthusiastically by Sen. Bean. He brought up…