| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to health care; amending s. 112.0455, |
| 3 | F.S., and repealing paragraph (10)(e), relating to a |
| 4 | prohibition against applying the Drug-Free Workplace Act |
| 5 | retroactively; conforming a cross-reference; amending s. |
| 6 | 381.00315, F.S.; directing the Department of Health to |
| 7 | accept funds from counties, municipalities, and certain |
| 8 | other entities for the purchase of certain products made |
| 9 | available under a contract with the United States |
| 10 | Department of Health and Human Services for the |
| 11 | manufacture and delivery of such products in response to a |
| 12 | public health emergency; amending s. 381.932, F.S.; |
| 13 | revising certain criteria of the breast cancer early |
| 14 | detection and treatment referral program by requiring that |
| 15 | the public education and outreach initiative and |
| 16 | professional education programs use guidelines currently |
| 17 | employed by the United States Centers for Disease Control |
| 18 | and Prevention rather than the United States Preventive |
| 19 | Services Task Force; amending s. 381.06015, F.S.; |
| 20 | requiring the State Surgeon General to make certain |
| 21 | resources and materials relating to umbilical cord blood |
| 22 | available on the Internet website of the Department of |
| 23 | Health; requiring the Department of Health to encourage |
| 24 | certain health care professionals to make specified |
| 25 | information available to patients; repealing s. 383.325, |
| 26 | F.S., relating to the requirement of a licensed facility |
| 27 | under s. 383.305, F.S., to maintain inspection reports; |
| 28 | amending s. 395.1055, F.S., requiring Agency for Health |
| 29 | Care Administration rules related to infection control to |
| 30 | include a requirement that hospitals establish a |
| 31 | comprehensive plan to reduce health care associated |
| 32 | infections; establishing components for the plan; |
| 33 | repealing s. 395.1046, F.S., relating to the investigation |
| 34 | of complaints regarding hospitals; repealing s. 395.3037, |
| 35 | F.S.; deleting definitions relating to obsolete provisions |
| 36 | governing primary and comprehensive stroke centers; |
| 37 | amending s. 400.0239, F.S.; deleting an obsolete |
| 38 | provision; repealing s. 400.147(10), F.S., relating to a |
| 39 | requirement that a nursing home facility report any notice |
| 40 | of a filing of a claim for a violation of a resident's |
| 41 | rights or a claim of negligence; repealing s. 400.148, |
| 42 | F.S., relating to the Medicaid "Up-or-Out" Quality of Care |
| 43 | Contract Management Program; repealing s. 400.195, F.S., |
| 44 | relating to reporting requirements for the Agency for |
| 45 | Health Care Administration; amending s. 400.476, F.S.; |
| 46 | providing requirements for an alternate administrator of a |
| 47 | home health agency; revising the duties of the |
| 48 | administrator; revising the requirements for a director of |
| 49 | nursing for a specified number of home health agencies; |
| 50 | prohibiting a home health agency from using an individual |
| 51 | as a home health aide unless the person has completed |
| 52 | training and an evaluation program; requiring a home |
| 53 | health aide to meet certain standards in order to be |
| 54 | competent in performing certain tasks; requiring a home |
| 55 | health agency and staff to comply with accepted |
| 56 | professional standards; providing certain requirements for |
| 57 | a written contract between certain personnel and the |
| 58 | agency; requiring a home health agency to provide certain |
| 59 | services through its employees; authorizing a home health |
| 60 | agency to provide additional services with another |
| 61 | organization; providing responsibilities of a home health |
| 62 | agency when it provides home health aide services through |
| 63 | another organization; requiring the home health agency to |
| 64 | coordinate personnel who provide home health services; |
| 65 | requiring personnel to communicate with the home health |
| 66 | agency; amending s. 400.487, F.S.; requiring a home health |
| 67 | agency to provide a patient or the patient's legal |
| 68 | representative a copy of the agreement between the agency |
| 69 | and the patient which specifies the home health services |
| 70 | to be provided; providing the rights that are protected by |
| 71 | the home health agency; requiring the home health agency |
| 72 | to furnish nursing services by or under the supervision of |
| 73 | a registered nurse; requiring the home health agency to |
| 74 | provide therapy services through a qualified therapist or |
| 75 | therapy assistant; providing the duties and qualifications |
| 76 | of a therapist and therapy assistant; requiring |
| 77 | supervision by a physical therapist or occupational |
| 78 | therapist of a physical therapist assistant or |
| 79 | occupational therapy assistant; providing duties of a |
| 80 | physical therapist assistant or occupational therapy |
| 81 | assistant; providing for speech therapy services to be |
| 82 | provided by a qualified speech-language pathologist or |
| 83 | audiologist; providing for a plan of care; providing that |
| 84 | only the staff of a home health agency may administer |
| 85 | drugs and treatments as ordered by certain health |
| 86 | professionals; providing requirements for verbal orders; |
| 87 | providing duties of a registered nurse, licensed practical |
| 88 | nurse, home health aide, and certified nursing assistant |
| 89 | who work for a home health agency; providing for |
| 90 | supervisory visits of services provided by a home health |
| 91 | agency; amending s. 400.9905, F.S.; revising the |
| 92 | definition of the term "clinic" applicable to the Health |
| 93 | Care Clinic Act; providing exemptions from licensure |
| 94 | requirements for certain legal entities that provide |
| 95 | health care services; repealing s. 408.802(11), F.S., |
| 96 | relating to the applicability of the Health Care Licensing |
| 97 | Procedures Act to private review agents; repealing s. |
| 98 | 409.912(15)(e), (f), and (g), F.S., relating to a |
| 99 | requirement for the Agency for Health Care Administration |
| 100 | to submit a report to the Legislature regarding the |
| 101 | operations of the CARE program; repealing s. 409.9122(13), |
| 102 | F.S., relating to Medicaid managed prepaid plan minimum |
| 103 | enrollment levels for plans operating in Miami-Dade |
| 104 | County; amending s. 409.91255, F.S.; transferring |
| 105 | administrative responsibility for the application |
| 106 | procedure for federally qualified health centers from the |
