| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to inflammatory bowel disease; creating |
| 3 | the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Act; requiring the |
| 4 | Department of Health to conduct an inflammatory bowel |
| 5 | disease epidemiology study; requiring the Agency for |
| 6 | Health Care Administration to conduct a chronic disease |
| 7 | study on the coverage standards provided by Medicaid for |
| 8 | inflammatory bowel disease therapies; requiring reports to |
| 9 | the Governor and Legislature; providing an effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | WHEREAS, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, and |
| 12 | ulcerative colitis (collectively known as IBD) are chronic |
| 13 | disorders of the gastrointestinal tract which afflict |
| 14 | approximately 47,000 Floridians, and |
| 15 | WHEREAS, inflammatory bowel disease can cause abdominal |
| 16 | pain, fever, and rectal bleeding and complications may include |
| 17 | arthritis, osteoporosis, anemia, liver disease, and colon |
| 18 | cancer, and |
| 19 | WHEREAS, inflammatory bowel disease represents a major |
| 20 | cause of morbidity from digestive illness and, although it is |
| 21 | not fatal, inflammatory bowel disease is often devastating, NOW, |
| 22 | THEREFORE, |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 25 |
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| 26 | Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Inflammatory |
| 27 | Bowel Disease Research Act." |
| 28 | Section 2. Studies; reports.-- |
| 29 | (1) The Department of Health shall conduct an inflammatory |
| 30 | bowel disease epidemiology study. The goal of the study is to |
| 31 | gain a better understanding of the prevalence of the disease in |
| 32 | the state, the unique demographic characteristics of the patient |
| 33 | population, and the role that environmental and genetic factors |
| 34 | play in the development of the disease. The department shall |
| 35 | submit a report of its findings to the Governor, the President |
| 36 | of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives |
| 37 | by January 1, 2006. |
| 38 | (2) The Agency for Health Care Administration shall |
| 39 | conduct a chronic disease study on Medicaid coverage for |
| 40 | therapies required by patients with inflammatory bowel disease, |
| 41 | such as ostomy supplies, parenteral nutrition, enteral |
| 42 | nutrition, medically necessary food products, and therapies |
| 43 | approved by the Food and Drug Administration for Crohn's disease |
| 44 | and ulcerative colitis. The study will take into consideration |
| 45 | the appropriate outpatient or home health care settings, |
| 46 | identify gaps in Medicaid coverage that impact the health and |
| 47 | quality of life for inflammatory bowel disease patients, and |
| 48 | empower the inflammatory bowel disease community to pursue |
| 49 | appropriate changes in the Medicaid reimbursement policy. The |
| 50 | agency shall submit a report of its findings to the Governor, |
| 51 | the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
| 52 | Representatives by January 1, 2006. |
| 53 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |