Florida Senate - 2025 CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2514
Ì225196?Î225196
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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Floor: AD/CR . Floor: AD
06/16/2025 09:54 PM . 06/16/2025 10:20 PM
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The Conference Committee on SB 2514 recommended the following:
1 Senate Conference Committee Amendment (with title
2 amendment)
3
4 Delete everything after the enacting clause
5 and insert:
6 Section 1. Present subsections (5) through (10) of section
7 381.4019, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (6)
8 through (11), respectively, and a new subsection (5) is added to
9 that section, to read:
10 381.4019 Dental Student Loan Repayment Program.—The Dental
11 Student Loan Repayment Program is established to support the
12 state Medicaid program and promote access to dental care by
13 supporting qualified dentists and dental hygienists who treat
14 medically underserved populations in dental health professional
15 shortage areas or medically underserved areas.
16 (5) A dental student or dental hygiene student who
17 demonstrates an offer of employment in a public health program
18 or private practice as specified in paragraph (2)(a) may apply
19 for the loan program before obtaining active employment but may
20 not be awarded funds from the loan program until he or she meets
21 the requirements of subsection (2).
22 Section 2. Present paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of
23 subsection (3) and present subsections (12) and (13) of section
24 381.915, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as paragraphs (d),
25 (e), and (f) of subsection (3) and subsections (13) and (14),
26 respectively, a new paragraph (c) is added to subsection (3),
27 paragraph (d) is added to subsection (10), a new subsection (12)
28 is added to that section, and paragraph (b) and present
29 paragraph (c) of subsection (3), paragraphs (a), (b), (e), (f),
30 and (h) of subsection (8), and subsections (9) and (11) of that
31 section are amended, to read:
32 381.915 Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program.—
33 (3) On or before September 15 of each year, the department
34 shall calculate an allocation fraction to be used for
35 distributing funds to participating cancer centers. On or before
36 the final business day of each quarter of the state fiscal year,
37 the department shall distribute to each participating cancer
38 center one-fourth of that cancer center’s annual allocation
39 calculated under subsection (6). The allocation fraction for
40 each participating cancer center is based on the cancer center’s
41 tier-designated weight under subsection (4) multiplied by each
42 of the following allocation factors based on activities in this
43 state: number of reportable cases, peer-review costs, and
44 biomedical education and training. As used in this section, the
45 term:
46 (b) “Cancer center” means a comprehensive center with at
47 least one geographic site in the state, a freestanding center
48 located in the state, a center situated within an academic
49 institution, or a Florida-based formal research-based consortium
50 under centralized leadership that has achieved NCI designation
51 or is prepared to achieve NCI designation by June 30, 2024.
52 (c) “Cancer Connect Collaborative” or “collaborative” means
53 the council created under subsection (8).
54 (d)(c) “Florida-based” means that a cancer center’s actual
55 or sought designated status is or would be recognized by the NCI
56 as primarily located in Florida and not in another state, or
57 that a health care provider or facility is physically located in
58 Florida and provides services in Florida.
59 (8) The Cancer Connect Collaborative, a council as defined
60 in s. 20.03, is created within the department to advise the
61 department and the Legislature on developing a holistic approach
62 to the state’s efforts to fund cancer research, cancer
63 facilities, and treatments for cancer patients. The
64 collaborative may make recommendations on proposed legislation,
65 proposed rules, best practices, data collection and reporting,
66 issuance of grant funds, and other proposals for state policy
67 relating to cancer research or treatment.
68 (a) The Surgeon General shall serve as an ex officio,
69 nonvoting member of the collaborative and shall serve as the
70 chair.
71 (b) The collaborative shall be composed of the following
72 voting members, to be appointed by September 1, 2024:
73 1. Two members appointed by the Governor, three members one
74 member appointed by the President of the Senate, and three
75 members one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
76 Representatives, based on the criteria of this subparagraph. The
77 appointing officers shall make their appointments prioritizing
78 members who have the following experience or expertise:
79 a. The practice of a health care profession specializing in
80 oncology clinical care or research;
81 b. The development of preventive and therapeutic treatments
82 to control cancer;
83 c. The development of innovative research into the causes
84 of cancer, the development of effective treatments for persons
85 with cancer, or cures for cancer; or
86 d. Management-level experience with a cancer center
87 licensed under chapter 395.
88 2. One member who is a resident of this state who can
89 represent the interests of cancer patients in this state,
90 appointed by the Governor.
91 (e) Members of the collaborative whose terms have expired
92 may continue to serve until replaced or reappointed, but for no
93 more than 6 months after the expiration of their terms.
94 (f) Members of the collaborative shall serve without
95 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
96 travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061.
97 (h) The collaborative shall develop a long-range
98 comprehensive plan for the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research
99 Program. In the development of the plan, the collaborative must
100 solicit input from cancer centers, research institutions,
101 biomedical education institutions, hospitals, and medical
102 providers. The collaborative shall submit the plan to the
103 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
104 House of Representatives no later than December 1, 2024. The
105 plan must include, but need not be limited to, all of the
106 following components:
107 1. Expansion of grant fund opportunities to include a
108 broader pool of Florida-based cancer centers, research
109 institutions, biomedical education institutions, hospitals, and
110 medical providers to receive funding through the Cancer
111 Innovation Fund.
112 2. An evaluation to determine metrics that focus on patient
113 outcomes, quality of care, and efficacy of treatment.
114 3. A compilation of best practices relating to cancer
115 research or treatment.
116 (9)(a) The collaborative shall advise the department on the
117 awarding of grants issued through the Cancer Innovation Fund.
118 During any fiscal year for which funds are appropriated to the
119 fund, the collaborative shall review all submitted grant
120 applications using the parameters provided in paragraph (c) and
121 make recommendations to the department for awarding grants to
122 support innovative cancer research and treatment models,
123 including emerging research and treatment trends and promising
124 treatments that may serve as catalysts for further research and
125 treatments. The department shall make the final grant allocation
126 awards. The collaborative shall give priority to applications
127 seeking to expand the reach of cancer screening efforts and
128 innovative cancer treatment models into underserved areas of
129 this state.
130 (b) To be eligible for grant funding under this subsection,
131 a licensed or certified health care provider, facility, or
132 entity must meet at least one of the following criteria:
133 1. Operates as a licensed hospital that has a minimum of 30
134 percent of its current cancer patients residing in rural or
135 underserved areas.
136 2. Operates as a licensed health care clinic or facility
137 that employs or contracts with at least one physician licensed
138 under chapter 458 or chapter 459 who is board certified in
139 oncology and that administers chemotherapy treatments for
140 cancer.
141 3. Operates as a licensed facility that employs or
142 contracts with at least one physician licensed under chapter 458
143 or chapter 459 who is board certified in oncology and that
144 administers radiation therapy treatments for cancer.
145 4. Operates as a licensed health care clinic or facility
146 that provides cancer screening services at no cost or a minimal
147 cost to patients.
148 5. Operates as a rural hospital as defined in s.
149 395.602(2)(b).
150 6. Operates as a critical access hospital as defined in s.
151 408.07(14).
152 7. Operates as a specialty hospital as defined in s.
153 395.002(28)(a) which provides cancer treatment for patients from
154 birth to 18 years of age.
155 8. Operates as a licensed hospital that is accredited by
156 the American College of Surgeons as a Comprehensive Community
157 Cancer Program or Integrated Network Cancer Program.
158 9. Engages in biomedical research intended to develop
159 therapies, medical pharmaceuticals, treatment protocols, or
160 medical procedures intended to cure cancer or improve the
161 quality of life of cancer patients.
162 10. Educates or trains students, postdoctoral fellows, or
163 licensed or certified health care practitioners in the
164 screening, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer.
165 (c) To ensure that all proposals for grant funding issued
166 through the Cancer Innovation Fund are appropriate and are
167 evaluated fairly on the basis of scientific merit, the
168 department shall appoint peer review panels of independent,
169 scientifically qualified individuals to review the scientific
170 merit of each proposal and establish its priority score. The
171 priority scores must be forwarded to the collaborative and must
172 be considered in determining which proposals the collaborative
173 recommends for grant funding through the Cancer Innovation Fund.