| 107 | Department of Health to the Agency for Health Care |
| 108 | Administration; requiring the Florida Association of |
| 109 | Community Health Centers, Inc., to provide support and |
| 110 | assume administrative costs for the program; amending s. |
| 111 | 429.075, F.S.; requiring certain assisted living |
| 112 | facilities to maintain certain security services; |
| 113 | repealing s. 429.12(2), F.S., relating to the sale or |
| 114 | transfer of ownership of an assisted living facility; |
| 115 | repealing s. 429.23(5), F.S., relating to each assisted |
| 116 | living facility's requirement to submit a report to the |
| 117 | agency regarding liability claims filed against it; |
| 118 | repealing s. 429.911(2)(a), F.S., relating to an |
| 119 | intentional or negligent act materially affecting the |
| 120 | health or safety of center participants as grounds for |
| 121 | which the agency may take action against the owner of an |
| 122 | adult day care center or its operator or employee; |
| 123 | requiring persons who apply for licensure renewal as a |
| 124 | dentist or dental hygienist to furnish certain information |
| 125 | to the Department of Health in a dental workforce survey; |
| 126 | requiring the Board of Dentistry to issue a |
| 127 | nondisciplinary citation and a notice for failure to |
| 128 | complete the survey within a specified time; providing |
| 129 | notification requirements for the citation; requiring the |
| 130 | department to serve as the coordinating body for the |
| 131 | purpose of collecting, disseminating, and updating dental |
| 132 | workforce data; requiring the department to maintain a |
| 133 | database regarding the state's dental workforce; requiring |
| 134 | the department to develop strategies to maximize federal |
| 135 | and state programs and to work with an advisory body to |
| 136 | address matters relating to the state's dental workforce; |
| 137 | providing membership of the advisory body; providing for |
| 138 | members of the advisory body to serve without |
| 139 | compensation; requiring the department to act as a |
| 140 | clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating information |
| 141 | regarding the dental workforce; requiring the department |
| 142 | and the board to adopt rules; providing legislative intent |
| 143 | regarding implementation of the act within existing |
| 144 | resources; amending s. 499.01, F.S.; exempting certain |
| 145 | persons from requirements for medical device manufacturer |
| 146 | permits; authorizing certain business entities to pay for |
| 147 | prescription drugs obtained by practitioners licensed |
| 148 | under ch. 466, F.S.; amending s. 499.003, F.S.; defining |
| 149 | the term "medical convenience kit" for purposes of the |
| 150 | Florida Drug and Cosmetic Act; conforming cross- |
| 151 | references; amending ss. 409.9201, 465.0265, 499.0121, |
| 152 | 499.01211, 499.03, 499.05, and 794.075, F.S.; conforming |
| 153 | cross-references; amending s. 624.91, F.S.; revising the |
| 154 | membership of the board of directors of the Florida |
| 155 | Healthy Kids Corporation to include a member nominated by |
| 156 | the Florida Dental Association and appointed by the |
| 157 | Governor; amending s. 381.0403, F.S.; deleting provisions |
| 158 | relating to the program for graduate medical education |
| 159 | innovations and the graduate medical education committee |
| 160 | and report; conforming cross-references; amending s. |
| 161 | 381.4018, F.S.; providing definitions; requiring the |
| 162 | Department of Health to coordinate and enhance activities |
| 163 | regarding the reentry of retired military and other |
| 164 | physicians into the physician workforce; revising the list |
| 165 | of governmental stakeholders that the department is |
| 166 | required to work with regarding the state strategic plan |
| 167 | and in assessing the state's physician workforce; creating |
| 168 | the Physician Workforce Advisory Council; providing |
| 169 | membership of the council; providing for appointments to |
| 170 | the council; providing terms of membership; providing for |
| 171 | removal of a council member; providing for a chair and |
| 172 | vice chair of the council; providing that council members |
| 173 | are not entitled to receive compensation or reimbursement |
| 174 | for per diem or travel expenses; providing the duties of |
| 175 | the council; establishing the physician workforce graduate |
| 176 | medical education innovation pilot projects under the |
| 177 | department; providing the purposes of the pilot projects; |
| 178 | providing for the appropriation of state funds for the |
| 179 | pilot projects; requiring the pilot projects to meet |
| 180 | certain policy needs of the physician workforce in this |
| 181 | state; providing criteria for prioritizing proposals for |
| 182 | pilot projects; requiring the department to adopt by rule |
| 183 | appropriate performance measures; requiring participating |
| 184 | pilot projects to submit an annual report to the |
| 185 | department; requiring state funds to be used to supplement |
| 186 | funds from other sources; requiring the department to |
| 187 | adopt rules; amending s. 400.9905, F.S.; revising the |
| 188 | definition of the term "clinic"; amending ss. 458.3192 and |
| 189 | 459.0082, F.S.; requiring the department to determine by |
| 190 | geographic area and specialty the number of physicians and |
| 191 | osteopathic physicians who plan to relocate outside the |
| 192 | state, practice medicine in this state, and reduce or |
| 193 | modify the scope of their practice; authorizing the |
| 194 | department to report additional information in its |
| 195 | findings to the Governor and the Legislature; amending s. |
| 196 | 458.315, F.S.; revising the standards for the Board of |
| 197 | Medicine to issue a temporary certificate to a certain |
| 198 | physicians to practice medicine in areas of critical need; |
| 199 | authorizing the State Surgeon General to designate areas |
| 200 | of critical need; creating s. 459.0076, F.S.; authorizing |
| 201 | the Board of Osteopathic Medicine to issue temporary |
| 202 | certificates to osteopathic physicians who meet certain |
| 203 | requirements to practice osteopathic medicine in areas of |
| 204 | critical need; providing restrictions for issuance of a |
| 205 | temporary certificate; authorizing the State Surgeon |
| 206 | General to designate areas of critical need; authorizing |
| 207 | the Board of Osteopathic Medicine to waive the application |
| 208 | fee and licensure fees for obtaining temporary |
| 209 | certificates for certain purposes; amending s. 499.01212, |
| 210 | F.S.; exempting prescription drugs contained in sealed |
