Senate Bill sb1926

    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1926

    By Senator Margolis





    35-956-05                                               See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to inflammatory bowel disease;

  3         creating the Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  4         Research Act; requiring the Department of

  5         Health to conduct an inflammatory bowel disease

  6         epidemiology study; requiring the Agency for

  7         Health Care Administration to conduct a chronic

  8         disease study on the coverage standards

  9         provided by Medicaid for inflammatory bowel

10         disease therapies; requiring reports to the

11         Governor and Legislature; providing an

12         effective date.

13  

14         WHEREAS, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease,

15  and ulcerative colitis (collectively known as IBD) are chronic

16  disorders of the gastrointestinal tract which afflict

17  approximately 47,000 Floridians, and

18         WHEREAS, inflammatory bowel disease can cause abdominal

19  pain, fever, and rectal bleeding and complications may include

20  arthritis, osteoporosis, anemia, liver disease, and colon

21  cancer, and

22         WHEREAS, inflammatory bowel disease represents a major

23  cause of morbidity from digestive illness and, although it is

24  not fatal, inflammatory bowel disease is often devastating,

25  NOW, THEREFORE,

26  

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

28  

29         Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Inflammatory

30  Bowel Disease Research Act."

31         Section 2.  Studies; reports.--

                                  1

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






    Florida Senate - 2005                                  SB 1926
    35-956-05                                               See HB




 1         (1)  The Department of Health shall conduct an

 2  inflammatory bowel disease epidemiology study. The goal of the

 3  study is to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of

 4  the disease in the state, the unique demographic

 5  characteristics of the patient population, and the role that

 6  environmental and genetic factors play in the development of

 7  the disease. The department shall submit a report of its

 8  findings to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the

 9  Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1, 2006.

10         (2)  The Agency for Health Care Administration shall

11  conduct a chronic disease study on Medicaid coverage for

12  therapies required by patients with inflammatory bowel

13  disease, such as ostomy supplies, parenteral nutrition,

14  enteral nutrition, medically necessary food products, and

15  therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration for

16  Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The study will take

17  into consideration the appropriate outpatient or home health

18  care settings, identify gaps in Medicaid coverage that impact

19  the health and quality of life for inflammatory bowel disease

20  patients, and empower the inflammatory bowel disease community

21  to pursue appropriate changes in the Medicaid reimbursement

22  policy. The agency shall submit a report of its findings to

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

24  the House of Representatives by January 1, 2006.

25         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  2

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