174 (d) The collaborative and the peer review panels shall
175 establish and follow rigorous guidelines for ethical conduct and
176 adhere to a strict policy with regard to conflicts of interest
177 regarding the assessment of Cancer Innovation Fund grant
178 applications. A member of the collaborative or a panel may not
179 participate in any discussion or decision of the collaborative
180 or a panel with respect to a research proposal by any firm,
181 entity, or agency with which the member is associated as a
182 member of the governing body or as an employee or with which the
183 member has entered into a contractual arrangement.
184 (e) Beginning December 1, 2025, and annually thereafter,
185 the collaborative shall prepare and submit a report to the
186 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
187 House of Representatives which identifies and evaluates the
188 performance and the impact of grants issued through the Cancer
189 Innovation Fund on cancer treatment, research, screening,
190 diagnosis, prevention, practitioner training, workforce
191 education, and cancer patient survivorship. The report must
192 include all of the following:
193 1. Amounts of grant funds awarded to each recipient.
194 2. Descriptions of each recipient’s research or project
195 which include, but need not be limited to, the following:
196 a. Goals or projected outcomes.
197 b. Population to be served.
198 c. Research methods or project implementation plan.
199 3. An assessment of grant recipients which evaluates their
200 progress toward achieving objectives specified in each
201 recipient’s grant application.
202 4. Recommendations for best practices that may be
203 implemented by health care providers in this state who diagnose,
204 treat, and screen for cancer, based on the outcomes of projects
205 funded through the Cancer Innovation Fund.
206 (10) Beginning July 1, 2025, and each year thereafter, the
207 department, in conjunction with participating cancer centers,
208 shall submit a report to the Cancer Control and Research
209 Advisory Council and the collaborative on specific metrics
210 relating to cancer mortality and external funding for cancer
211 related research in this state. If a cancer center does not
212 endorse this report or produce an equivalent independent report,
213 the cancer center is ineligible to receive program funding for 1
214 year. The department must submit this annual report, and any
215 equivalent independent reports, to the Governor, the President
216 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
217 no later than September 15 of each year the report or reports
218 are submitted by the department. The report must include:
219 (d) A description of the numbers and types of cancer cases
220 treated annually at each participating cancer center, including
221 reportable and nonreportable cases.
222 (11) Beginning July 1, 2025 2024, each allocation agreement
223 issued by the department relating to cancer center payments
224 under paragraph (2)(a) subsection (2) must include all of the
225 following:
226 (a) A line-item budget narrative documenting the annual
227 allocation of funds to a cancer center.
228 (b) A cap on the annual award of 15 percent for
229 administrative expenses.
230 (c) A requirement for the cancer center to submit quarterly
231 reports of all expenditures made by the cancer center with funds
232 received through the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program.
233 (d) A provision to allow the department and other state
234 auditing bodies to audit all financial records, supporting
235 documents, statistical records, and any other documents
236 pertinent to the allocation agreement.
237 (e) A provision requiring the annual reporting of outcome
238 data and protocols used in achieving those outcomes.
239 (12)(a) The Legislature finds that targeted areas of cancer
240 research require increased resources and that Florida should
241 become a leader in promoting research opportunities for these
242 targeted areas. Floridians should not have to leave the state to
243 receive the most advanced cancer care and treatment. To meet
244 this need, the Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator,
245 or “incubator” as used in this subsection, is created within the
246 department, to be overseen by the collaborative, to provide
247 funding for a targeted area of cancer research over a 5-year
248 period. For the 5-year period beginning July 1, 2025, the
249 incubator’s targeted area of cancer research is pediatric
250 cancer.
251 (b) Contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the
252 Legislature, grants issued through the incubator must be awarded
253 through a peer-reviewed, competitive process. Priority must be
254 given to applicants that focus on enhancing both research and
255 treatment by increasing participation in clinical trials related
256 to the targeted area of cancer research, including all of the
257 following:
258 1. Identifying strategies to increase enrollment in cancer
259 clinical trials.
260 2. Supporting public and private professional education
261 programs to raise awareness and knowledge about cancer clinical
262 trials.
263 3. Providing tools for cancer patients and community-based
264 oncologists to help identify available cancer clinical trials in
265 this state.
266 4. Creating opportunities for the state’s academic cancer
267 centers to collaborate with community-based oncologists in
268 cancer clinical trial networks.
269 (c) Priority may be given to grant proposals that foster
270 collaborations among institutions, researchers, and community
271 practitioners to support the advancement of cures through basic
272 or applied research, including clinical trials involving cancer
273 patients and related networks.
274 (d) Applications for incubator funding may be submitted by
275 any Florida-based specialty hospital as defined in s.
276 395.002(28)(a) which provides cancer treatment for patients from
277 birth to 18 years of age. All qualified applicants must have
278 equal access and opportunity to compete for research funding.
279 Incubator grants must be recommended by the collaborative and
280 awarded by the department on the basis of scientific merit, as
281 determined by a competitively open and peer-reviewed process to
282 ensure objectivity, consistency, and high quality.
283 (e) To ensure that all proposals for research funding are
284 appropriate and are evaluated fairly on the basis of scientific
285 merit, the department shall appoint peer review panels of
286 independent, scientifically qualified individuals to review the
287 scientific merit of each proposal and establish its priority
288 score. The priority scores must be forwarded to the
289 collaborative and must be considered in determining which
290 proposals the collaborative recommends for funding.
291 (f) The collaborative and the peer review panels shall
292 establish and follow rigorous guidelines for ethical conduct and
293 adhere to a strict policy with regard to conflicts of interest
294 regarding the assessment of incubator grant applications. A
295 member of the collaborative or a panel may not participate in
296 any discussion or decision of the collaborative or a panel
297 regarding a research proposal from any firm, entity, or agency
298 with which the member is associated as a governing body member,
299 as an employee, or through a contractual arrangement.
300 (g) Each recipient of incubator grant funds must enter into
301 an allocation agreement with the department. Each such
302 allocation agreement must include all of the following:
303 1. A line-item budget narrative documenting the annual
304 allocation of funds to a recipient.
305 2. A cap on the annual award of 15 percent for
306 administrative expenses.
307 3. A requirement for the recipient to submit quarterly
308 reports of all expenditures made by the recipient with funds
309 received through the incubator.
310 4. A provision to allow the department and other state
311 auditing bodies to audit all financial records, supporting
312 documents, statistical records, and any other documents
313 pertinent to the allocation agreement.
314 5. A provision requiring the annual reporting of outcome
315 data and protocols used in achieving those outcomes.
316 (h) Beginning December 1, 2026, and annually through
317 December 1, 2030, the collaborative shall prepare and submit a
318 report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
319 Speaker of the House of Representatives which evaluates research
320 conducted through the incubator and provides details on outcomes
321 and findings available through the end of the fiscal year
322 immediately preceding each report. If the collaborative
323 recommends that the incubator be extended beyond its 5-year
324 lifespan, the collaborative shall make such recommendation in
325 the report due December 1, 2029, and shall include a
326 recommendation for the next targeted area of cancer research.
327 The report due on December 1, 2030, must include all of the
328 following:
329 1. Details of all results of the research conducted with
330 incubator funding which has been completed or the status of
331 research in progress.
332 2. An evaluation of all research conducted with incubator
333 funding during the 5 fiscal years preceding the report.
334 Section 3. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (2) of
335 section 381.922, Florida Statutes, to read:
336 381.922 William G. “Bill” Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley
337 Cancer Research Program.—
338 (2) The program shall provide grants for cancer research to
339 further the search for cures for cancer.
340 (d) There is established within the program the Bascom
341 Palmer Eye Institute VisionGen Initiative. The purpose of the
342 initiative is to advance genetic and epigenetic research on
343 inherited eye diseases and ocular oncology by awarding grants
344 through the peer-reviewed, competitive process established under
345 subsection (3). Funding for the initiative is subject to the
346 annual appropriation of funds by the Legislature.
347 Section 4. Paragraphs (d) and (e) of subsection (5) of
348 section 381.986, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
349 381.986 Medical use of marijuana.—
350 (5) MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE REGISTRY.—
351 (d) The department shall immediately suspend the
352 registration of a qualified patient charged with a violation of
353 chapter 893 until final disposition of the any alleged offense.
