The Florida Senate

624.91  The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act.--

(1)  SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the "William G. 'Doc' Myers Healthy Kids Corporation Act."

(2)  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The Legislature finds that increased access to health care services could improve children's health and reduce the incidence and costs of childhood illness and disabilities among children in this state. Many children do not have preventive services available or funded, and for those who do, lack of access is a restriction to getting service. It is the intent of the Legislature that a nonprofit corporation be organized to facilitate a program to bring preventive health care services to children, if necessary through the use of school facilities in this state when more appropriate sites are unavailable, and to provide comprehensive health insurance coverage to such children. A goal for the corporation is to cooperate with any existing preventive service programs funded by the public or the private sector.

(3)  CORPORATION AUTHORIZATION, DUTIES, POWERS.--

(a)  The Legislature hereby creates the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation which shall operate on sites to be designated by the corporation.

(b)  The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall phase in a program to:

1.  Organize school children groups to facilitate the provision of preventive health care services to children and to provide comprehensive health insurance coverage to children;

2.  Arrange for the collection of any family or employer payment or premium, in an amount to be determined by the board of directors, from all participant families or employers to provide for payment for preventive health care services or premiums for comprehensive insurance coverage and for the actual or estimated administrative expenses incurred during the period for which family or employer payments are made;

3.  Establish the administrative and accounting procedures for the operation of the corporation;

4.  Establish, with consultation from appropriate professional organizations, standards for preventive health services and providers and comprehensive insurance benefits appropriate to children;

5.  Establish eligibility criteria which children must meet in order to participate in the program;

6.  Establish procedures under which applicants to and participants in the program may have grievances reviewed by an impartial body and reported to the board of directors of the corporation;

7.  Establish participation criteria and, if appropriate, contract with an authorized insurer, health maintenance organization, or insurance administrator to provide administrative services to the corporation;

8.  Contract with authorized insurers or any provider of health care services, meeting standards established by the corporation, for the provision of comprehensive insurance coverage and preventive health care services to participants;

9.  Develop and implement a plan to publicize the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, the eligibility requirements of the program, and the procedures for enrollment in the program and to maintain public awareness of the corporation and the program;

10.  Secure staff necessary to properly administer the corporation. Staff costs shall be funded from state and local matching funds and such other private or public funds as become available. The board of directors shall determine the number of staff members necessary to administer the corporation;

11.  As appropriate, enter into contracts with local school boards or other agencies to provide onsite information, enrollment, and other services necessary to the operation of the corporation; and

12.  Provide a report on an annual basis to the Governor, Insurance Commissioner, Commissioner of Education, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Minority Leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

¹13.  For the 1997-1998 fiscal year only, funds may be appropriated to the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation to organize school children groups to facilitate the provision of preventive health care services to children at sites in addition to those allowed in subparagraph 1. This subparagraph is repealed on July 1, 1998.

(c)  Coverage under the corporation's program is secondary to any other available private coverage held by the participant child or family member. The corporation may establish procedures for coordinating benefits under this program with benefits under other public and private coverage.

(d)  The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall be a private corporation not for profit, organized pursuant to chapter 617, and shall have all powers necessary to carry out the purposes of this act, including, but not limited to, the power to receive and accept grants, loans, or advances of funds from any public or private agency and to receive and accept from any source contributions of money, property, labor, or any other thing of value, to be held, used, and applied for the purposes of this act.

(4)  BOARD OF DIRECTORS.--

(a)  The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall operate subject to the supervision and approval of a board of directors chaired by the Insurance Commissioner or her or his designee, and composed of 12 other members selected for 3-year terms of office as follows:

1.  One member appointed by the Commissioner of Education from among three persons nominated by the Florida Association of School Administrators;

2.  One member appointed by the Commissioner of Education from among three persons nominated by the Florida Association of School Boards;

3.  One member appointed by the Commissioner of Education from the Office of School Health Programs of the Florida Department of Education;

4.  One member appointed by the Governor from among three members nominated by the Florida Pediatric Society;

5.  One member, appointed by the Governor, who represents the ²Children's Medical Services Program;

6.  One member appointed by the Insurance Commissioner from among three members nominated by the Florida Hospital Association;

7.  Two members, appointed by the Insurance Commissioner, who are representatives of authorized health care insurers or health maintenance organizations;

8.  One member, appointed by the Insurance Commissioner, who represents the Institute for Child Health Policy;

9.  One member, appointed by the Governor, from among three members nominated by the Florida Academy of Family Physicians;

10.  One member, appointed by the Governor, who represents the Agency for Health Care Administration; and

11.  The State Health Officer or her or his designee.

In order to provide for staggered terms, the initial term of the members appointed under subparagraphs 1., 4., and 6. shall be for 2 years and the initial term of the members appointed under subparagraphs 2., 5., 8., and 10. shall be for 4 years.

(b)  A member of the board of directors may be removed by the official who appointed that member. The board shall appoint an executive director, who is responsible for other staff authorized by the board.

(c)  Board members are entitled to receive, from funds of the corporation, reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses as provided by s. 112.061.

(d)  There shall be no liability on the part of, and no cause of action shall arise against, any member of the board of directors, or its employees or agents, for any action they take in the performance of their powers and duties under this act.

(5)  LICENSING NOT REQUIRED; FISCAL OPERATION.--

(a)  The corporation shall not be deemed an insurer. The officers, directors, and employees of the corporation shall not be deemed to be agents of an insurer. Neither the corporation nor any officer, director, or employee of the corporation is subject to the licensing requirements of the insurance code or the rules of the Department of Insurance. However, the Department of Insurance may require that any marketing representative utilized and compensated by the corporation be appointed as a representative of the insurers or health services providers with which the corporation contracts.

(b)  The board has complete fiscal control over the corporation and is responsible for all corporate operations.

(c)  The Department of Insurance shall supervise any liquidation or dissolution of the corporation and shall have, with respect to such liquidation or dissolution, all power granted to it pursuant to the insurance code.

(6)  ACCESS TO RECORDS; CONFIDENTIALITY; PENALTIES.--Notwithstanding any other laws to the contrary, the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall have access to the medical records of a student upon receipt of permission from a parent or guardian of the student. Such medical records may be maintained by state and local agencies. Any identifying information, including medical records and family financial information, obtained by the corporation pursuant to this subsection is confidential and is exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). Neither the corporation nor the staff or agents of the corporation may release, without the written consent of the participant or the parent or guardian of the participant, to any state or federal agency, to any private business or person, or to any other entity, any confidential information received pursuant to this subsection. A violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

History.--s. 1, ch. 90-199; s. 1, ch. 91-188; s. 30, ch. 91-201; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 7, ch. 93-78; s. 21, ch. 93-129; s. 1, ch. 96-337; s. 368, ch. 96-406; s. 28, ch. 96-418; s. 9, ch. 96-420; s. 1722, ch. 97-102; s. 8, ch. 97-153.

¹Note.--Section 8, ch. 97-153, amended subparagraph (3)(b)13. "[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriation 211 of the 1997-1998 General Appropriations Act."

²Note.--Section 6(2), ch. 96-403, transfers all existing legal authorities and actions of the Children's Medical Services Program to the Department of Health, Division of Children's Medical Services.