| 1 | Representative Antone offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Between lines 3623 and 3624, insert: |
| 5 | Section 42. (1) The Legislature finds that many of our |
| 6 | state's hospitals are incurring millions of dollars in costs for |
| 7 | treating uninsured persons. |
| 8 | (2)(a) The Florida Uninsured Health Care Task Force is |
| 9 | established for the purpose of investigating how to reduce the |
| 10 | cost of treating uninsured persons. |
| 11 | (b) The task force shall be comprised of one |
| 12 | representative each from: |
| 13 | 1. The Florida Medical Association, appointed by the board |
| 14 | of governors of the association. |
| 15 | 2. The Florida Dental Association, appointed by the board |
| 16 | of trustees of the association. |
| 17 | 3. The Florida College of Emergency Physicians, appointed |
| 18 | by the board of directors of the college. |
| 19 | 4. The Florida Academy of Family Practitioners, appointed |
| 20 | by the governing authority of the academy. |
| 21 | 5. The Central Florida Partnership on Health Disparities, |
| 22 | appointed by the governing authority of the partnership. |
| 23 | 6. The Department of Health, appointed by Secretary of |
| 24 | Health. |
| 25 | 7. The Agency for Health Care Administration, appointed by |
| 26 | the Secretary of Health Care Administration. |
| 27 | 8. The Florida Association of Community Health Centers, |
| 28 | appointed by the board of directors of the association. |
| 29 | 9. The Florida Chamber of Commerce, appointed by the board |
| 30 | of directors of the chamber. |
| 31 | 10. The Florida Hospital Association, appointed by the |
| 32 | board of trustees of the association. |
| 33 | 11. The Teaching Hospitals Council, appointed by the |
| 34 | governing authority of the council. |
| 35 | 12. A public hospital more than 25 percent of the health |
| 36 | care services of which are provided to persons who are subjects |
| 37 | of charity, appointed by the governing authority of the |
| 38 | hospital. The hospital shall be designated by the board of |
| 39 | trustees of the Florida Hospital Association. |
| 40 | (c)1. The task force shall: |
| 41 | a. Study the gaps in access to health care between the |
| 42 | uninsured and those with health insurance. |
| 43 | b. Identify inexpensive insurance packages for the |
| 44 | uninsured that are advertised on television, radio, printed |
| 45 | media, and the Internet. |
| 46 | c. Study who the uninsured are among the working poor, |
| 47 | small business owners, Medicaid recipients, migrant workers, |
| 48 | illegal immigrants, and underinsured persons who spend more than |
| 49 | 10 percent of their annual income on health care. |
| 50 | d. Study how providers serve the uninsured, including, but |
| 51 | not limited to, how and where the uninsured receive health care |
| 52 | and why they receive health care from certain places. |
| 53 | e. Research available federal funding that might provide |
| 54 | assistance, including, but not limited to, the community health |
| 55 | clinics grant. |
| 56 | f. Identify funding alternatives which provide the |
| 57 | greatest access to federal matching money. |
| 58 | g. Develop a cost-effective model for treating the |
| 59 | uninsured and reducing costs in hospitals and other facilities |
| 60 | or groups in this state that provide health care services to the |
| 61 | uninsured. |
| 62 | 2. The task force shall develop innovative solutions for |
| 63 | treating the uninsured, reducing the caseloads in the emergency |
| 64 | rooms of our hospitals, and streamlining the resources, |
| 65 | treatment centers, community health centers, county health |
| 66 | clinics, and other health care facilities that treat uninsured |
| 67 | persons. |
| 68 | (3) The task force shall select a chair and shall meet at |
| 69 | the call of the chair but at least once each month. Membership |
| 70 | on the task force shall be voluntary and a vacancy shall be |
| 71 | filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Members |
| 72 | shall serve without compensation. |
| 73 | (4) The Department of Health and the Agency for Health |
| 74 | Care Administration shall jointly provide staff to assist the |
| 75 | task force in fulfilling its responsibilities. |
| 76 | (5) The task force shall develop solutions, make |
| 77 | recommendations, and report to the President of the Senate and |
| 78 | the Speaker of the House of Representatives at the beginning of |
| 79 | the 2005 Regular Session. The task force shall cease to exist |
| 80 | May 6, 2005. |
| 81 |
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| 82 |
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| 83 | ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ============= |
| 84 | Remove line 279, and insert: |
| 85 | availability of such information; providing a legislative |
| 86 | finding; creating the Florida Uninsured Health Care Task Force; |
| 87 | providing for membership; providing purposes and duties; |
| 88 | providing for staffing the task force; requiring a report; |
| 89 | providing for termination; repealing s. 408.02, |