354 Based upon such final disposition Thereafter, the department may
355 extend the suspension, revoke the registration, or reinstate the
356 registration. However, the department must revoke the
357 registration of the qualified patient upon such final
358 disposition if the qualified patient was convicted of, or pled
359 guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a
360 violation of chapter 893 if such violation was for trafficking
361 in, the sale, manufacture, or delivery of, or possession with
362 intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver a controlled substance.
363 If such person wishes to seek reinstatement of his or her
364 registration as a qualified patient, the person may submit a new
365 application accompanied by a notarized attestation by the
366 applicant that he or she has completed all terms of
367 incarceration, probation, community control, or supervision
368 related to the offense. A person who knowingly makes a false
369 attestation under this paragraph commits a misdemeanor of the
370 second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
371 775.083.
372 (e) The department shall immediately suspend the
373 registration of a any caregiver charged with a violation of
374 chapter 893 until final disposition of the any alleged offense.
375 The department must revoke the registration of the caregiver
376 upon such final disposition if the caregiver was convicted of,
377 or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of
378 adjudication, a violation of chapter 893 if such violation was
379 for trafficking in, the sale, manufacture, or delivery of, or
380 possession with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver a
381 controlled substance. If such person wishes to seek
382 reinstatement of his or her registration as a caregiver, the
383 person may submit a new application accompanied by a notarized
384 attestation by the applicant that he or she has completed all
385 terms of incarceration, probation, community control, or
386 supervision related to the offense. A person who knowingly makes
387 a false attestation under this paragraph commits a misdemeanor
388 of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
389 775.083. Additionally, the department must shall revoke a
390 caregiver registration if the caregiver does not meet the
391 requirements of subparagraph (6)(b)6.
392 Section 5. Notwithstanding the repeal of section 400.0225,
393 Florida Statutes, in section 14 of chapter 2001-377, Laws of
394 Florida, that section is revived, reenacted, and amended to
395 read:
396 400.0225 Consumer satisfaction surveys.—
397 (1) The agency shall develop user-friendly consumer
398 satisfaction surveys to capture resident and family member
399 satisfaction with care provided by nursing home facilities. The
400 consumer satisfaction surveys must be based on a core set of
401 consumer satisfaction questions to allow for consistent
402 measurement and must be administered annually to a random sample
403 of long-stay and short-stay residents of each facility and their
404 family members. The survey tool must be based on an agency
405 validated survey instrument whose measures have received an
406 endorsement by the National Quality Forum.
407 (2) Family members, guardians, or other resident designees
408 may assist a resident in completing the consumer satisfaction
409 survey.
410 (3) Employees and volunteers of the nursing home facility
411 or of a corporation or business entity with an ownership
412 interest in the nursing home facility are prohibited from
413 attempting to influence a resident’s responses to the consumer
414 satisfaction survey.
415 (4) The agency shall specify the protocols for conducting
416 the consumer satisfaction surveys, ensuring survey validity,
417 reporting survey results, and protecting the identity of
418 individual respondents. The agency shall make aggregated survey
419 data available to consumers on the agency’s website pursuant to
420 s. 400.191(2)(a)15. in a manner that allows for comparison
421 between nursing home facilities, or its contractor, in
422 consultation with the nursing home industry and consumer
423 representatives, shall develop an easy-to-use consumer
424 satisfaction survey, shall ensure that every nursing facility
425 licensed pursuant to this part participates in assessing
426 consumer satisfaction, and shall establish procedures to ensure
427 that, at least annually, a representative sample of residents of
428 each facility is selected to participate in the survey. The
429 sample shall be of sufficient size to allow comparisons between
430 and among facilities. Family members, guardians, or other
431 resident designees may assist the resident in completing the
432 survey. Employees and volunteers of the nursing facility or of a
433 corporation or business entity with an ownership interest in the
434 facility are prohibited from assisting a resident with or
435 attempting to influence a resident’s responses to the consumer
436 satisfaction survey. The agency, or its contractor, shall survey
437 family members, guardians, or other resident designees. The
438 agency, or its contractor, shall specify the protocol for
439 conducting and reporting the consumer satisfaction surveys.
440 Reports of consumer satisfaction surveys shall protect the
441 identity of individual respondents. The agency shall contract
442 for consumer satisfaction surveys and report the results of
443 those surveys in the consumer information materials prepared and
444 distributed by the agency.
445 (5) The agency may adopt rules as necessary to implement
446 administer this section.
447 Section 6. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
448 400.141, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (x) is
449 added to that subsection, to read:
450 400.141 Administration and management of nursing home
451 facilities.—
452 (1) Every licensed facility shall comply with all
453 applicable standards and rules of the agency and shall:
454 (b) Appoint a medical director licensed pursuant to chapter
455 458 or chapter 459. By January 1, 2026, the medical director of
456 each nursing home facility must obtain designation as a
457 certified medical director by the American Medical Directors
458 Association, hold a similar credential bestowed by an
459 organization recognized by the agency, or be in the process of
460 seeking such designation or credentialing, according to
461 parameters adopted by agency rule. The agency shall include the
462 name of each nursing home facility’s medical director on the
463 facility’s provider profile published by the agency on its
464 website. The agency may establish by rule more specific criteria
465 for the appointment of a medical director.
466 (x) Conduct, at least biennially, a patient safety culture
467 survey using the applicable Survey on Patient Safety Culture
468 developed by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and
469 Quality. Each facility shall conduct the survey anonymously to
470 encourage completion of the survey by staff working in or
471 employed by the facility. A facility may contract with a third
472 party to administer the survey. Each facility shall biennially
473 submit the survey data to the agency in a format specified by
474 agency rule, which must include the survey participation rate.
475 Each facility may develop an internal action plan between
476 conducting surveys to identify measures to improve the survey
477 and submit such plan to the agency.
478 Section 7. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
479 400.191, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
480 400.191 Availability, distribution, and posting of reports
481 and records.—
482 (2) The agency shall publish the Nursing Home Guide
483 quarterly in electronic form to assist consumers and their
484 families in comparing and evaluating nursing home facilities.
485 (a) The agency shall provide an Internet site which must
486 shall include at least the following information either directly
487 or indirectly through a link to another established site or
488 sites of the agency’s choosing:
489 1. A section entitled “Have you considered programs that
490 provide alternatives to nursing home care?” which must shall be
491 the first section of the Nursing Home Guide and must which shall
492 prominently display information about available alternatives to
493 nursing homes and how to obtain additional information regarding
494 these alternatives. The Nursing Home Guide must shall explain
495 that this state offers alternative programs that allow permit
496 qualified elderly persons to stay in their homes instead of
497 being placed in nursing homes and must shall encourage
498 interested persons to call the Comprehensive Assessment Review
499 and Evaluation for Long-Term Care Services (CARES) Program to
500 inquire as to whether if they qualify. The Nursing Home Guide
501 must shall list available home and community-based programs and
502 must which shall clearly state the services that are provided,
503 including and indicate whether nursing home services are covered
504 under those programs when necessary included if needed.
505 2. A list by name and address of all nursing home
506 facilities in this state, including any prior name by which a
507 facility was known during the previous 24-month period.
508 3. Whether such nursing home facilities are proprietary or
509 nonproprietary.
510 4. The current owner of the facility’s license and the year
511 that that entity became the owner of the license.
512 5. The name of the owner or owners of each facility and
513 whether the facility is affiliated with a company or other
514 organization owning or managing more than one nursing facility
515 in this state.
516 6. The total number of beds in each facility and the most
517 recently available occupancy levels.
518 7. The number of private and semiprivate rooms in each
519 facility.
520 8. The religious affiliation, if any, of each facility.
521 9. The languages spoken by the administrator and staff of
522 each facility.
523 10. Whether or not each facility accepts Medicare or
524 Medicaid recipients or insurance, health maintenance
525 organization, United States Department of Veterans Affairs,
526 CHAMPUS program, or workers’ compensation coverage.
527 11. Recreational and other programs available at each
528 facility.
