SB 784- Relating to Health Care
On Wednesday, March 4th, SB 784, by Senator Don Gaetz (R-Panama City) passed through the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee unanimously with 11 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s General Counsel, Tammy Perdue, stood and spoke in opposition of this bill. 

Senate Bill 784 would attack the cost savings measures used by health plans with prescription drugs.  The bill would establish a Clinical Practices Review Commission within the Department of Health to review prior authorization, step therapy, or other protocols submitted by health plans.  The commission would determine if the limitation is supported by sufficient clinical evidence. The fear is that it will raise health care costs for employers who provide their employees with health care.

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

On Wednesday, March 4th, the Senate Health Policy Committee held a panel discussion on the following options for expanding health care coverage in Florida:

Healthy Works Florida  - This plan is a collective effort between Florida’s business community, AIF, the Florida Hospital Association, local Chambers of Commerce and other stakeholders, to extend coverage to additional Floridians with available federal funds. 

 In 2012, employers paid almost $3 billion to help cover the cost of those who could not afford to get health coverage, which cannot be sustained.  The proposed plan is not an expansion of the state’s Medicaid program, but is a private coverage option for persons making up to 138% of the federal poverty level.  The premiums for the program would be based on a sliding scale from $3 to $25 dollars a month.  An important component of the proposal is that low income persons must contribute to the coverage.