House Bill hb0615

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




    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 615

        By Representative Bilirakis






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to community health centers;

  3         creating the "Community Health Center Access

  4         Program Act"; providing legislative findings

  5         and intent; providing for expansion of

  6         federally qualified health centers to provide

  7         comprehensive primary and preventive health

  8         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.  Community health center access program.--

25         (1)  SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the

26  "Community Health Center Access Program Act."

27         (2)  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.--

28         (a)  The Legislature finds that, despite significant

29  investments in health care programs, more than 2 million

30  low-income Floridians, primarily the working poor and minority

31  populations, continue to lack access to basic health care

                                  1

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 615

    715-159-02






  1  services. Further, the Legislature recognizes that federally

  2  qualified health centers have a proven record of providing

  3  cost-effective, comprehensive primary and preventive health

  4  care and are uniquely qualified to address the lack of

  5  adequate health care services for the uninsured.

  6         (b)  It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize

  7  the significance of increased federal investments in community

  8  health centers and to leverage that investment through the

  9  creation of a program to provide for the expansion of the

10  primary and preventive health care services offered by

11  federally qualified health centers. Further, such a program

12  will support the coordination of federal, state, and local

13  resources to assist such health centers in developing an

14  expanded community-based primary care delivery system.

15         (3)  ASSISTANCE TO FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH

16  CENTERS.--The Department of Health shall develop a program for

17  the expansion of federally qualified health centers for the

18  purpose of providing comprehensive primary and preventive

19  health care services, including services that may reduce the

20  morbidity, mortality, and cost of care among the uninsured

21  population of the state. The program shall provide for

22  distribution of financial assistance to federally qualified

23  health centers that apply and demonstrate a need for such

24  assistance in order to sustain or expand the delivery of

25  primary and preventive health care services. In selecting

26  centers to receive this financial assistance, the program:

27         (a)  Shall give preference to communities that have few

28  or no community-based primary care services or in which the

29  current services are unable to meet the community's needs.

30

31

                                  2

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 615

    715-159-02






  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.

                                  3

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 615

    715-159-02






  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.

17

18            *****************************************

19                          HOUSE SUMMARY

20
      Creates the "Community Health Center Access Program Act."
21    Provides legislative findings and intent. Provides for
      establishment of a program under the Department of Health
22    to provide financial assistance to federally qualified
      health centers to expand their ability to provide
23    comprehensive primary and preventive health care services
      to low-income persons. Specifies criteria that such
24    centers must meet to receive such financial assistance
      and specifies that funds received must be used for
25    certain operating costs or capital improvement projects.
      Provides for establishment of a panel, appointed by the
26    Secretary of Health and the chief executive officer of
      the Florida Association of Community Health Centers,
27    Inc., to review the applications for financial
      assistance. Authorizes the department to contract with
28    the association to administer the program and provide
      technical assistance to centers selected to receive
29    financial assistance.

30

31

                                  4

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