529 12. Special care units or programs offered at each
530 facility.
531 13. Whether the facility is a part of a retirement
532 community that offers other services pursuant to part III of
533 this chapter or part I or part III of chapter 429.
534 14. Survey and deficiency information, including all
535 federal and state recertification, licensure, revisit, and
536 complaint survey information, for each facility. For
537 noncertified nursing homes, state survey and deficiency
538 information, including licensure, revisit, and complaint survey
539 information, shall be provided.
540 15. The results of consumer satisfaction surveys conducted
541 pursuant to s. 400.0225.
542 Section 8. Present subsections (6) and (7) of section
543 408.051, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (7)
544 and (8), respectively, and a new subsection (6) is added to that
545 section, to read:
546 408.051 Florida Electronic Health Records Exchange Act.—
547 (6) NURSING HOME DATA.—A nursing home facility as defined
548 in s. 400.021 which maintains certified electronic health record
549 technology shall make available all admission, transfer, and
550 discharge data to the agency’s Florida Health Information
551 Exchange program for the purpose of supporting public health
552 data registries and patient care coordination. The agency may
553 adopt rules to implement this subsection.
554 Section 9. Present subsections (7) through (15) of section
555 408.061, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (8)
556 through (16), respectively, a new subsection (7) is added to
557 that section, and subsections (5) and (6) of that section are
558 amended, to read:
559 408.061 Data collection; uniform systems of financial
560 reporting; information relating to physician charges;
561 confidential information; immunity.—
562 (5) Within 120 days after the end of its fiscal year, each
563 nursing home as defined in s. 408.07, excluding nursing homes
564 operated by state agencies, shall file with the agency, on forms
565 adopted by the agency and based on the uniform system of
566 financial reporting, its actual financial experience for that
567 fiscal year, including expenditures, revenues, and statistical
568 measures. Such data may be based on internal financial reports
569 that are certified to be complete and accurate by the chief
570 financial officer of the nursing home. However, a nursing home’s
571 actual financial experience shall be its audited actual
572 experience. This audited actual experience must include the
573 fiscal year-end balance sheet, income statement, statement of
574 cash flow, and statement of retained earnings and must be
575 submitted to the agency in addition to the information filed in
576 the uniform system of financial reporting. The financial
577 statements must tie to the information submitted in the uniform
578 system of financial reporting, and a crosswalk must be submitted
579 along with the financial statements.
580 (6) Within 120 days after the end of its fiscal year, the
581 home office of each nursing home as defined in s. 408.07,
582 excluding nursing homes operated by state agencies, shall file
583 with the agency, on forms adopted by the agency and based on the
584 uniform system of financial reporting, its actual financial
585 experience for that fiscal year, including expenditures,
586 revenues, and statistical measures. Such data may be based on
587 internal financial reports that are certified to be complete and
588 accurate by the chief financial officer of the nursing home.
589 However, the home office’s actual financial experience shall be
590 its audited actual experience. This audited actual experience
591 must include the fiscal year-end balance sheet, income
592 statement, statement of cash flow, and statement of retained
593 earnings and must be submitted to the agency in addition to the
594 information filed in the uniform system of financial reporting.
595 The financial statements must tie to the information submitted
596 in the uniform system of financial reporting, and a crosswalk
597 must be submitted along with the audited financial statements.
598 (7)(a) Beginning January 1, 2026, the agency shall impose
599 an administrative fine of $10,000 per violation against a
600 nursing home or home office that fails to comply with subsection
601 (5) or subsection (6), as applicable. For purposes of this
602 paragraph, the term “violation” means failing to file the
603 financial report required by subsection (5) or subsection (6),
604 as applicable, on or before the report’s due date. Failing to
605 file the report during any subsequent 10-day period occurring
606 after the due date constitutes a separate violation until the
607 report has been submitted.
608 (b) The agency shall adopt rules to implement this
609 subsection. The rules must include provisions for a nursing home
610 or home office to present factors in mitigation of the
611 imposition of the fine’s full dollar amount. The agency may
612 determine not to impose the fine’s full dollar amount upon a
613 showing that the full fine is inappropriate under the
614 circumstances.
615 Section 10. Subsection (2) of section 408.08, Florida
616 Statutes, is amended to read:
617 408.08 Inspections and audits; violations; penalties;
618 fines; enforcement.—
619 (2) Any health care facility that refuses to file a report,
620 fails to timely file a report, files a false report, or files an
621 incomplete report and upon notification fails to timely file a
622 complete report required under s. 408.061; that violates this
623 section, s. 408.061, or s. 408.20, or rule adopted thereunder;
624 or that fails to provide documents or records requested by the
625 agency under this chapter shall be punished by a fine not
626 exceeding $1,000 per day for each day in violation, to be
627 imposed and collected by the agency. Pursuant to rules adopted
628 by the agency, the agency may, upon a showing of good cause,
629 grant a one-time extension of any deadline for a health care
630 facility to timely file a report as required by this section, s.
631 408.061, or s. 408.20. A facility fined under s. 408.061(7) may
632 not be additionally fined under this subsection for the same
633 violation.
634 Section 11. Subsection (1) of section 409.904, Florida
635 Statutes, is amended to read:
636 409.904 Optional payments for eligible persons.—The agency
637 may make payments for medical assistance and related services on
638 behalf of the following persons who are determined to be
639 eligible subject to the income, assets, and categorical
640 eligibility tests set forth in federal and state law. Payment on
641 behalf of these Medicaid eligible persons is subject to the
642 availability of moneys and any limitations established by the
643 General Appropriations Act or chapter 216.
644 (1)(a) Subject to federal waiver approval, a person who is
645 age 65 or older or is determined to be disabled, whose income is
646 at or below 88 percent of the federal poverty level, whose
647 assets do not exceed established limitations, and who is not
648 eligible for Medicare or, if eligible for Medicare, is also
649 eligible for and receiving Medicaid-covered institutional care
650 services, hospice services, or home and community-based
651 services. The agency shall seek federal authorization through a
652 waiver to provide this coverage.
653 (b)1. A person who was initially determined eligible for
654 Medicaid under paragraph (a) and is receiving Medicaid-covered
655 institutional care services or hospice services, or a person who
656 is receiving home and community-based services pursuant to s.
657 393.066 or s. 409.978, shall be presumed eligible for continued
658 coverage for such Medicaid-covered services during any
659 redetermination process, and the agency shall continue to make
660 payments for such services, unless the person experiences a
661 material change in his or her disability or economic status
662 which results in a loss of eligibility. In the event of such a
663 change in disability or economic status, the person or his or
664 her designated caregiver or responsible party must notify the
665 agency and the Department of Children and Families of such
666 change, and the department may conduct a redetermination of
667 eligibility. If such redetermination is conducted, the
668 department must notify the person or his or her designated
669 caregiver or responsible party before the commencement of the
670 redetermination and, at its conclusion, the results of the
671 redetermination.
672 2. The agency shall, no later than October 1, 2025, seek
673 federal authorization to exempt a Medicaid-eligible disabled
674 person from annual redetermination of eligibility pursuant to
675 this paragraph.
676 3. The agency and the department shall develop a process to
677 facilitate the notifications required under subparagraph 1.
