SB 1354 – relating to Health Care
On Tuesday, April 22nd, SB 1354, by Senator Denise Grimsley (R-Sebring) unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Tammy Perdue, AIF's General Counsel, stood in opposition of the bill during the committee, stating concerns that according to the staff analysis it will significantly increase costs to employers and individuals. The bill now heads to the Senate floor.

SB 1354 makes health care more expensive and impedes our mission to provide greater access to quality health care at more affordable costs for employers. 

As this bill now heads to the Senate floor, AIF encourages legislators to have more awareness on this legislative proposal that would create more red tape and higher costs for Florida businesses.

AIF opposes legislation that would make quality health care more expensive for Florida’s residents and employers.

HB 1275 – relating to Physician Assistants
On Tuesday, April 22nd, HB 1275, relating to Physicians Assistants, by Representative Larry Ahern (R-St. Petersburg) passed the House chamber by a 100-19 vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

The bill increases the number of physician assistants a physician may supervise from four to eight. An amendment adopted during the committee exempts this increased ratio for dermatologists’ office, which generally requires more hands-on supervision by a physician. An additional amendment added allows a physician to supervise a PA at a site other than their primary office for the provision of specialty skin services if certain training is completed.  Further, the bill would simplify the reporting system for PA’s who work under multiple physicians in hospitals.  Currently, a PA is required to list all of the physicians with whom they work in a report to the Department of Health (DOH).  This bill would require the PA to report to DOH only their primary supervising physician. 

AIF supports access for Floridians to high-paying jobs, such as physician assistant.

HB 7113 – relating to Health Care
On Friday, April 25th, HB 7113, relating to Health Care, by Representative Jason Brodeur (R-Sanford) passed the House chamber by a 74 to 42 vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. The bill has become a large package of various health care proposals, some of which are controversial.  The issues in the bill that are supported by AIF include:

• Encouraging use of telehealth by authorizing Florida licensed health care professionals to use telehealth to deliver health care services within their respective scopes of practice,  It would also allow out-of-state practitioners, if registered with the Department of Health, to use telehealth services within the relevant scope of practice established in Florida, to provide services to Floridians.
• Allowing Advanced Registered Nurse practitioners (ARNPs), after registering with the Board of Nursing, to practice without physician supervision and act as a patient’s primary care provider.  It would also allow them, to administer, dispense, order, and prescribe controlled medicinal drugs, including controlled substances that are not included in an exclusionary formulary.
• Increasing up to three the number of pharmacy technicians a pharmacist may supervise unless otherwise authorized by the Florida Board of Pharmacy.  The Board must establish a rule that outlines the circumstances under which a pharmacist may apply to supervise more than three, but not more than six, pharmacy technicians. 

Other provisions of the bill would include measures that would:  (1) take away the authority of the Miami Dade County Commission to approve labor contracts at Jackson Health System; (2) allow three trauma centers across the state to continue to operate even though a court ruled the Department of Health acted improperly when the department allow those facilities to be built.
Additionally, more provisions in the bill would:

• Require a hospital to provide 120 days' notice to privileged obstetrical physicians before closing its obstetrical department or ending obstetrical services at a hospital.
• Cap the amount a trauma center may charge for its trauma activation fee at $15,000 for one year and requires each trauma center to post the trauma activation fee within the center and on the trauma center's website home page.
• Provide an exemption from the CON review process for the transfer of not more than 15 percent of the acute care beds of a licensed hospital to another location in the county where the hospital located, if certain criteria are met.
• Require a physician to access the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and view a patient's prescription drug history prior to issuing a prescription for a controlled substance at the patient's first visit.
• Require a law enforcement agency seeking information from the PDMP to enter into a user agreement with the program which outlines terms of use, contains access control provisions, and requires an annual self-audit by the agency to ensure compliance with the agreement and applicable laws and rules.
• Direct Enterprise Florida, Inc., and Visit Florida to promote medical tourism and market the state as a healthcare destination and require Visit Florida to include medical tourism in the 4-year marketing plan and showcase Florida providers.

 

Although the bill now contains some other health care items that have not been AIF priorities throughout the session they do not have a harmful impact on Florida's business com unit and may actually benefit some AIF members. Accordingly, AIF salutes Rep. Brodeur for his leadership and passage of this health care measure and encourages the Florida Senate to pass it as well.

HB 323 – Relating to Pharmacy
On Friday, April 25th, HB 323, relating to Pharmacy, by Representative Mike La Rosa (R-Saint Cloud) and Representative Daphne Campbell (D-Miami Shores) passed the House chamber by an 85-33 vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

The bill would allow a pharmacist to supervise up to three registered pharmacy technicians unless otherwise authorized by the Florida Board of Pharmacy.  Further, the bill would require the Board to establish a rule that outlines the circumstances under which a pharmacist may apply to the Board to supervise more than three, but not more than six, pharmacy technicians.  Current law allows a pharmacist to supervise one registered pharmacy technician and allows the Board of Pharmacy to develop guidelines to establish the circumstances under which a pharmacist may be authorized to supervise up to three pharmacy technicians. 

AIF supports access for Floridians to high-paying jobs, such as pharmacy technician.