TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Senate is poised to pass a sweeping health care plan that includes increasing the number of doctors in the state, keeping patients out of emergency rooms and boosting innovation efforts.
The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee unanimously passed the two bills that make up the plan on Thursday, setting the stage for a vote in the full Senate as early as next week. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) has made this issue one of her top priorities.
Passidomo and other advocates say part of the plan would work together to increase access to health care in the state. As an example, one bill (SB 7016) would take steps to keep more new doctors in Florida, including funding to expand residency programs.
“If we don't take steps now to increase the number of health care workers, every Floridian, even those with generous insurance and, of course, those on Medicaid,” Passidomo said Tuesday in his annual legislative opening remarks. “Even those who are currently living in the hospital will continue to face medical barriers in the future.” . “My goal is to ensure our health care system grows and innovates to better serve all Floridians.”
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The bill, sponsored by Senate Health Policy Chair Colleen Barton (R-Lakeland), would also take workforce-related measures, including opening the door for doctors from other countries to practice in Florida.
The bill, which totaled 234 pages before some changes were made Thursday, deals with a myriad of issues and would cost about $800 million in state and federal funding, Barton said.
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Among other things, the bill would encourage patients to seek treatment at facilities such as urgent care centers or federally qualified health centers instead of emergency rooms in the absence of an emergency.
The changes approved Thursday would require hospitals, as part of their accreditation, to ensure that patients have access to appropriate medical facilities if they “present to the emergency department for non-emergency medical needs or… It is necessary to submit a plan to support the project. There is a lack of regular access to primary care. ”
Burton described emergency rooms as “the most expensive piece of real estate” to receive care.
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The plan garnered support from groups ranging from the Florida Safety Net Hospital Alliance and the Florida Dental Association to the Arc of Florida, which serves people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. It received unanimous support from Democrats on the Republican-controlled committee.
But Democrats questioned issues such as the part of Burton's bill that would allow “skilled birth centers” to offer C-section births to women with considered low-risk pregnancies. Birth centers already exist, but they are not allowed to offer C-sections, a surgical procedure performed in a hospital.
Barton said the bill includes safety requirements for proposed advanced birth centers, such as requiring transfer agreements with hospitals in case patients require emergency care. He also said it must operate 24 hours a day and employ an obstetrician and anesthetist as medical directors.
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The other bill (SB 7018), introduced by Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairwoman Gail Harrell (R-Stuart), would create a $75 million revolving loan fund to provide low-interest loans for medical innovation efforts. This is the content provided. The bill would create a 15-member council to review loan applications and make recommendations to the Department of Health.
The House Health Care Regulatory Subcommittee on Thursday approved a similar health innovation measure (HB 1501), sponsored by Rep. Karen Gonzalez Pittman (R-Tampa).
House Speaker Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) expressed support for Passidomo's plan, which she dubbed “Live Well.” The House Select Committee on Medical Innovation is scheduled to consider a 315-page bill (HB 1549) similar to Burton's bill on Friday. The bill is sponsored by House Majority Leader Michael Grant, R-Port Charlotte.
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