678 Section 12. Paragraph (d) of subsection (29) of section
679 409.906, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
680 409.906 Optional Medicaid services.—Subject to specific
681 appropriations, the agency may make payments for services which
682 are optional to the state under Title XIX of the Social Security
683 Act and are furnished by Medicaid providers to recipients who
684 are determined to be eligible on the dates on which the services
685 were provided. Any optional service that is provided shall be
686 provided only when medically necessary and in accordance with
687 state and federal law. Optional services rendered by providers
688 in mobile units to Medicaid recipients may be restricted or
689 prohibited by the agency. Nothing in this section shall be
690 construed to prevent or limit the agency from adjusting fees,
691 reimbursement rates, lengths of stay, number of visits, or
692 number of services, or making any other adjustments necessary to
693 comply with the availability of moneys and any limitations or
694 directions provided for in the General Appropriations Act or
695 chapter 216. If necessary to safeguard the state’s systems of
696 providing services to elderly and disabled persons and subject
697 to the notice and review provisions of s. 216.177, the Governor
698 may direct the Agency for Health Care Administration to amend
699 the Medicaid state plan to delete the optional Medicaid service
700 known as “Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally
701 Disabled.” Optional services may include:
702 (29) BIOMARKER TESTING SERVICES.—
703 (d) This subsection does not require coverage of biomarker
704 testing for screening purposes. The agency may pay for blood
705 based biomarker tests at an in-network or out-of-network
706 laboratory facility for colorectal cancer screening covered
707 under a National Coverage Determination from the Centers for
708 Medicare and Medicaid Services.
709 Section 13. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
710 409.908, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
711 409.908 Reimbursement of Medicaid providers.—Subject to
712 specific appropriations, the agency shall reimburse Medicaid
713 providers, in accordance with state and federal law, according
714 to methodologies set forth in the rules of the agency and in
715 policy manuals and handbooks incorporated by reference therein.
716 These methodologies may include fee schedules, reimbursement
717 methods based on cost reporting, negotiated fees, competitive
718 bidding pursuant to s. 287.057, and other mechanisms the agency
719 considers efficient and effective for purchasing services or
720 goods on behalf of recipients. If a provider is reimbursed based
721 on cost reporting and submits a cost report late and that cost
722 report would have been used to set a lower reimbursement rate
723 for a rate semester, then the provider’s rate for that semester
724 shall be retroactively calculated using the new cost report, and
725 full payment at the recalculated rate shall be effected
726 retroactively. Medicare-granted extensions for filing cost
727 reports, if applicable, shall also apply to Medicaid cost
728 reports. Payment for Medicaid compensable services made on
729 behalf of Medicaid-eligible persons is subject to the
730 availability of moneys and any limitations or directions
731 provided for in the General Appropriations Act or chapter 216.
732 Further, nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent
733 or limit the agency from adjusting fees, reimbursement rates,
734 lengths of stay, number of visits, or number of services, or
735 making any other adjustments necessary to comply with the
736 availability of moneys and any limitations or directions
737 provided for in the General Appropriations Act, provided the
738 adjustment is consistent with legislative intent.
739 (2)
740 (b) Subject to any limitations or directions in the General
741 Appropriations Act, the agency shall establish and implement a
742 state Title XIX Long-Term Care Reimbursement Plan for nursing
743 home care in order to provide care and services in conformance
744 with the applicable state and federal laws, rules, regulations,
745 and quality and safety standards and to ensure that individuals
746 eligible for medical assistance have reasonable geographic
747 access to such care.
748 1. The agency shall amend the long-term care reimbursement
749 plan and cost reporting system to create direct care and
750 indirect care subcomponents of the patient care component of the
751 per diem rate. These two subcomponents together shall equal the
752 patient care component of the per diem rate. Separate prices
753 shall be calculated for each patient care subcomponent,
754 initially based on the September 2016 rate setting cost reports
755 and subsequently based on the most recently audited cost report
756 used during a rebasing year. The direct care subcomponent of the
757 per diem rate for any providers still being reimbursed on a cost
758 basis shall be limited by the cost-based class ceiling, and the
759 indirect care subcomponent may be limited by the lower of the
760 cost-based class ceiling, the target rate class ceiling, or the
761 individual provider target. The ceilings and targets apply only
762 to providers being reimbursed on a cost-based system. Effective
763 October 1, 2018, a prospective payment methodology shall be
764 implemented for rate setting purposes with the following
765 parameters:
766 a. Peer Groups, including:
767 (I) North-SMMC Regions 1-9, less Palm Beach and Okeechobee
768 Counties; and
769 (II) South-SMMC Regions 10-11, plus Palm Beach and
770 Okeechobee Counties.
771 b. Percentage of Median Costs based on the cost reports
772 used for September 2016 rate setting:
773 (I) Direct Care Costs........................100 percent.
774 (II) Indirect Care Costs......................92 percent.
775 (III) Operating Costs.........................86 percent.
776 c. Floors:
777 (I) Direct Care Component.....................95 percent.
778 (II) Indirect Care Component................92.5 percent.
779 (III) Operating Component...........................None.
780 d. Pass-through Payments..................Real Estate and
781 ...............................................Personal Property
782 ...................................Taxes and Property Insurance.
783 e. Quality Incentive Program Payment
784 Pool.....................................10 percent of September
785 .......................................2016 non-property related
786 ................................payments of included facilities.
787 f. Quality Score Threshold to Qualify Quality for Quality
788 Incentive Payment...........................................20th
789 ..............................percentile of included facilities.
790 g. Fair Rental Value System Payment Parameters:
791 (I) Building Value per Square Foot based on 2018 RS Means.
792 (II) Land Valuation...10 percent of Gross Building value.
793 (III) Facility Square Footage......Actual Square Footage.
794 (IV) Movable Equipment Allowance..........$8,000 per bed.
795 (V) Obsolescence Factor......................1.5 percent.
796 (VI) Fair Rental Rate of Return................8 percent.
797 (VII) Minimum Occupancy.......................90 percent.
798 (VIII) Maximum Facility Age.....................40 years.
799 (IX) Minimum Square Footage per Bed..................350.
800 (X) Maximum Square Footage for Bed...................500.
801 (XI) Minimum Cost of a renovation/replacements$500 per bed.
802 h. Ventilator Supplemental payment of $200 per Medicaid day
803 of 40,000 ventilator Medicaid days per fiscal year.
804 2. The agency shall revise its methodology for calculating
805 Quality Incentive Program payments to include the results of
806 consumer satisfaction surveys conducted pursuant to s. 400.0225
807 as a measure of nursing home quality. The agency shall so revise
808 the methodology after the surveys have been in effect for an
809 amount of time the agency deems sufficient for statistical and
810 scientific validity as a meaningful quality measure that may be
811 incorporated into the methodology.
812 3. The direct care subcomponent shall include salaries and
813 benefits of direct care staff providing nursing services
814 including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and
815 certified nursing assistants who deliver care directly to
816 residents in the nursing home facility, allowable therapy costs,
817 and dietary costs. This excludes nursing administration, staff
818 development, the staffing coordinator, and the administrative
819 portion of the minimum data set and care plan coordinators. The
820 direct care subcomponent also includes medically necessary
821 dental care, vision care, hearing care, and podiatric care.
822 4.3. All other patient care costs shall be included in the
823 indirect care cost subcomponent of the patient care per diem
824 rate, including complex medical equipment, medical supplies, and
825 other allowable ancillary costs. Costs may not be allocated
826 directly or indirectly to the direct care subcomponent from a
827 home office or management company.
828 5.4. On July 1 of each year, the agency shall report to the
829 Legislature direct and indirect care costs, including average
830 direct and indirect care costs per resident per facility and
831 direct care and indirect care salaries and benefits per category
832 of staff member per facility.
833 6.5. Every fourth year, the agency shall rebase nursing
834 home prospective payment rates to reflect changes in cost based
835 on the most recently audited cost report for each participating
836 provider.
837 7.6. A direct care supplemental payment may be made to
838 providers whose direct care hours per patient day are above the
839 80th percentile and who provide Medicaid services to a larger
840 percentage of Medicaid patients than the state average.
841 8.7. Pediatric, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, and
842 government-owned facilities are exempt from the pricing model
843 established in this subsection and shall remain on a cost-based
844 prospective payment system. Effective October 1, 2018, the
845 agency shall set rates for all facilities remaining on a cost
846 based prospective payment system using each facility’s most
847 recently audited cost report, eliminating retroactive
848 settlements.
849 9. By October 1, 2025, and each year thereafter, the agency
850 shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
851 the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report on each
852 Quality Incentive Program payment made pursuant to sub
853 subparagraph 1.e. The report must, at a minimum, include all of
854 the following information:
855 a. The name of each facility that received a Quality
856 Incentive Program payment and the dollar amount of such payment
857 each facility received.
858 b. The total number of quality incentive metric points
859 awarded by the agency to each facility and the number of points
860 awarded by the agency for each individual quality metric
861 measured.
