Senate Bill sb2058
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2002 SB 2058
By Senator Silver
38-1287-02 See HB 615
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to federally qualified health
3 centers; creating the "Federally Qualified
4 Health Center Access Program Act"; providing
5 legislative findings and intent; providing for
6 expansion of federally qualified health centers
7 to provide comprehensive primary and preventive
8 health care services; providing for financial
9 assistance to centers that meet specified
10 criteria; specifying that funds must be used
11 for certain operating costs or capital
12 improvement projects; providing for appointment
13 of a panel to review applications for financial
14 assistance; providing responsibilities of the
15 Department of Health and the Florida
16 Association of Community Health Centers, Inc.;
17 providing for administration of the program and
18 technical assistance to centers selected to
19 receive financial assistance; providing an
20 effective date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. Federally Qualified health center access
25 program.--
26 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the
27 "Federally Qualified Health Center Access Program Act."
28 (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.--
29 (a) The Legislature finds that, despite significant
30 investments in health care programs, more than 2 million
31 low-income Floridians, primarily the working poor and minority
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 2058
38-1287-02 See HB 615
1 populations, continue to lack access to basic health care
2 services. Further, the Legislature recognizes that federally
3 qualified health centers have a proven record of providing
4 cost-effective, comprehensive primary and preventive health
5 care and are uniquely qualified to address the lack of
6 adequate health care services for the uninsured.
7 (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize
8 the significance of increased federal investments in federally
9 qualified health centers and to leverage that investment
10 through the creation of a program to provide for the expansion
11 of the primary and preventive health care services offered by
12 federally qualified health centers. Further, such a program
13 will support the coordination of federal, state, and local
14 resources to assist such health centers in developing an
15 expanded community-based primary care delivery system.
16 (3) ASSISTANCE TO FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH
17 CENTERS.--The Department of Health shall develop a program for
18 the expansion of federally qualified health centers for the
19 purpose of providing comprehensive primary and preventive
20 health care services, including services that may reduce the
21 morbidity, mortality, and cost of care among the uninsured
22 population of the state. The program shall provide for
23 distribution of financial assistance to federally qualified
24 health centers that apply and demonstrate a need for such
25 assistance in order to sustain or expand the delivery of
26 primary and preventive health care services. In selecting
27 centers to receive this financial assistance, the program:
28 (a) Shall give preference to communities that have few
29 or no community-based primary care services or in which the
30 current services are unable to meet the community's needs.
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 2058
38-1287-02 See HB 615
1 (b) Shall require that primary care services be
2 provided to the medically indigent using a sliding fee
3 schedule based on income.
4 (c) Shall allow innovative and creative uses of
5 federal, state, and local health care resources.
6 (d) Shall require that the funds provided be used to
7 pay for operating costs of a projected expansion in patient
8 caseloads or services or for capital improvement projects.
9 Capital improvement projects may include renovations to
10 existing facilities or construction of new facilities,
11 provided that an expansion in patient caseloads or services to
12 a new patient population will occur as a result of the capital
13 expenditures.
14 (e) May require in-kind support from other sources.
15 (f) May encourage coordination among federally
16 qualified health centers, other private-sector providers, and
17 publicly supported programs.
18 (4) EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS.--A review panel shall
19 be established, consisting of four persons appointed by the
20 Secretary of Health and three persons appointed by the chief
21 executive officer of the Florida Association of Community
22 Health Centers, Inc., to review all applications for financial
23 assistance under the program. Applicants shall specify in the
24 application whether the program funds will be used for the
25 expansion of patient caseloads or services or for capital
26 improvement projects to expand and improve patient facilities.
27 The panel shall use the following elements in reviewing
28 application proposals and shall determine the relative weight
29 for scoring and evaluating these elements:
30 (a) The target population to be served.
31 (b) The health benefits to be provided.
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Florida Senate - 2002 SB 2058
38-1287-02 See HB 615
1 (c) The methods that will be used to measure
2 cost-effectiveness.
3 (d) How patient satisfaction will be measured.
4 (e) The proposed internal quality assurance process.
5 (f) Projected health status outcomes.
6 (g) How data will be collected to measure
7 cost-effectiveness, health status outcomes, and overall
8 achievement of the goals of the proposal.
9 (h) All resources, including cash, in-kind, voluntary,
10 or other resources that will be dedicated to the proposal.
11 (5) ADMINISTRATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.--The
12 Department of Health may contract with the Florida Association
13 of Community Health Centers, Inc., to administer the program
14 and provide technical assistance to the federally qualified
15 health centers selected to receive financial assistance.
16 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.
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18 *****************************************
19 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
20
Creates the "Federally Qualified Health Center Access
21 Program Act." Provides legislative findings and intent.
Provides for establishment of a program under the
22 Department of Health to provide financial assistance to
federally qualified health centers to expand their
23 ability to provide comprehensive primary and preventive
health care services to low-income persons. Specifies
24 criteria that such centers must meet to receive such
financial assistance and specifies that funds received
25 must be used for certain operating costs or capital
improvement projects. Provides for establishment of a
26 panel, appointed by the Secretary of Health and the chief
executive officer of the Florida Association of Community
27 Health Centers, Inc., to review the applications for
financial assistance. Authorizes the department to
28 contract with the association to administer the program
and provide technical assistance to centers selected to
29 receive financial assistance.
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