| 211 | medical convenience kits from the pedigree paper |
| 212 | requirements under specified circumstances; reenacting s. |
| 213 | 465.0251, F.S., to require the Board of Pharmacy and the |
| 214 | Board of Medicine to remove certain drugs from the |
| 215 | negative formulary for generic and brand-name drugs based |
| 216 | on current references published by the United States Food |
| 217 | and Drug Administration; amending s. 626.9541, F.S.; |
| 218 | authorizing an insurer offering a group or individual |
| 219 | health benefit plan to offer a wellness program; |
| 220 | authorizing rewards or incentives; providing that such |
| 221 | rewards or incentives are not insurance benefits; |
| 222 | providing for verification of a member's inability to |
| 223 | participate for medical reasons; providing an effective |
| 224 | date. |
| 225 |
|
| 226 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 227 |
|
| 228 | Section 1. Paragraph (e) of subsection (10) of section |
| 229 | 112.0455, Florida Statutes, is repealed, and paragraph (e) of |
| 230 | subsection (14) of that section is amended to read: |
| 231 | 112.0455 Drug-Free Workplace Act.- |
| 232 | (14) DISCIPLINE REMEDIES.- |
| 233 | (e) Upon resolving an appeal filed pursuant to paragraph |
| 234 | (c), and finding a violation of this section, the commission may |
| 235 | order the following relief: |
| 236 | 1. Rescind the disciplinary action, expunge related |
| 237 | records from the personnel file of the employee or job applicant |
| 238 | and reinstate the employee. |
| 239 | 2. Order compliance with paragraph (10)(f)(g). |
| 240 | 3. Award back pay and benefits. |
| 241 | 4. Award the prevailing employee or job applicant the |
| 242 | necessary costs of the appeal, reasonable attorney's fees, and |
| 243 | expert witness fees. |
| 244 | Section 2. Subsection (3) is added to section 381.00315, |
| 245 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 246 | 381.00315 Public health advisories; public health |
| 247 | emergencies.-The State Health Officer is responsible for |
| 248 | declaring public health emergencies and issuing public health |
| 249 | advisories. |
| 250 | (3) To facilitate effective emergency management, when the |
| 251 | United States Department of Health and Human Services contracts |
| 252 | for the manufacture and delivery of licensable products in |
| 253 | response to a public health emergency and the terms of those |
| 254 | contracts are made available to the states, the department shall |
| 255 | accept funds provided by cities, counties, and other entities |
| 256 | designated in the state emergency management plan required under |
| 257 | s. 252.35(2)(a) for the purpose of participation in those |
| 258 | contracts. The department shall deposit those funds in the |
| 259 | Grants and Donations Trust Fund and expend those funds on behalf |
| 260 | of the donor city, county, or other entity for the purchase of |
| 261 | the licensable products made available under the contract. |
| 262 | Section 3. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (3) of |
| 263 | section 381.932, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 264 | 381.932 Breast cancer early detection and treatment |
| 265 | referral program.- |
| 266 | (3) The program shall include, but not be limited to, the: |
| 267 | (a) Establishment of a public education and outreach |
| 268 | initiative to publicize breast cancer early detection services, |
| 269 | the benefits of early detection of breast cancer, and the |
| 270 | recommended frequency for receiving screening services, |
| 271 | including clinical breast examinations and mammography |
| 272 | guidelines currently employed established by the United States |
| 273 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Preventive Services |
| 274 | Task Force. |
| 275 | (b) Development of professional education programs that |
| 276 | include information regarding the benefits of the early |
| 277 | detection of breast cancer and the recommended frequency for |
| 278 | receiving a mammogram, as recommended in the most current breast |
| 279 | cancer screening guidelines currently employed established by |
| 280 | the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| 281 | Preventive Services Task Force. |
| 282 | Section 4. Subsection (2) of section 381.06015, Florida |
| 283 | Statutes, is amended, and subsection (8) is added to that |
| 284 | section, to read: |
| 285 | 381.06015 Public Cord Blood Tissue Bank.- |
| 286 | (2)(a) The Agency for Health Care Administration and the |
| 287 | Department of Health shall encourage health care providers, |
| 288 | including, but not limited to, hospitals, birthing facilities, |
| 289 | county health departments, physicians, midwives, and nurses, to |
| 290 | disseminate information about the Public Cord Blood Tissue Bank. |
| 291 | (b) The State Surgeon General shall make publicly |
| 292 | available, by posting on the Internet website of the Department |
| 293 | of Health, resources and an Internet website link to materials |
| 294 | relating to umbilical cord blood that have been developed by the |
| 295 | Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation. |
| 296 | (8) Beginning October 1, 2010, the Department of Health |
| 297 | shall encourage health care professionals who provide health |
| 298 | care services that are directly related to a woman's pregnancy |
| 299 | to make available to the patient before her third trimester of |
| 300 | pregnancy, or, if later, at the first visit of such pregnant |
| 301 | woman to the provider, information developed under paragraph |
| 302 | (2)(b) relating to the woman's options with respect to umbilical |
| 303 | cord blood banking. |
| 304 | Section 5. Section 383.325, Florida Statutes, is repealed. |
| 305 | Section 6. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section |
| 306 | 395.1055, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 307 | 395.1055 Rules and enforcement.- |
| 308 | (1) The agency shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. |
| 309 | 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this part, |
| 310 | which shall include reasonable and fair minimum standards for |
| 311 | ensuring that: |
| 312 | (b) Infection control, housekeeping, sanitary conditions, |
| 313 | and medical record procedures that will adequately protect |
| 314 | patient care and safety are established and implemented. |
| 315 | Infection control rules shall include a requirement to establish |
| 316 | and implement a comprehensive plan to reduce health care |
| 317 | associated infections. The plan must include all of the |
| 318 | following components: |
| 319 | 1. A baseline measurement of health care associated |
