The Florida Senate

409.9126  Children with special health care needs.--

(1)  Except as provided in subsection (4), children eligible for Children's Medical Services who receive Medicaid benefits, and other Medicaid-eligible children with special health care needs, shall be exempt from the provisions of s. 409.9122 and shall be served through the Children's Medical Services network established in chapter 391.

(2)  The Legislature directs the agency to apply to the federal Health Care Financing Administration for a waiver to assign to the Children's Medical Services network all Medicaid-eligible children who meet the criteria for participation in the Children's Medical Services program and other Medicaid-eligible children with special health care needs.

(3)  Services provided through the Children's Medical Services network shall be reimbursed on a fee-for-service basis and shall utilize a primary care case management process. Beginning July 1, 1999, the Florida Medicaid program shall phase in by geographical area, capitation payments to Children's Medical Services for services provided to Medicaid children with special health care needs. By January 1, 2001, the Agency for Health Care Administration shall make capitation payments for Children's Medical Services enrollees statewide, to the extent provided by federal law.

(4)  The agency may approve requests to provide services to Medicaid-eligible children with special health care needs from managed care plans that meet access, quality-of-care, network, and service integration standards and are in good standing with the agency. The agency shall monitor on a quarterly basis managed care plans which have been approved to provide services to Medicaid-eligible children with special health care needs. The agency may determine the number of enrollment slots approved for a managed care plan based on the managed care plan's network capacity to serve children with special health care needs.

(5)  The agency, in consultation with the Department of Health, shall adopt rules that address Medicaid requirements for referral, enrollment, and disenrollment of children with special health care needs who are enrolled in Medicaid managed care plans and who may benefit from the Children's Medical Services network.

History.--s. 11, ch. 96-199; s. 5, ch. 97-168; s. 53, ch. 98-288; s. 151, ch. 98-403; s. 35, ch. 99-397.