Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 140
       
       
        
       By Senator Berman
       
       
       
       
       
       26-00188-24                                            2024140__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to Medicaid eligibility for young
    3         adults; providing legislative findings; requiring the
    4         Agency for Health Care Administration, in consultation
    5         with the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use
    6         Disorder, to conduct a study for a specified purpose;
    7         providing requirements for the study; providing the
    8         duties of the agency upon completion of the study;
    9         requiring the agency to submit a report of its
   10         findings and recommendations to the Governor and the
   11         Legislature by a specified date; providing an
   12         effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. (1) The Legislature recognizes that there exists
   17  a health insurance coverage gap affecting certain young adults
   18  18 to 26 years of age who are unable to receive coverage for
   19  behavioral health services and primary and preventative care
   20  through a parent and are also unable to personally obtain health
   21  insurance through an employer or through Medicaid due to the
   22  program’s income eligibility criteria. The Legislature also
   23  finds that young adults would benefit from increased access to
   24  behavioral health services as well as primary and preventative
   25  care, promoting better long-term physical and mental health
   26  outcomes.
   27         (2) The Agency for Health Care Administration, in
   28  consultation with the Commission on Mental Health and Substance
   29  Use Disorder created under s. 394.9086, Florida Statutes, shall
   30  conduct a study to assess the potential impacts of adjusting the
   31  Medicaid income eligibility criteria to extend coverage to young
   32  adults 18 to 26 years of age who are affected by the health
   33  insurance coverage gap because they are unable to receive
   34  coverage through a parent and are also unable to personally
   35  obtain health insurance coverage through an employer or through
   36  Medicaid due to the program’s income eligibility criteria. In
   37  its study, the agency, at a minimum, shall do all of the
   38  following:
   39         (a) Identify the estimated average number of young adults
   40  who are affected by the health insurance coverage gap each year.
   41  The agency shall use any relevant data available from the
   42  preceding 5 years and shall conduct additional assessment
   43  surveys, as needed, in developing the estimate.
   44         (b) Estimate the additional costs to the Medicaid program
   45  as a result of extending coverage for behavioral health services
   46  and primary and preventative care to such young adults,
   47  identifying any factors that may offset such costs.
   48         (c) To the extent possible, determine the behavioral health
   49  needs of such young adults which go unaddressed as a result of
   50  not having health insurance coverage.
   51         (d) To the extent possible, identify any correlation
   52  between unaddressed behavioral and physical health needs of
   53  young adults affected by the health insurance coverage gap and
   54  their use of urgent care and emergency room services when
   55  compared to peers who have health insurance coverage.
   56         (3) Based on the findings in the study, the agency shall:
   57         (a) Identify the extent of the behavioral and physical
   58  health needs of young adults 18 to 26 years of age in this state
   59  who are affected by the health insurance coverage gap.
   60         (b) Identify evidence-based interventions that will address
   61  the specific needs of such young adults and increase access to
   62  behavioral health care and primary and preventative care,
   63  including, but not limited to, any pilot programs that may be
   64  implemented in this state.
   65         (c) Develop a strategic, data-driven approach to addressing
   66  behavioral health care access and costs for targeted at-risk
   67  populations that will benefit from early intervention.
   68         (d) Make recommendations as to whether the Medicaid program
   69  can sustain an expansion of income eligibility criteria for such
   70  young adults and, if so, the changes that should be made to the
   71  income eligibility criteria.
   72         (e) Identify any legislative barriers to implementing the
   73  agency’s recommendations.
   74         (4) The agency shall submit a report of its findings and
   75  recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
   76  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1,
   77  2025.
   78         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.