| 320 | infections in the hospital that uses the National Healthcare |
| 321 | Safety Network and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| 322 | surveillance definitions and reports the number of infections in |
| 323 | each category relative to the volume of possible cases in the |
| 324 | hospital. |
| 325 | 2. A goal for reducing the incidence of infections by a |
| 326 | specific amount within a defined period of time. The hospital's |
| 327 | goal for reduction of infections must be commensurate with the |
| 328 | national goal for reducing each type of health care associated |
| 329 | infection. |
| 330 | 3. An action plan for reducing each type of health care |
| 331 | associated infection, including the use of real-time infection |
| 332 | surveillance technology or automated infection control or |
| 333 | prevention technology. |
| 334 | 4. Methods for making information available to patients |
| 335 | and the public regarding baseline measurements and periodic |
| 336 | reports on the hospital's progress in improving measures |
| 337 | designed to reduce health care associated infections. |
| 338 | Section 7. Section 395.1046, Florida Statutes, is |
| 339 | repealed. |
| 340 | Section 8. Section 395.3037, Florida Statutes, is |
| 341 | repealed. |
| 342 | Section 9. Paragraph (g) of subsection (2) of section |
| 343 | 400.0239, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 344 | 400.0239 Quality of Long-Term Care Facility Improvement |
| 345 | Trust Fund.- |
| 346 | (2) Expenditures from the trust fund shall be allowable |
| 347 | for direct support of the following: |
| 348 | (g) Other initiatives authorized by the Centers for |
| 349 | Medicare and Medicaid Services for the use of federal civil |
| 350 | monetary penalties, including projects recommended through the |
| 351 | Medicaid "Up-or-Out" Quality of Care Contract Management Program |
| 352 | pursuant to s. 400.148. |
| 353 | Section 10. Subsection (10) of section 400.147, Florida |
| 354 | Statutes, is repealed. |
| 355 | Section 11. Section 400.148, Florida Statutes, is |
| 356 | repealed. |
| 357 | Section 12. Section 400.195, Florida Statutes, is |
| 358 | repealed. |
| 359 | Section 13. Section 400.476, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 360 | to read: |
| 361 | 400.476 Staffing requirements; notifications; limitations |
| 362 | on staffing services.- |
| 363 | (1) ADMINISTRATOR.- |
| 364 | (a) An administrator may manage only one home health |
| 365 | agency, except that an administrator may manage up to five home |
| 366 | health agencies if all five home health agencies have identical |
| 367 | controlling interests as defined in s. 408.803 and are located |
| 368 | within one agency geographic service area or within an |
| 369 | immediately contiguous county. If the home health agency is |
| 370 | licensed under this chapter and is part of a retirement |
| 371 | community that provides multiple levels of care, an employee of |
| 372 | the retirement community may administer the home health agency |
| 373 | and up to a maximum of four entities licensed under this chapter |
| 374 | or chapter 429 which all have identical controlling interests as |
| 375 | defined in s. 408.803. An administrator shall designate, in |
| 376 | writing, for each licensed entity, a qualified alternate |
| 377 | administrator to serve during the administrator's absence. An |
| 378 | alternate administrator must meet the requirements in this |
| 379 | paragraph and s. 400.462(1). |
| 380 | (b) An administrator of a home health agency who is a |
| 381 | licensed physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse |
| 382 | licensed to practice in this state may also be the director of |
| 383 | nursing for a home health agency. An administrator may serve as |
| 384 | a director of nursing for up to the number of entities |
| 385 | authorized in subsection (2) only if there are 10 or fewer full- |
| 386 | time equivalent employees and contracted personnel in each home |
| 387 | health agency. |
| 388 | (c) The administrator shall organize and direct the |
| 389 | agency's ongoing functions, maintain an ongoing liaison with the |
| 390 | board members and the staff, employ qualified personnel and |
| 391 | ensure adequate staff education and evaluations, ensure the |
| 392 | accuracy of public informational materials and activities, |
| 393 | implement an effective budgeting and accounting system, and |
| 394 | ensure that the home health agency operates in compliance with |
| 395 | this part and part II of chapter 408 and rules adopted for these |
| 396 | laws. |
| 397 | (d) The administrator shall clearly set forth in writing |
| 398 | the organizational chart, services furnished, administrative |
| 399 | control authority, and lines of authority for the delegation of |
| 400 | responsibilities for patient care. These responsibilities must |
| 401 | be readily identifiable. Administrative and supervisory |
| 402 | functions may not be delegated to another agency or |
| 403 | organization, and the primary home health agency shall monitor |
| 404 | and control all services that are not furnished directly, |
| 405 | including services provided through contracts. |
| 406 | (2) DIRECTOR OF NURSING.- |
| 407 | (a) A director of nursing may be the director of nursing |
| 408 | for: |
| 409 | 1. Up to two licensed home health agencies if the agencies |
| 410 | have identical controlling interests as defined in s. 408.803 |
| 411 | and are located within one agency geographic service area or |
| 412 | within an immediately contiguous county; or |
| 413 | 2. Up to five licensed home health agencies if: |
| 414 | a. All of the home health agencies have identical |
| 415 | controlling interests as defined in s. 408.803; |
| 416 | b. All of the home health agencies are located within one |
| 417 | agency geographic service area or within an immediately |
| 418 | contiguous county; and |
| 419 | c. Each home health agency has a registered nurse who |
| 420 | meets the qualifications of a director of nursing and who has a |
| 421 | written delegation from the director of nursing to serve as the |
| 422 | director of nursing for that home health agency when the |
| 423 | director of nursing is not present; and. |
| 424 | d. This person, or a similarly qualified alternate, is |
| 425 | available at all times by telecommunications during operating |
| 426 | hours and participates. |
| 427 |
|
| 428 | If a home health agency licensed under this chapter is part of a |
| 429 | retirement community that provides multiple levels of care, an |
| 430 | employee of the retirement community may serve as the director |
