| 1 | The Health Care General Committee recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Council/Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to inflammatory bowel disease; creating |
| 7 | the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Act; requiring the |
| 8 | Department of Health to conduct an inflammatory bowel |
| 9 | disease epidemiology study with the University of Florida |
| 10 | College of Medicine; requiring the Agency for Health Care |
| 11 | Administration to conduct a chronic disease study on the |
| 12 | coverage standards provided by Medicaid for inflammatory |
| 13 | bowel disease therapies; providing for membership in a |
| 14 | study group; requiring reports to the Governor and |
| 15 | Legislature; providing an effective date. |
| 16 |
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| 17 | WHEREAS, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, and |
| 18 | ulcerative colitis (collectively known as IBD) are chronic |
| 19 | disorders of the gastrointestinal tract which afflict |
| 20 | approximately 47,000 Floridians, and |
| 21 | WHEREAS, inflammatory bowel disease can cause abdominal |
| 22 | pain, fever, and rectal bleeding and complications may include |
| 23 | arthritis, osteoporosis, anemia, liver disease, and colon |
| 24 | cancer, and |
| 25 | WHEREAS, inflammatory bowel disease represents a major |
| 26 | cause of morbidity from digestive illness and, although it is |
| 27 | not fatal, inflammatory bowel disease is often devastating, NOW, |
| 28 | THEREFORE, |
| 29 |
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| 30 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 31 |
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| 32 | Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Inflammatory |
| 33 | Bowel Disease Research Act." |
| 34 | Section 2. Studies; reports.-- |
| 35 | (1) The Department of Health, in conjunction with the |
| 36 | University of Florida College of Medicine, shall conduct an |
| 37 | inflammatory bowel disease epidemiology study. The goal of the |
| 38 | study is to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of the |
| 39 | disease in the state, the unique demographic characteristics of |
| 40 | the patient population, and the role that environmental factors |
| 41 | and family history play in the development of the disease. The |
| 42 | Department of Health is authorized to convene a study group for |
| 43 | the purpose of conducting an epidemiological study of |
| 44 | inflammatory bowel disease in order to collect demographic |
| 45 | information on the characteristics of the patient population |
| 46 | affected by this disease. The study group shall consist of a |
| 47 | representative of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, |
| 48 | a representative from one or more of the major universities |
| 49 | researching this disease, a representative from the Agency for |
| 50 | Health Care Administration, a representative from the Department |
| 51 | of Health, including department epidemiologists, a |
| 52 | representative from medical providers, one member of the House |
| 53 | of Representatives, one member of the Senate, and any other |
| 54 | individual the department considers appropriate to participate |
| 55 | in the study group. The department shall submit a report of its |
| 56 | findings to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the |
| 57 | Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1, 2006. |
| 58 | (2) The Agency for Health Care Administration shall |
| 59 | conduct a chronic disease study on Medicaid coverage for |
| 60 | therapies required by patients with inflammatory bowel disease, |
| 61 | such as ostomy supplies, parenteral nutrition, enteral |
| 62 | nutrition, medically necessary food products, and therapies |
| 63 | approved by the Food and Drug Administration for Crohn's disease |
| 64 | and ulcerative colitis. The study will take into consideration |
| 65 | the appropriate outpatient or home health care settings, |
| 66 | identify gaps in Medicaid coverage that impact the health and |
| 67 | quality of life for inflammatory bowel disease patients, and |
| 68 | empower the inflammatory bowel disease community to pursue |
| 69 | appropriate changes in the Medicaid reimbursement policy. The |
| 70 | agency shall submit a report of its findings to the Governor, |
| 71 | the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
| 72 | Representatives by February 1, 2006. |
| 73 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |