House Bill 0965c1

    Florida House of Representatives - 1999              CS/HB 965

        By the Committee on Health Care Licensing & Regulation and
    Representative Boyd





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to medical practice; providing

  3         legislative intent; creating the Task Force on

  4         Telehealth; providing for appointment of

  5         members; providing for administrative support

  6         by the Department of Health; providing duties;

  7         requiring a report; providing for termination;

  8         providing an effective date.

  9

10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

11

12         Section 1.  Task Force on Telehealth.--

13         (1)  Because telecommunications technology has made it

14  possible to provide a wide range of health care services

15  across state lines between health care practitioners and

16  patients, it is the intent of the Legislature to protect the

17  health and safety of all patients in this state receiving

18  services by means of such technology and to ensure the

19  accountability of the health care professions with respect to

20  unsafe and incompetent practitioners using such technology to

21  provide health care services to patients in this state.

22         (2)  The Secretary of Health shall appoint a task force

23  consisting of representatives from the affected medical and

24  allied health professions and other affected health care

25  industries, and the Department of Health shall provide

26  administrative support to the task force.

27         (3)  The task force shall address the following:

28         (a)  Identification of various electronic

29  communications or telecommunications technologies currently

30  used within the state and by other states to provide health

31  care information.

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999              CS/HB 965

    601-157-99






  1         (b)  Identification of laws, regulations, and

  2  reimbursement practices that serve as barriers to

  3  implementation of electronic communications related to health

  4  care.

  5         (c)  Recommendation of the appropriate level of

  6  regulation of health care professionals necessary to protect

  7  the health and safety of patients in this state, including

  8  analysis of existing provisions governing in-state

  9  professionals such as licensing, financial responsibility, and

10  medical malpractice insurance requirements.

11         (d)  Potential preemption of state regulation by the

12  Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution.

13         (e)  The effect of telehealth on access to health care

14  in rural and underserved areas.

15         (f)  Potential antitrust concerns.

16         (g)  The effect of regulations by other states or

17  jurisdictions on health care professionals in this state who

18  provide consultative services through telehealth to entities

19  and patients outside this state.

20         (h)  Research on other public and private data and

21  initiatives related to telehealth.

22         (i)  Any other issue affecting the health, safety, and

23  welfare of patients through telehealth identified by the task

24  force.

25         (4)  The task force shall submit a report of its

26  findings and recommendations by January 1, 2000, to the

27  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the

28  House of Representatives and shall be terminated upon

29  submission of the report.

30         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

31  law.

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