| 431 | of nursing of the home health agency and up to a maximum of four |
| 432 | entities, other than home health agencies, licensed under this |
| 433 | chapter or chapter 429 which all have identical controlling |
| 434 | interests as defined in s. 408.803. |
| 435 | (b) A home health agency that provides skilled nursing |
| 436 | care may not operate for more than 30 calendar days without a |
| 437 | director of nursing. A home health agency that provides skilled |
| 438 | nursing care and the director of nursing of a home health agency |
| 439 | must notify the agency within 10 business days after termination |
| 440 | of the services of the director of nursing for the home health |
| 441 | agency. A home health agency that provides skilled nursing care |
| 442 | must notify the agency of the identity and qualifications of the |
| 443 | new director of nursing within 10 days after the new director is |
| 444 | hired. If a home health agency that provides skilled nursing |
| 445 | care operates for more than 30 calendar days without a director |
| 446 | of nursing, the home health agency commits a class II |
| 447 | deficiency. In addition to the fine for a class II deficiency, |
| 448 | the agency may issue a moratorium in accordance with s. 408.814 |
| 449 | or revoke the license. The agency shall fine a home health |
| 450 | agency that fails to notify the agency as required in this |
| 451 | paragraph $1,000 for the first violation and $2,000 for a repeat |
| 452 | violation. The agency may not take administrative action against |
| 453 | a home health agency if the director of nursing fails to notify |
| 454 | the department upon termination of services as the director of |
| 455 | nursing for the home health agency. |
| 456 | (c) A home health agency that is not Medicare or Medicaid |
| 457 | certified and does not provide skilled care or provides only |
| 458 | physical, occupational, or speech therapy is not required to |
| 459 | have a director of nursing and is exempt from paragraph (b). |
| 460 | (3) TRAINING.-A home health agency shall ensure that each |
| 461 | certified nursing assistant employed by or under contract with |
| 462 | the home health agency and each home health aide employed by or |
| 463 | under contract with the home health agency is adequately trained |
| 464 | to perform the tasks of a home health aide in the home setting. |
| 465 | (a) The home health agency may not use as a home health |
| 466 | aide on a full-time, temporary, per diem, or other basis any |
| 467 | individual to provide services unless the individual has |
| 468 | completed a training and competency evaluation program, or a |
| 469 | competency evaluation program, as permitted in s. 400.497, which |
| 470 | meets the minimum standards established by the agency in state |
| 471 | rules. |
| 472 | (b) A home health aide is not competent in any task for |
| 473 | which he or she is evaluated as "unsatisfactory." The aide must |
| 474 | perform any such task only under direct supervision by a |
| 475 | licensed nurse until he or she receives training in the task and |
| 476 | satisfactorily passes a subsequent evaluation in performing the |
| 477 | task. A home health aide has not successfully passed a |
| 478 | competency evaluation if the aide does not have a passing score |
| 479 | on the test as specified by agency rule. |
| 480 | (4) STAFFING.-Staffing services may be provided anywhere |
| 481 | within the state. |
| 482 | (5) PERSONNEL.- |
| 483 | (a) The home health agency and its staff must comply with |
| 484 | accepted professional standards and principles that apply to |
| 485 | professionals, including, but not limited to, the state practice |
| 486 | acts and the home health agency's policies and procedures. |
| 487 | (b) Except for direct employees of the home health agency, |
| 488 | if personnel under hourly or per-visit contracts are used by the |
| 489 | home health agency, there must be a written contract between |
| 490 | those personnel and the agency which specifies the following |
| 491 | requirements: |
| 492 | 1. Acceptance for care only of patients by the primary |
| 493 | home health agency. |
| 494 | 2. The services to be furnished. |
| 495 | 3. The necessity to conform to all applicable agency |
| 496 | policies, including personnel qualifications. |
| 497 | 4. The responsibility for participating in developing |
| 498 | plans of care. |
| 499 | 5. The manner in which services are controlled, |
| 500 | coordinated, and evaluated by the primary home health agency. |
| 501 | 6. The procedures for submitting clinical and progress |
| 502 | notes, scheduling visits, and providing periodic patient |
| 503 | evaluations. |
| 504 | 7. The procedures for payment for services furnished under |
| 505 | the contract. |
| 506 | (c) A home health agency shall directly provide at least |
| 507 | one of the types of authorized services through home health |
| 508 | agency employees, but may provide additional services under |
| 509 | arrangements with another agency or organization. Services |
| 510 | furnished under such arrangements must have a written contract |
| 511 | conforming to the requirements specified in paragraph (b). |
| 512 | (d) If home health aide services are provided by an |
| 513 | individual who is not employed directly by the home health |
| 514 | agency, the services of the home health aide must be provided |
| 515 | under arrangements as stated in paragraphs (b) and (c). If the |
| 516 | home health agency chooses to provide home health aide services |
| 517 | under arrangements with another organization, the |
| 518 | responsibilities of the home health agency include, but are not |
| 519 | limited to: |
| 520 | 1. Ensuring the overall quality of the care provided by |
| 521 | the aide. |
| 522 | 2. Supervising the aide's services as described in s. |
| 523 | 400.487. |
| 524 | 3. Ensuring that each home health aide providing services |
| 525 | under arrangements with another organization has met the |
| 526 | training requirements or competency evaluation requirements of |
| 527 | s. 400.497. |
| 528 | (e) The home health agency shall coordinate the efforts of |
| 529 | all personnel furnishing services, and the personnel shall |
| 530 | maintain communication with the home health agency to ensure |
| 531 | that personnel efforts support the objectives outlined in the |
| 532 | plan of care. The clinical record or minutes of case conferences |
| 533 | shall ensure that effective interchange, reporting, and |
| 534 | coordination of patient care occurs. |
| 535 | Section 14. Section 400.487, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 536 | to read: |
| 537 | 400.487 Home health service agreements; physician's, |
