Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On August 18, 2017, the Telehealth Advisory Council (Council) met in Orlando to discuss their recommendations relating to telehealth. The Council was created by legislation enacted in 2016. Its task is to survey health care facilities, HMOs, health care practitioners, and health insurers about telehealth and research telehealth issues. …
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Starting January 1, 2019, SB 162 prohibits health insurers and HMOs from retroactively denying a claim, if at any time, the insurer or HMO verified the eligibility of an insured or subscriber at the time of treatment and provided an authorization number. Sen. Steube is the sponsor of…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Direct primary care will be at issue again during the next legislative session which starts in January. Sen. Lee is sponsoring the 2018 Senate direct primary care bill, SB 80. He was also the 2017 sponsor and is thus very familiar with the issue. The 2018 bill specifies that…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Sen. Steube again filed a health insurance prior authorization and step therapy/fail first bill for 2018. He was also the sponsor of the 2017 bill. The 2018 bill (SB 98) is virtually identical to the last version of the 2017 bill and does the following: In nonurgent situations, gives…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Florida Governor Rick Scott signed the medication synchronization bill passed during the 2017 legislative session into law on June 14, 2017 and the bill took effect on that date. The bill, SB 800, requires health insurers and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to offer medication synchronization services on all policies…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On June 9, 2017, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed HB 589 into law and it took effect. The bill expands the number of prescription drugs that must be posted to the MyFloridaRx website from 100 to 300. The website lists the usual and customary prices charged by pharmacies for…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant The number of medical marijuana dispensing centers and the Senate’s fear of “a pot shop on every corner” was the deal breaker and kept the Legislature from passing legislation implementing Constitutional Amendment No. 2. The House and Senate got close in the final hours of the 2017 regular session May…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant HB 589, legislation expanding MyFloridaRx, the state Internet site allowing consumers to compare prices for prescription drugs, is going to Governor Rick Scott, who is expected to sign it. The Senate completed legislative approval on a 38-0 vote May 5, during the last minute rush to completion of the 2017…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant Governor Rick Scott will be getting a bill increasing the Florida Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association claims limit from $300,000 to $500,000 and adding coverage for annuities in Individual Retirement Accounts. The bill went to the Governor after the House accepted the Senate amendment to HB 307, so Senate…
By: Sam Miller, FIC Consultant HB 589, legislation expanding MyFloridaRx, the state Internet site allowing consumers to compare prices for prescription drugs, should soon go to Governor Rick Scott. The Senate on May 4 substituted the House bill (HB 589) for its bill (SB 888). HB 589 comes up again on the Senate floor for…