Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On February 21, 2017, the Senate Health Policy Committee unanimously approved the direct primary care bill, SB 240 with three amendments. None of the amendments related to insurance. The bill has two committees left. The bill specifies that a direct primary care agreement is not insurance and is not…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel SB 102 prohibits a health insurer or HMO from retroactively denying a claim if the insurer or HMO verified the insured’s eligibility at the time of treatment and provided an authorization number. The bill was unanimously approved by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on February 21, 2017 without…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On February 21, 2017, SB 262, a bill heavily supported by doctors and the trial bar, that expands the vicarious liability of HMOs and commercial health plans passed the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee with a vote of 6-3. Interestingly, two of the three “no” votes were cast by…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Bills for the 2017 Session are being filed every day. Following is a summary of bills filed as of February 17, 2017 that FIC is following related to health insurance or healthcare. The summaries are divided into categories. The summary was prepared by FIC General Counsel Katrina Callaway…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill creating recovery care centers, HB 145, passed its first committee on February 15, 2017 without amendment. The bill has two committees left. The bill creates recovery care centers for postsurgical and post diagnostic care for admission up to 72 hours and provides protocols for recovery care centers.…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On February 15, 2017, the House Health Quality Subcommittee unanimously passed the direct primary care bill, HB 161, with one amendment. The House bill has two committees left. The bill specifies that a direct primary care agreement is not insurance and is not subject to the Florida Insurance Code. …
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On February 15, 2017, the House Health Quality Subcommittee chaired by Dr. Pigman, an emergency room physician, adopted wide ranging telehealth regulations as part of their committee bill on health care access. The vote on the bill was 10-3. The three no votes were cast by Reps. Jones, Mercado…
By: Greenberg Traurig On February 8, 2017, the House Health Innovation Subcommittee meeting focused on direct primary care and the prescription drug pricing website run by AHCA. Please note there is a bill already filed this Session, HB 589, to increase the number of drugs listed on the website from 100 to 300 and to…
The House Health Quality Subcommittee met on February 8, 2017 to discuss telehealth and healthcare workforce. Following are notes from the meeting provided by Greenberg Traurig. The committee packet referred to in the notes can be found here.) Telehealth Presentations Prepared by: Greenberg Traurig Paula Guy, President and CEO, Salus Telehealth Ms. Guy conducted an…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate Banking & Insurance Committee passed the frozen formulary/continuity of prescription care bill, SB 182, on February 7, 2017. When explaining the bill, Sen. Mayfield, the bill sponsor, characterized the bill as a “consumer protection and patient protection bill.” She told the committee the bill “requires health plans…