| 538 | physician assistant's, and advanced registered nurse |
| 539 | practitioner's treatment orders; patient assessment; |
| 540 | establishment and review of plan of care; provision of services; |
| 541 | orders not to resuscitate.- |
| 542 | (1) Services provided by a home health agency must be |
| 543 | covered by an agreement between the home health agency and the |
| 544 | patient or the patient's legal representative specifying the |
| 545 | home health services to be provided, the rates or charges for |
| 546 | services paid with private funds, and the sources of payment, |
| 547 | which may include Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, |
| 548 | personal funds, or a combination thereof. The home health agency |
| 549 | shall provide a copy of the agreement to the patient or the |
| 550 | patient's legal representative. A home health agency providing |
| 551 | skilled care must make an assessment of the patient's needs |
| 552 | within 48 hours after the start of services. |
| 553 | (2) When required by the provisions of chapter 464; part |
| 554 | I, part III, or part V of chapter 468; or chapter 486, the |
| 555 | attending physician, physician assistant, or advanced registered |
| 556 | nurse practitioner, acting within his or her respective scope of |
| 557 | practice, shall establish treatment orders for a patient who is |
| 558 | to receive skilled care. The treatment orders must be signed by |
| 559 | the physician, physician assistant, or advanced registered nurse |
| 560 | practitioner before a claim for payment for the skilled services |
| 561 | is submitted by the home health agency. If the claim is |
| 562 | submitted to a managed care organization, the treatment orders |
| 563 | must be signed within the time allowed under the provider |
| 564 | agreement. The treatment orders shall be reviewed, as frequently |
| 565 | as the patient's illness requires, by the physician, physician |
| 566 | assistant, or advanced registered nurse practitioner in |
| 567 | consultation with the home health agency. |
| 568 | (3) A home health agency shall arrange for supervisory |
| 569 | visits by a registered nurse to the home of a patient receiving |
| 570 | home health aide services as specified in subsection (9) in |
| 571 | accordance with the patient's direction, approval, and agreement |
| 572 | to pay the charge for the visits. |
| 573 | (4) The home health agency shall protect and promote the |
| 574 | rights of each individual under its care, including each of the |
| 575 | following rights: |
| 576 | (a) Notice of rights.-The home health agency shall provide |
| 577 | the patient with a written notice of the patient's rights in |
| 578 | advance of furnishing care to the patient or during the initial |
| 579 | evaluation visit before the initiation of treatment. The home |
| 580 | health agency must maintain documentation showing that it has |
| 581 | complied with the requirements of this section. |
| 582 | (b) Exercise of rights and respect for property and |
| 583 | person.- |
| 584 | 1. The patient has the right to exercise his or her rights |
| 585 | as a patient of the home health agency. |
| 586 | 2. The patient has the right to have his or her property |
| 587 | treated with respect. |
| 588 | 3. The patient has the right to voice grievances regarding |
| 589 | treatment or care that is or fails to be furnished, or regarding |
| 590 | the lack of respect for property by anyone who is furnishing |
| 591 | services on behalf of the home health agency, and not be |
| 592 | subjected to discrimination or reprisal for doing so. |
| 593 | 4. The home health agency must investigate complaints made |
| 594 | by a patient or the patient's family or guardian regarding |
| 595 | treatment or care that is or fails to be furnished or regarding |
| 596 | the lack of respect for the patient's property by anyone |
| 597 | furnishing services on behalf of the home health agency. The |
| 598 | home health agency shall document the existence of the complaint |
| 599 | and its resolution. |
| 600 | 5. The patient and his or her immediate family or |
| 601 | representative must be informed of the right to report |
| 602 | complaints via the statewide toll-free telephone number to the |
| 603 | agency as required in s. 408.810. |
| 604 | (c) Right to be informed and to participate in planning |
| 605 | care and treatment.- |
| 606 | 1. The patient has the right to be informed, in advance, |
| 607 | about the care to be furnished and of any changes in the care to |
| 608 | be furnished. The home health agency shall advise the patient in |
| 609 | advance of which disciplines will furnish care and the frequency |
| 610 | of visits proposed to be furnished. The home health agency must |
| 611 | advise the patient in advance of any change in the plan of care |
| 612 | before the change is made. |
| 613 | 2. The patient has the right to participate in the |
| 614 | planning of the care. The home health agency must advise the |
| 615 | patient in advance of the right to participate in planning the |
| 616 | care or treatment and in planning changes in the care or |
| 617 | treatment. Each patient has the right to be informed of and to |
| 618 | participate in the planning of his or her care. Each patient |
| 619 | must be provided, upon request, a copy of the plan of care |
| 620 | established and maintained for that patient by the home health |
| 621 | agency. |
| 622 | (5) When nursing services are ordered, the home health |
| 623 | agency to which a patient has been admitted for care must |
| 624 | provide the initial admission visit, all service evaluation |
| 625 | visits, and the discharge visit by a direct employee. Services |
| 626 | provided by others under contractual arrangements to a home |
| 627 | health agency must be monitored and managed by the admitting |
| 628 | home health agency. The admitting home health agency is fully |
| 629 | responsible for ensuring that all care provided through its |
| 630 | employees or contract staff is delivered in accordance with this |
| 631 | part and applicable rules. |
| 632 | (6) The skilled care services provided by a home health |
| 633 | agency, directly or under contract, must be supervised and |
| 634 | coordinated in accordance with the plan of care. The home health |
| 635 | agency shall furnish skilled nursing services by or under the |
| 636 | supervision of a registered nurse and in accordance with the |
| 637 | plan of care. Any therapy services offered directly or under |
| 638 | arrangement by the home health agency must be provided by a |
| 639 | qualified therapist or by a qualified therapy assistant under |
| 640 | the supervision of a qualified therapist and in accordance with |