862 c. An examination of any trends in the improvement of the
863 quality of care provided to nursing home residents which may be
864 attributable to incentive payments received under the Quality
865 Incentive Program. The agency shall include examination of
866 trends both for the program as a whole as well as for each
867 individual quality metric used by the agency to award program
868 payments.
869
870 It is the intent of the Legislature that the reimbursement plan
871 achieve the goal of providing access to health care for nursing
872 home residents who require large amounts of care while
873 encouraging diversion services as an alternative to nursing home
874 care for residents who can be served within the community. The
875 agency shall base the establishment of any maximum rate of
876 payment, whether overall or component, on the available moneys
877 as provided for in the General Appropriations Act. The agency
878 may base the maximum rate of payment on the results of
879 scientifically valid analysis and conclusions derived from
880 objective statistical data pertinent to the particular maximum
881 rate of payment. The agency shall base the rates of payments in
882 accordance with the minimum wage requirements as provided in the
883 General Appropriations Act.
884 Section 14. Present subsection (10) of section 409.909,
885 Florida Statutes, as amended by section 5 of chapter 2024-12,
886 Laws of Florida, is redesignated as subsection (9), and
887 paragraph (a) of subsection (6) and present subsection (9) of
888 that section are amended, to read:
889 409.909 Statewide Medicaid Residency Program.—
890 (6) The Slots for Doctors Program is established to address
891 the physician workforce shortage by increasing the supply of
892 highly trained physicians through the creation of new resident
893 positions, which will increase access to care and improve health
894 outcomes for Medicaid recipients.
895 (a)1. Notwithstanding subsection (4), the agency shall
896 annually allocate $100,000 to hospitals, qualifying
897 institutions, and behavioral health teaching hospitals
898 designated under s. 395.902, for each newly created resident
899 position that is first filled on or after June 1, 2023, and
900 filled thereafter, and that is accredited by the Accreditation
901 Council for Graduate Medical Education or the Osteopathic
902 Postdoctoral Training Institution in an initial or established
903 accredited training program which is in a physician specialty or
904 subspecialty in a statewide supply-and-demand deficit.
905 2. Notwithstanding the requirement that a new resident
906 position be created to receive funding under this subsection,
907 the agency may allocate $100,000 to hospitals and qualifying
908 institutions, pursuant to subparagraph 1., for up to 100 200
909 resident positions that existed before July 1, 2023, if such
910 resident position:
911 a. Is in a physician specialty or subspecialty experiencing
912 a statewide supply-and-demand deficit;
913 b. Has been unfilled for a period of 3 or more years;
914 c. Is subsequently filled on or after June 1, 2024, and
915 remains filled thereafter; and
916 d. Is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate
917 Medical Education or the Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training
918 Institution in an initial or established accredited training
919 program.
920 3. If applications for resident positions under this
921 paragraph exceed the number of authorized resident positions or
922 the available funding allocated, the agency shall prioritize
923 applications for resident positions that are in a primary care
924 specialty as specified in paragraph (2)(a).
925 (9) The Graduate Medical Education Committee is created
926 within the agency.
927 (a) The committee shall be composed of the following
928 members:
929 1. Three deans, or their designees, from medical schools in
930 this state, appointed by the chair of the Council of Florida
931 Medical School Deans.
932 2. Four members appointed by the Governor, one of whom is a
933 representative of the Florida Medical Association or the Florida
934 Osteopathic Medical Association who has supervised or is
935 currently supervising residents, one of whom is a member of the
936 Florida Hospital Association, one of whom is a member of the
937 Safety Net Hospital Alliance, and one of whom is a physician
938 licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 practicing at a
939 qualifying institution.
940 3. Two members appointed by the Secretary of Health Care
941 Administration, one of whom represents a statutory teaching
942 hospital as defined in s. 408.07(46) and one of whom is a
943 physician who has supervised or is currently supervising
944 residents.
945 4. Two members appointed by the State Surgeon General, one
946 of whom must represent a teaching hospital as defined in s.
947 408.07 and one of whom is a physician who has supervised or is
948 currently supervising residents or interns.
949 5. Two members, one appointed by the President of the
950 Senate and one appointed by the Speaker of the House of
951 Representatives.
952 (b)1. The members of the committee appointed under
953 subparagraph (a)1. shall serve 4-year terms. When such members’
954 terms expire, the chair of the Council of Florida Medical School
955 Deans shall appoint new members as detailed in subparagraph
956 (a)1. from different medical schools on a rotating basis and may
957 not reappoint a dean from a medical school that has been
958 represented on the committee until all medical schools in the
959 state have had an opportunity to be represented on the
960 committee.
961 2. The members of the committee appointed under
962 subparagraphs (a)2.-4. shall serve 4-year terms, with the
963 initial term being 3 years for members appointed under
964 subparagraph (a)4. and 2 years for members appointed under
965 subparagraph (a)3. The committee shall elect a chair to serve
966 for a 1-year term.
967 (c) Members shall serve without compensation but are
968 entitled to reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses
969 pursuant to s. 112.061.
970 (d) The committee shall convene its first meeting by July
971 1, 2024, and shall meet as often as necessary to conduct its
972 business, but at least twice annually, at the call of the chair.
973 The committee may conduct its meetings through teleconference or
974 other electronic means. A majority of the members of the
975 committee constitutes a quorum, and a meeting may not be held
976 with less than a quorum present. The affirmative vote of a
977 majority of the members of the committee present is necessary
978 for any official action by the committee.
979 (e) Beginning on July 1, 2025, the committee shall submit
980 an annual report to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
981 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives which must, at a
982 minimum, detail all of the following:
983 1. The role of residents and medical faculty in the
984 provision of health care.
985 2. The relationship of graduate medical education to the
986 state’s physician workforce.
987 3. The typical workload for residents and the role such
988 workload plays in retaining physicians in the long-term
989 workforce.
990 4. The costs of training medical residents for hospitals
991 and qualifying institutions.
992 5. The availability and adequacy of all sources of revenue
993 available to support graduate medical education.
994 6. The use of state funds, including, but not limited to,
995 intergovernmental transfers, for graduate medical education for
996 each hospital or qualifying institution receiving such funds.
997 (f) The agency shall provide reasonable and necessary
998 support staff and materials to assist the committee in the
999 performance of its duties. The agency shall also provide the
1000 information obtained pursuant to subsection (8) to the committee
1001 and assist the committee, as requested, in obtaining any other
1002 information deemed necessary by the committee to produce its
1003 report.
1004 Section 15. Subsection (1), paragraph (d) of subsection
1005 (2), and paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section 409.91256,
1006 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
1007 409.91256 Training, Education, and Clinicals in Health
1008 (TEACH) Funding Program.—
1009 (1) PURPOSE AND INTENT.—The Training, Education, and
1010 Clinicals in Health (TEACH) Funding Program is created to
1011 provide a high-quality educational experience while supporting
1012 participating federally qualified health centers, community
1013 mental health centers, rural health clinics, and certified
1014 community behavioral health clinics, and publicly funded
1015 nonprofit organizations serving Medicaid recipients or other
1016 low-income patients in areas designated as health professional
1017 shortage areas and approved by the agency by offsetting
1018 administrative costs and loss of revenue associated with
1019 training residents and students to become licensed health care
1020 practitioners. Further, it is the intent of the Legislature to
1021 use the program to support the state Medicaid program and
1022 underserved populations by expanding the available health care
1023 workforce.
1024 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
1025 (d) “Qualified facility” means a federally qualified health
1026 center, a community mental health center, a rural health clinic,
1027 or a certified community behavioral health clinic, or a publicly
1028 funded nonprofit organization serving Medicaid recipients or
1029 other low-income patients in an area designated as a health
1030 professional shortage area and approved by the agency.
1031 (5) REIMBURSEMENT.—Qualified facilities may be reimbursed
1032 under this section only to offset the administrative costs or
1033 lost revenue associated with training students, allopathic
1034 residents, osteopathic residents, or dental residents who are
1035 enrolled in an accredited educational or residency program based
1036 in this state.
1037 (a) Subject to an appropriation, the agency may reimburse a
1038 qualified facility based on the number of clinical training
1039 hours reported under subparagraph (3)(e)1. The allowed
1040 reimbursement per student is as follows:
1041 1. A medical or dental resident at a rate of $50 per hour.
