CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.

House Bill 1121

Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1121 By the Committee on Health Care Standards & Regulatory Reform and Representative Jones 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to community health purchasing 3 alliances; amending s. 408.702, F.S.; providing 4 immunity from liability for members of the 5 board of directors of a community health 6 purchasing alliance, and its employees and 7 agents, in the performance of the board's 8 duties; correcting a cross reference; amending 9 s. 408.703, F.S.; providing that a small 10 employer member of an alliance remains eligible 11 for coverage for a specified period following 12 an expansion of business; repealing s. 408.705, 13 F.S., relating to the boards of directors of 14 community health purchasing alliances; 15 providing an effective date. 16 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 19 Section 1. Subsection (1) and paragraph (j) of 20 subsection (6) of section 408.702, Florida Statutes, are 21 amended to read: 22 408.702 Community health purchasing alliance; 23 establishment.-- 24 (1) There is hereby created a community health 25 purchasing alliance in each of the 11 health service planning 26 districts established under s. 408.032(5). Each alliance must 27 be operated as a state-chartered, nonprofit private 28 organization organized pursuant to chapter 617. There shall be 29 no liability on the part of, and no cause of action of any 30 nature shall arise against, any member of the board of 31 directors of a community health purchasing alliance, or its 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1121 601-105-97 1 employees or agents, for any action taken by the board in the 2 performance of its powers and duties under ss. 408.70-408.706. 3 (6) Each community health purchasing alliance has the 4 following powers, duties, and responsibilities: 5 (j) Ensuring that accountable health partnerships have 6 grievance procedures to be used in resolving disputes between 7 members and an accountable health partnership. A member may 8 appeal to the alliance any grievance that is not resolved by 9 the accountable health partnership. An accountable health 10 partnership that is a health maintenance organization must 11 follow the grievance procedures established in ss. 408.7056 12 and 641.31(5) and 641.311. 13 Section 2. Subsection (6) is added to section 408.703, 14 Florida Statutes, to read: 15 408.703 Small employer members of community health 16 purchasing alliances; eligibility requirements.-- 17 (6) Notwithstanding any other law, if a small employer 18 member loses eligibility to purchase health care through a 19 community health purchasing alliance solely because the 20 business of the small employer member expands to more than 50 21 eligible employees, the small employer member may, at its next 22 renewal date, purchase coverage through the alliance for an 23 additional year. 24 Section 3. Section 408.705, Florida Statutes, is 25 repealed. 26 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a 27 law. 28 29 30 31 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 1121 601-105-97 1 ***************************************** 2 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY 3 Provides that the board of directors of a community 4 health purchasing alliance, and its employees or agents, are not liable for actions taken in performing the duties 5 and functions of the board. Provides that a small employer member of an alliance may continue to purchase 6 health care through the alliance for 1 year if the business expands to more than 50 eligible employees. 7 Repeals s. 408.705, F.S., which specifies the composition of a board of directors of a community health purchasing 8 alliance and provides certain other requirements for the board. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3