| 641 | the plan of care. |
| 642 | (a) Physical therapy services.-Physical therapy services |
| 643 | shall be furnished only by or under the supervision of a |
| 644 | licensed physical therapist or licensed physical therapist |
| 645 | assistant as required under chapter 486 and related applicable |
| 646 | rules. A physical therapist assistant shall perform services |
| 647 | planned, delegated, and supervised by the physical therapist, |
| 648 | assist in preparing clinical notes and progress reports, |
| 649 | participate in educating the patient and his or her family, and |
| 650 | participate in in-service programs. This paragraph does not |
| 651 | limit the services provided by a physician licensed under |
| 652 | chapter 458 or chapter 459. |
| 653 | (b) Occupational therapy services.-Occupational therapy |
| 654 | services shall be furnished only by or under the supervision of |
| 655 | a licensed occupational therapist or occupational therapy |
| 656 | assistant as provided under part III of chapter 468 and related |
| 657 | applicable rules. An occupational therapy assistant shall |
| 658 | perform any services planned, delegated, and supervised by an |
| 659 | occupational therapist, assist in preparing clinical notes and |
| 660 | progress reports, participate in educating the patient and his |
| 661 | or her family, and participate in in-service programs. This |
| 662 | paragraph does not limit the services provided by a physician |
| 663 | licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459. |
| 664 | (c) Speech therapy services.-Speech therapy services shall |
| 665 | be furnished only by or under supervision of a qualified speech- |
| 666 | language pathologist or audiologist as required in part I of |
| 667 | chapter 468 and applicable rules. |
| 668 | (d) Care follows a written plan of care.-The plan of care |
| 669 | shall be reviewed by the physician or health professional who |
| 670 | provided the treatment orders pursuant to subsection (2) and |
| 671 | home health agency personnel as often as the severity of the |
| 672 | patient's condition requires, but at least once every 60 days or |
| 673 | more when there is a patient-elected transfer, a significant |
| 674 | change in condition, or a discharge and return to the same home |
| 675 | health agency during the 60-day episode. Professional staff of a |
| 676 | home health agency shall promptly alert the physician or other |
| 677 | health professional who provided the treatment orders of any |
| 678 | change that suggests a need to alter the plan of care. |
| 679 | (e) Administration of drugs and treatment.-Only |
| 680 | professional staff of a home health agency may administer drugs |
| 681 | and treatments as ordered by the physician or health |
| 682 | professional pursuant to subsection (2), with the exception of |
| 683 | influenza and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines, which may be |
| 684 | administered according to the policy of the home health agency |
| 685 | developed in consultation with a physician and after an |
| 686 | assessment for contraindications. Verbal orders shall be in |
| 687 | writing and signed and dated with the date of receipt by the |
| 688 | registered nurse or qualified therapist who is responsible for |
| 689 | furnishing or supervising the ordered service. A verbal order |
| 690 | may be accepted only by personnel who are authorized to do so by |
| 691 | applicable state laws, rules, and internal policies of the home |
| 692 | health agency. |
| 693 | (7) A registered nurse shall conduct the initial |
| 694 | evaluation visit, regularly reevaluate the patient's nursing |
| 695 | needs, initiate the plan of care and necessary revisions, |
| 696 | furnish those services requiring substantial and specialized |
| 697 | nursing skill, initiate appropriate preventive and |
| 698 | rehabilitative nursing procedures, prepare clinical and progress |
| 699 | notes, coordinate services, inform the physician and other |
| 700 | personnel of changes in the patient's condition and needs, |
| 701 | counsel the patient and his or her family in meeting nursing and |
| 702 | related needs, participate in in-service programs, and supervise |
| 703 | and teach other nursing personnel, unless the home health agency |
| 704 | providing the home health aide services is not Medicare- |
| 705 | certified or Medicaid-certified and does not provide skilled |
| 706 | care or the patient is not receiving skilled care. |
| 707 | (8) A licensed practical nurse shall furnish services in |
| 708 | accordance with agency policies, prepare clinical and progress |
| 709 | notes, assist the physician and registered nurse in performing |
| 710 | specialized procedures, prepare equipment and materials for |
| 711 | treatments observing aseptic technique as required, and assist |
| 712 | the patient in learning appropriate self-care techniques. |
| 713 | (9) A home health aide and certified nursing assistant |
| 714 | shall provide services that are in the service provision plan |
| 715 | provided in s. 400.491 and other services that the home health |
| 716 | aide or certified nursing assistant is permitted to perform |
| 717 | under state law. The duties of a home health aide or certified |
| 718 | nursing assistant include the provision of hands-on personal |
| 719 | care, performance of simple procedures as an extension of |
| 720 | therapy or nursing services, assistance in ambulation or |
| 721 | exercises, and assistance in administering medications that are |
| 722 | ordinarily self-administered and are specified in agency rules. |
| 723 | Any services by a home health aide which are offered by a home |
| 724 | health agency must be provided by a qualified home health aide |
| 725 | or certified nursing assistant. |
| 726 | (a) Assignment and duties.-A home health aide or certified |
| 727 | nursing assistant shall be assigned to a specific patient by a |
| 728 | registered nurse, unless the home health agency providing the |
| 729 | home health aide services is not Medicare-certified or Medicaid- |
| 730 | certified and does not provide skilled care or the patient is |
| 731 | not receiving skilled care. Written patient care instructions |
| 732 | for the home health aide and certified nursing assistant must be |
| 733 | prepared by the registered nurse or other appropriate |
| 734 | professional who is responsible for the supervision of the home |
| 735 | health aide and certified nursing assistant as stated in this |
| 736 | section. |
| 737 | (b) Supervision.-If a patient receives skilled nursing |
| 738 | care, the registered nurse shall perform the supervisory visit. |
| 739 | If the patient is not receiving skilled nursing care but is |