1042 2. A first-year medical student at a rate of $27 per hour.
1043 3. A second-year medical student at a rate of $27 per hour.
1044 4. A third-year medical student at a rate of $29 per hour.
1045 5. A fourth-year medical student at a rate of $29 per hour.
1046 6. A dental student at a rate of $22 per hour.
1047 7. An advanced practice registered nursing student at a
1048 rate of $22 per hour.
1049 8. A physician assistant student at a rate of $22 per hour.
1050 9. A nursing student at a rate of $22 per hour.
1051 10. A behavioral health student at a rate of $15 per hour.
1052 11.10. A dental hygiene student at a rate of $15 per hour.
1053 Section 16. Paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of section
1054 409.967, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1055 409.967 Managed care plan accountability.—
1056 (3) ACHIEVED SAVINGS REBATE.—
1057 (e) Once the certified public accountant completes the
1058 audit, the certified public accountant shall submit an audit
1059 report to the agency attesting to the achieved savings of the
1060 plan. The agency shall review the report to determine compliance
1061 with the requirements of this subsection. The agency shall
1062 notify the certified public accountant of any deficiencies in
1063 the audit report. The certified public accountant must correct
1064 such deficiencies in the audit report and resubmit the revised
1065 audit report to the agency before the report is considered
1066 final. Once finalized, the results of the audit report are
1067 dispositive.
1068 Section 17. Section 409.9745, Florida Statutes, is amended
1069 to read:
1070 409.9745 Managed care plan biomarker testing.—
1071 (1) A managed care plan must provide coverage for biomarker
1072 testing for recipients, as authorized under s. 409.906, at the
1073 same scope, duration, and frequency as the Medicaid program
1074 provides for other medically necessary treatments.
1075 (a)(2) A recipient and health care provider shall have
1076 access to a clear and convenient process to request
1077 authorization for biomarker testing as provided under this
1078 section. Such process shall be made readily accessible on the
1079 website of the managed care plan.
1080 (b)(3) This section does not require coverage of biomarker
1081 testing for screening purposes.
1082 (c)(4) The agency shall include the rate impact of this
1083 section in the applicable Medicaid managed medical assistance
1084 program and long-term care managed care program rates.
1085 (2) A managed care plan must provide coverage for blood
1086 based biomarker tests for colorectal cancer screening covered
1087 under a National Coverage Determination from the Centers for
1088 Medicare and Medicaid Services at the same scope and frequency
1089 as described in the National Coverage Determination.
1090 Section 18. Subsection (4) of section 409.977, Florida
1091 Statutes, is amended to read:
1092 409.977 Enrollment.—
1093 (4) The agency shall develop a process to enable a
1094 recipient with access to employer-sponsored health care coverage
1095 to opt out of all managed care plans and to use Medicaid
1096 financial assistance to pay for the recipient’s share of the
1097 cost in such employer-sponsored coverage. The agency shall also
1098 enable recipients with access to other insurance or related
1099 products providing access to health care services created
1100 pursuant to state law, including any product available under the
1101 Florida Health Choices Program, or any health exchange, to opt
1102 out. The amount of financial assistance provided for each
1103 recipient may not exceed the amount of the Medicaid premium that
1104 would have been paid to a managed care plan for that recipient.
1105 The agency shall require Medicaid recipients with access to
1106 employer-sponsored health care coverage to enroll in that
1107 coverage and use Medicaid financial assistance to pay for the
1108 recipient’s share of the cost for such coverage. The amount of
1109 financial assistance provided for each recipient may not exceed
1110 the amount of the Medicaid premium that would have been paid to
1111 a managed care plan for that recipient. The agency may exceed
1112 this amount for a high-cost patient if it determines it would be
1113 cost effective to do so. The agency shall annually, beginning
1114 June 30, 2026, submit an annual report on the program to the
1115 Legislature including, but not limited to, the level of
1116 participation; participant demographics, income levels, type of
1117 employer-based coverage, and amount of health care utilization;
1118 and a cost-effectiveness analysis both in the aggregate and on
1119 an individual patient basis.
1120 Section 19. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
1121 430.84, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
1122 430.84 Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.—
1123 (3) PACE ORGANIZATION SELECTION.—The agency, in
1124 consultation with the department, shall, on a continuous basis,
1125 review and consider applications required by the CMS for PACE
1126 that have been submitted to the agency by entities seeking
1127 initial state approval to become PACE organizations. Notice of
1128 such applications shall be published in the Florida
1129 Administrative Register.
1130 (b) Each applicant must propose to serve a unique and
1131 defined geographic service area. In designating a service area
1132 under a contract with a PACE organization, the state
1133 administering agency may exclude from designation an area that
1134 is already covered under another PACE organization contract in
1135 order to avoid unnecessary duplication of services and avoid
1136 impairing the financial service viability of an existing PACE
1137 organization. However, if a new applicant submits a letter of
1138 intent to provide PACE services in an area where an existing
1139 PACE organization is under contract and has been operating for
1140 at least 10 years, the state shall determine whether there is an
1141 unmet need that could be provided by the new PACE organization
1142 and the applicant must satisfactorily demonstrate to the state
1143 administering agency that there is justification for the
1144 proposed PACE organization in such service area. All applicants
1145 must demonstrate in the application that the PACE services
1146 provided by the proposed PACE organization will be comprehensive
1147 and organized to meet all state and CMS requirements without
1148 duplication of services or target populations. No more than one
1149 PACE organization may be authorized to provide services within
1150 any unique and defined geographic service area.
1151 Section 20. (1) To support and enhance quality outcomes in
1152 Florida’s nursing homes, the Agency for Health Care
1153 Administration shall contract with a third-party vendor to
1154 conduct a comprehensive study of nursing home quality incentive
1155 programs in other states.
1156 (a) At a minimum, the study must include a detailed
1157 analysis of quality incentive programs implemented in each of
1158 the states examined, identify components of such programs which
1159 have demonstrably improved nursing home quality outcomes, and
1160 provide recommendations to modify or enhance this state’s
1161 existing Medicaid Quality Incentive Program based on its
1162 historical performance and trends since it was first
1163 implemented.
1164 (b) The study must also include:
1165 1. An in-depth review of emerging and existing technologies
1166 applicable to nursing home care and an analysis of how their
1167 adoption in this state could improve quality of care,
1168 operational efficiency, and quality of life outcomes for nursing
1169 home residents; and
1170 2. An examination of other states’ Medicaid add-on payment
1171 structures related to the provision of ventilator care,
1172 bariatric services, and behavioral health services.
