Florida Senate - 2015 SB 482
By Senator Braynon
36-00219-15 2015482__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to community health worker
3 certification; creating s. 381.989, F.S.; defining
4 terms; requiring the Department of Health to approve
5 qualified third-party credentialing entities to
6 administer voluntary community health worker
7 certification programs; establishing criteria for the
8 approval of a third-party credentialing entity;
9 requiring a third-party credentialing entity to issue
10 a certification to certain qualified individuals who
11 meet the grandfathering standards established by the
12 entity; establishing a maximum fee for such
13 certification; providing an effective date.
14
15 WHEREAS, Florida continues to experience a critical
16 shortage of health care providers in primary care, oral health,
17 and behavioral health, particularly in rural and inner-city
18 areas, and
19 WHEREAS, there is substantial evidence that the
20 comprehensive coordination of care for individuals who have
21 chronic diseases and the provision of information regarding
22 preventive care can improve individual health, create a
23 healthier population, reduce health care costs, and increase
24 appropriate access to health care, and
25 WHEREAS, community health workers have demonstrated success
26 in increasing access to health care in medically underserved
27 communities, providing culturally appropriate education
28 regarding disease prevention and management, providing
29 translation and interpretation services for non-English
30 speakers, improving health outcomes through the coordination of
31 care, increasing individual health care literacy and advocacy,
32 and improving the health care of medically underserved
33 communities, while reducing the overall costs to the state’s
34 health care system, and
35 WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that the services
36 provided by community health workers are an essential component
37 of the health care delivery system in this state, and
38 WHEREAS, the Florida Community Health Worker Coalition has
39 begun to develop a voluntary process that will ensure that only
40 qualified individuals are designated as certified community
41 health workers by a department-approved third-party
42 credentialing entity, which will allow community health workers
43 to earn a living wage and be part of an integrated health
44 delivery team, NOW, THEREFORE,
45
46 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
47
48 Section 1. Section 381.989, Florida Statutes, is created to
49 read:
50 381.989 Community health worker.—
51 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
52 (a) “Community health worker” means a frontline health care
53 worker who is a trusted member of, or who has an unusually deep
54 understanding of, the community that he or she serves and who
55 meets all of following criteria:
56 1. Serves as a liaison, link, or intermediary between
57 health care services or social services or service providers and
58 members of the community in order to facilitate access to health
59 care services and to improve the quality of such services and
60 the cultural competency of health care providers.
61 2. Provides information regarding available resources and
62 social support and serves as a health care advocate for
63 individuals in a community setting.
64 3. Builds individual and community capacity to prevent
65 disease and promote health by increasing knowledge regarding
66 wellness programs, disease prevention, and self-sufficiency
67 among the members of the community through a range of
68 activities, such as community outreach, education, and advocacy.
69 4. Collects data to help identify the health care needs in
70 a medically underserved community by:
71 a. Assisting members of the community in improving their
72 ability to effectively communicate with health care providers.
73 b. Providing culturally and linguistically appropriate
74 health and nutrition education.
75 c. Advocating for improved individual and community health,
76 including oral health, behavioral health, and nutrition.
77 d. Providing referral services, followup services, and
78 coordination of care.
79 (b) “Certification” means the voluntary process by which a
80 department-approved third-party credentialing entity grants a
81 credential to an eligible individual to practice as a certified
82 community health worker.
83 (c) “Certified community health worker” means a community
84 health worker to whom the department-approved third-party
85 credentialing entity has issued a credential that demonstrates
86 that individual’s mastery of community health worker core
87 competencies.
88 (d) “Core competencies” means the minimum set of knowledge,
89 skill, and abilities necessary for a community health worker to
90 carry out his or her work responsibilities.
91 (e) “Department” means the Department of Health.
92 (f) “Grandfathering” means a time-limited process by which
93 a department-approved third-party credentialing entity grants
94 community health worker certification to a qualified individual
95 who was providing community health worker services before the
96 establishment of the community health worker certification
97 program as provided in this section.
98 (g) “Medically underserved community” means a community in
99 a geographic area that has a shortage of health care providers
100 and a population that includes individuals who do not have
101 public or private health insurance, are unable to pay for health
102 care, and have incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal
103 poverty level.
104 (h) “Recertification” means the biennial renewal of a
105 community health worker certification.
106 (2) THIRD-PARTY CREDENTIALING ENTITIES.—The department
107 shall approve one or more third-party credentialing entities to
108 develop and administer voluntary community health worker
109 certification programs for individuals who provide community
110 health worker services. A third-party credentialing entity shall
111 request such approval from the department in writing. In order
112 to obtain department approval, the third-party credentialing
113 entity must demonstrate its ability to:
114 (a) Establish professional requirements and standards that
115 an applicant must achieve in order to obtain a community health
116 worker certification, including forms and procedures for the
117 receipt, review, and action upon applications for initial
118 community health worker certification and for recertification,
119 or to qualify for grandfathering, as that term is defined in
120 this section.
121 (b) Develop and apply core competencies and examination
122 instruments according to nationally recognized certification and
123 psychometric standards.
124 (c) Maintain a professional code of ethics and disciplinary
125 procedures that apply to certified community health workers.
126 (d) Maintain a publicly accessible database of all
127 individuals holding a community health worker certification,
128 which must include any ethical violations committed by the
129 individual.
130 (e) Require continuing education for recertification or
131 reinstatement of a community health care worker certification.
132 (f) Administer a continuing education provider program to
133 ensure that only qualified providers offer continuing education
134 to a certified community health worker.
135 (g) Maintain a community health worker advisory committee
136 of at least 8 and no more than 15 members consisting of at least
137 two representatives of the department, five representatives of
138 the Florida Community Health Worker Coalition, and up to two
139 representatives of other key stakeholder organizations
140 identified by the department. Such members shall be appointed by
141 the organization they represent. The department-approved third
142 party credentialing entity may appoint additional members to the
143 advisory committee.
144 (3) GRANDFATHERING.—Department-approved third-party
145 credentialing entities shall, for a period of at least 15 months
146 after implementation of the community health worker
147 certification program, award a community health worker
148 certification to an individual who meets the entity’s
149 grandfathering standards. The cost of certification for a
150 grandfathered community health worker may not exceed $50.
151 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.