House Bill hb0615er

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    ENROLLED

    2002 Legislature                      HB 615, Second Engrossed



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  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 contract

13         requirements; providing for appointment of a

14         panel to review applications for financial

15         assistance; providing responsibilities of the

16         Department of Health and the Florida

17         Association of Community Health Centers, Inc.;

18         providing for administration of the program and

19         technical assistance to centers selected to

20         receive financial assistance; providing an

21         effective date.

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

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25         Section 1.  Federally qualified health center access

26  program.--

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

28  "Community Health Center Access Program Act."

29         (2)  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.--

30         (a)  The Legislature finds that, despite significant

31  investments in health care programs, more than 2 million


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    ENROLLED

    2002 Legislature                      HB 615, Second Engrossed



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

  2  populations, continue to lack access to basic health care

  3  services. Further, the Legislature recognizes that federally

  4  qualified health centers have a proven record of providing

  5  cost-effective, comprehensive primary and preventive health

  6  care and are uniquely qualified to address the lack of

  7  adequate health care services for the uninsured.

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

  9  the significance of increased federal investments in federally

10  qualified health centers and to leverage that investment

11  through the creation of a program to provide for the expansion

12  of the primary and preventive health care services offered by

13  federally qualified health centers. Further, such a program

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

15  resources to assist such health centers in developing an

16  expanded community-based primary care delivery system.

17         (3)  ASSISTANCE TO FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH

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

19  the expansion of federally qualified health centers for the

20  purpose of providing comprehensive primary and preventive

21  health care services, including services that may reduce the

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

23  population of the state. The program shall provide for

24  distribution of financial assistance to federally qualified

25  health centers that apply and demonstrate a need for such

26  assistance in order to sustain or expand the delivery of

27  primary and preventive health care services. In selecting

28  centers to receive this financial assistance, the program:

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

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

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


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    ENROLLED

    2002 Legislature                      HB 615, Second Engrossed



  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. The department shall include in its standard

14  contract document a requirement that any state funds provided

15  for the purchase of or improvements to real property are

16  contingent upon the contractor granting to the state a

17  security interest in the property at least to the amount of

18  the state funds provided for at least 5 years from the date of

19  purchase or the completion of the improvements or as further

20  required by law. The contract must include a provision that,

21  as a condition of receipt of state funding for this purpose,

22  the contractor agrees that, if it disposes of the property

23  before the department's interest is vacated, the contractor

24  will refund the proportionate share of the state's initial

25  investment, as adjusted by depreciation.

26         (e)  May require in-kind support from other sources.

27         (f)  May encourage coordination among federally

28  qualified health centers, other private-sector providers, and

29  publicly supported programs.

30         (4)  EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS.--A review panel shall

31  be established, consisting of four persons appointed by the


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    ENROLLED

    2002 Legislature                      HB 615, Second Engrossed



  1  Secretary of Health and three persons appointed by the chief

  2  executive officer of the Florida Association of Community

  3  Health Centers, Inc., to review all applications for financial

  4  assistance under the program. Applicants shall specify in the

  5  application whether the program funds will be used for the

  6  expansion of patient caseloads or services or for capital

  7  improvement projects to expand and improve patient facilities.

  8  The panel shall use the following elements in reviewing

  9  application proposals and shall determine the relative weight

10  for scoring and evaluating these elements:

11         (a)  The target population to be served.

12         (b)  The health benefits to be provided.

13         (c)  The methods that will be used to measure

14  cost-effectiveness.

15         (d)  How patient satisfaction will be measured.

16         (e)  The proposed internal quality assurance process.

17         (f)  Projected health status outcomes.

18         (g)  How data will be collected to measure

19  cost-effectiveness, health status outcomes, and overall

20  achievement of the goals of the proposal.

21         (h)  All resources, including cash, in-kind, voluntary,

22  or other resources that will be dedicated to the proposal.

23         (5)  ADMINISTRATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.--The

24  Department of Health may contract with the Florida Association

25  of Community Health Centers, Inc., to administer the program

26  and provide technical assistance to the federally qualified

27  health centers selected to receive financial assistance.

28         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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