1173 (2) The agency shall submit a final report on the study,
1174 including findings and actionable recommendations, to the
1175 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
1176 House of Representatives by January 5, 2026.
1177 Section 21. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
1178
1179 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
1180 And the title is amended as follows:
1181 Delete everything before the enacting clause
1182 and insert:
1183 A bill to be entitled
1184 An act relating to health and human services; amending
1185 s. 381.4019, F.S.; authorizing certain dental and
1186 dental hygiene students to apply for the Dental
1187 Student Loan Repayment Program before obtaining active
1188 employment; amending s. 381.915, F.S.; revising the
1189 definitions of the terms “cancer center” and “Florida
1190 based”; defining the term “Cancer Connect
1191 Collaborative” or “collaborative”; making clarifying
1192 changes; deleting an obsolete date; revising the
1193 composition of the collaborative; deleting obsolete
1194 provisions; requiring the collaborative to review all
1195 submitted Cancer Innovation Fund grant applications
1196 using certain parameters; requiring the collaborative
1197 to give priority to certain applications; requiring
1198 that licensed or certified health care providers,
1199 facilities, or entities meet certain criteria to be
1200 eligible for specified grant funding; specifying such
1201 criteria; requiring the Department of Health to
1202 appoint peer review panels for a specified purpose;
1203 requiring that priority scores be forwarded to the
1204 collaborative and be considered in determining which
1205 proposals the collaborative recommends for certain
1206 grant funding; requiring the collaborative and peer
1207 review panels to establish and follow certain
1208 guidelines and adhere to a certain policy; prohibiting
1209 a member of the collaborative or a panel from
1210 participating in certain discussions or decisions
1211 under certain circumstances; requiring, beginning on a
1212 specified date and annually thereafter, the
1213 collaborative to prepare and submit a specified report
1214 to the Governor and the Legislature; requiring that
1215 the report include certain information; revising the
1216 requirements for a specified report by the department;
1217 requiring, beginning on a specified date, that certain
1218 allocation agreements include certain information;
1219 providing legislative findings; creating the Cancer
1220 Connect Collaborative Research Incubator within the
1221 department, and overseen by the collaborative, to
1222 provide funding for a specified purpose over a
1223 specified timeframe; specifying the incubator’s
1224 targeted area of cancer research for the first
1225 specified timeframe; providing that grants issued
1226 through the incubator are contingent upon the
1227 appropriation of funds and must be awarded through a
1228 specified process; requiring that priority be given to
1229 certain applicants; authorizing the prioritization of
1230 certain grant proposals; providing that applications
1231 for incubator funding may be submitted by specified
1232 hospitals; requiring that all qualified applicants
1233 have equal access and opportunity to compete for
1234 research funding; requiring that incubator grants be
1235 recommended by the collaborative and awarded by the
1236 department in a certain manner; requiring the
1237 department to appoint peer review panels for a
1238 specified purpose; requiring that priority scores be
1239 forwarded to the collaborative and be considered in
1240 determining which proposals the collaborative
1241 recommends for funding; requiring the collaborative
1242 and peer review panels to establish and follow certain
1243 guidelines and adhere to a certain policy; prohibiting
1244 a member of the collaborative or a panel from
1245 participating in certain discussions or decisions;
1246 requiring recipients of incubator grant funds to enter
1247 into an allocation agreement with the department;
1248 specifying requirements for such allocation
1249 agreements; requiring, beginning on a specified date
1250 and annually until a specified date, the collaborative
1251 to prepare and submit a specified report to the
1252 Governor and the Legislature; requiring the
1253 collaborative to make a certain recommendation under
1254 certain circumstances; requiring that a specified
1255 report include certain information; amending s.
1256 381.922, F.S.; establishing the Bascom Palmer Eye
1257 Institute VisionGen Initiative within the William G.
1258 “Bill” Bankhead, Jr., and David Coley Cancer Research
1259 Program; providing the purpose of the initiative;
1260 providing that funding for the initiative is subject
1261 to annual appropriation; amending s. 381.986, F.S.;
1262 requiring the department to revoke the medical
1263 marijuana use registry registration of qualified
1264 patients and caregivers who enter certain pleas or are
1265 found guilty of certain offenses; authorizing a person
1266 seeking reinstatement of qualified patient or
1267 caregiver registration to submit a new application
1268 with a certain attestation; providing criminal
1269 penalties for knowingly making a false attestation;
1270 reviving, reenacting, and amending s. 400.0225, F.S.,
1271 relating to consumer satisfaction surveys; requiring
1272 the Agency for Health Care Administration to develop
1273 user-friendly consumer satisfaction surveys for
1274 nursing home facilities; specifying requirements for
1275 the surveys; authorizing family members, guardians,
1276 and other resident designees to assist the resident in
1277 completing the survey; prohibiting employees and
1278 volunteers of the facility or of a corporation or
1279 business entity with an ownership interest in the
1280 facility from attempting to influence a resident’s
1281 responses to the survey; requiring the agency to
1282 specify certain protocols for administration of the
1283 survey; requiring the agency to publish on its website
1284 aggregated survey data in a manner that allows for
1285 comparison between nursing home facilities; amending
1286 s. 400.141, F.S.; requiring medical directors of
1287 nursing home facilities to obtain, or to be in the
1288 process of obtaining, certain qualifications by a
1289 specified date; requiring the agency to include such
1290 medical director’s name on each nursing home
1291 facility’s online provider profile; requiring nursing
1292 home facilities to conduct biennial patient safety
1293 culture surveys; specifying requirements for
1294 administration of such surveys; requiring nursing home
1295 facilities to submit the results of such surveys
1296 biennially to the agency in a format specified by
1297 agency rule; authorizing nursing home facilities to
1298 develop an internal action plan between surveys to
1299 identify measures for improvement of the survey and
1300 submit such plan to the agency; amending s. 400.191,
1301 F.S.; requiring the agency to include the results from
1302 specified consumer satisfaction surveys as part of the
1303 Nursing Home Guide on its website; amending s.
1304 408.051, F.S.; requiring nursing home facilities that
1305 maintain certain electronic health records to make
1306 available certain data to the agency’s Florida Health
1307 Information Exchange program for a specified purpose;
1308 authorizing the agency to adopt rules; amending s.
1309 408.061, F.S.; exempting nursing homes operated by
1310 state agencies from certain financial reporting
1311 requirements; requiring the agency to impose
1312 administrative fines against nursing homes and home
1313 offices of nursing homes for failing to comply with
1314 certain reporting requirements; defining the term
1315 “violation”; providing construction; requiring the
1316 agency to adopt rules; providing requirements for such
1317 rules; amending s. 408.08, F.S.; prohibiting nursing
1318 homes subject to certain administrative fines from
1319 being fined under a specified provision for the same
1320 violation; amending s. 409.904, F.S.; providing a
1321 presumption of eligibility for continued coverage of
1322 certain services for certain persons during a
1323 redetermination process; requiring certain persons to
1324 notify the agency and the Department of Children and
1325 Families of certain material changes; authorizing the
1326 department to conduct a redetermination of
1327 eligibility; requiring the department to provide
1328 certain persons notification and the results of such
1329 redeterminations; requiring the agency to seek federal
1330 authorization to exempt certain persons from annual
1331 redetermination of eligibility by a certain date;
1332 requiring the agency and department to develop a
1333 certain process; amending s. 409.906, F.S.;
1334 authorizing the agency to pay for certain blood-based
1335 biomarker tests; amending s. 409.908, F.S.; requiring
1336 the agency to revise its methodology for calculating
1337 Quality Incentive Program payments; providing
1338 requirements for such revision; requiring the agency
1339 to submit an annual report to the Governor and the
1340 Legislature on payments made under the Quality
1341 Incentive Program; specifying requirements for the
1342 report; amending s. 409.909, F.S.; revising the number
1343 of resident positions for which the agency may
1344 allocate certain funding to hospitals and qualifying
1345 institutions; deleting provisions creating the
1346 Graduate Medical Education Committee within the
1347 agency; amending s. 409.91256, F.S.; revising the
1348 purpose of the Training, Education, and Clinicals in
1349 Health Funding Program; revising the definition of the
1350 term “qualified facility”; specifying an allowed
1351 reimbursement rate to qualified facilities under the
1352 program for nursing students; amending s. 409.967,
1353 F.S.; requiring the agency to review certain audit
1354 reports for compliance; requiring a certified public
1355 accountant to correct certain audit report
1356 deficiencies and resubmit the report before the report
1357 is considered final; amending s. 409.9745, F.S.;
1358 requiring a managed care plan to provide coverage for
1359 certain blood-based biomarker tests; amending s.
1360 409.977, F.S.; authorizing the agency to exceed a
1361 certain amount of financial assistance for a high-cost
1362 patient under certain circumstances; requiring the
1363 agency to submit a certain annual report to the
1364 Legislature beginning on a specified date; requiring
1365 that the report contain certain information; amending
1366 s. 430.84, F.S.; authorizing the state administering
1367 agency to exclude certain areas from designation as
1368 service areas under contracts with PACE organizations
1369 under certain circumstances; requiring the state to
1370 determine whether a certain unmet need exists in a
1371 certain area upon receipt of a letter of intent to
1372 provide PACE services from a new applicant; requiring
1373 such applicants to meet certain requirements;
1374 requiring the agency to contract with a third-party
1375 vendor to conduct a comprehensive study of nursing
1376 home quality incentive programs in other states;
1377 providing requirements for the study; requiring the
1378 agency to submit a final report on the study to the
1379 Governor and the Legislature by a specified date;
1380 providing an effective date.