| 740 | receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech- |
| 741 | language pathology services, the appropriate therapist may |
| 742 | provide the supervision. A registered nurse or other |
| 743 | professional must make an onsite visit to the patient's home at |
| 744 | least once every 2 weeks. The visit is not required while the |
| 745 | aide is providing care. |
| 746 | (c) Supervisory visits.-If home health aide services are |
| 747 | provided to a patient who is not receiving skilled nursing care, |
| 748 | physical or occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology |
| 749 | services, a registered nurse must make a supervisory visit to |
| 750 | the patient's home at least once every 60 days, unless the home |
| 751 | health agency providing the home health aide services is not |
| 752 | Medicare-certified or Medicaid-certified and does not provide |
| 753 | skilled care, either directly or through contracts. The |
| 754 | registered nurse shall ensure that the aide is properly caring |
| 755 | for the patient and each supervisory visit must occur while the |
| 756 | home health aide is providing patient care. In addition to the |
| 757 | requirements in this subsection, a home health agency shall |
| 758 | arrange for additional supervisory visits by a registered nurse |
| 759 | to the home of a patient receiving home health aide services in |
| 760 | accordance with the patient's direction, approval, and agreement |
| 761 | to pay the charge for the visits. |
| 762 | (10)(7) Home health agency personnel may withhold or |
| 763 | withdraw cardiopulmonary resuscitation if presented with an |
| 764 | order not to resuscitate executed pursuant to s. 401.45. The |
| 765 | agency shall adopt rules providing for the implementation of |
| 766 | such orders. Home health personnel and agencies shall not be |
| 767 | subject to criminal prosecution or civil liability, nor be |
| 768 | considered to have engaged in negligent or unprofessional |
| 769 | conduct, for withholding or withdrawing cardiopulmonary |
| 770 | resuscitation pursuant to such an order and rules adopted by the |
| 771 | agency. |
| 772 | Section 15. Paragraphs (f) and (g) of subsection (4) of |
| 773 | section 400.9905, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 774 | 400.9905 Definitions.- |
| 775 | (4) "Clinic" means an entity at which health care services |
| 776 | are provided to individuals and which tenders charges for |
| 777 | reimbursement for such services, including a mobile clinic and a |
| 778 | portable equipment provider. For purposes of this part, the term |
| 779 | does not include and the licensure requirements of this part do |
| 780 | not apply to: |
| 781 | (f) A sole proprietorship, group practice, partnership, or |
| 782 | corporation, or other legal entity that provides health care |
| 783 | services by practitioners licensed under chapter 458, chapter |
| 784 | 459, chapter 461, chapter 466, or chapter 460 and subject to the |
| 785 | limitations of s. 460.4167 physicians covered by s. 627.419, |
| 786 | that is directly supervised by one or more of such physicians or |
| 787 | physician assistants, and that is wholly owned by one or more of |
| 788 | those physicians or physician assistants or by a physician or |
| 789 | physician assistant or and the spouse, parent, child, or sibling |
| 790 | of that physician or physician assistant. A certificate of |
| 791 | exemption is valid only for the entity, persons, and location |
| 792 | for which it was originally issued. |
| 793 | 1. An individual who is not a medical professional or |
| 794 | family member listed in this paragraph may own up to 30 percent |
| 795 | of a health care clinic entity that is exempt under this |
| 796 | paragraph if the individual obtains prior approval from the |
| 797 | agency for ownership of a percentage of a health care clinic. |
| 798 | Such an individual is considered an "applicant" under s. |
| 799 | 400.991(5) and must meet all the requirements of that section |
| 800 | and the level 2 background screening requirements of s. 408.809 |
| 801 | before being approved by the agency for ownership of a minority |
| 802 | interest in a health care clinic. |
| 803 | 2. If an individual who is not a medical professional or |
| 804 | family member listed in this paragraph assumes ownership of an |
| 805 | investment interest in a health care clinic without the prior |
| 806 | approval of the agency, the health care clinic shall lose its |
| 807 | exemption from licensure under this paragraph. |
| 808 | 3. Ownership of a health care clinic by an individual |
| 809 | other than the physician or physician assistant, or by the |
| 810 | spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the physician or physician |
| 811 | assistant to whom the exemption was granted, may not exceed 30 |
| 812 | percent. |
| 813 | (g) A sole proprietorship, group practice, partnership, or |
| 814 | corporation that provides health care services by licensed |
| 815 | health care practitioners under chapter 457, chapter 458, |
| 816 | chapter 459, chapter 460, chapter 461, chapter 462, chapter 463, |
| 817 | chapter 466, chapter 467, chapter 480, chapter 484, chapter 486, |
| 818 | chapter 490, chapter 491, or part I, part III, part X, part |
| 819 | XIII, or part XIV of chapter 468, or s. 464.012, which are |
| 820 | wholly owned by one or more licensed health care practitioners, |
| 821 | or the licensed health care practitioners set forth in this |
| 822 | paragraph and the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of a |
| 823 | licensed health care practitioner, so long as one of the owners |
| 824 | who is a licensed health care practitioner is supervising the |
| 825 | business activities and is legally responsible for the entity's |
| 826 | compliance with all federal and state laws. However, a health |
| 827 | care practitioner who is a supervising owner may not supervise |
| 828 | services beyond the scope of the practitioner's license, except |
| 829 | that, for the purposes of this part, a clinic owned by a |
| 830 | licensee in s. 456.053(3)(b) that provides only services |
| 831 | authorized pursuant to s. 456.053(3)(b) may be supervised by a |
| 832 | licensee specified in s. 456.053(3)(b). A certificate of |
| 833 | exemption is valid only for the entity, persons, and location |
| 834 | for which it was originally issued. |
| 835 | Section 16. Subsection (11) of section 408.802, Florida |
| 836 | Statutes, is repealed. |
| 837 | Section 17. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) of subsection |
| 838 | (15) of section 409.912, Florida Statutes, are repealed. |
| 839 | Section 18. Subsection (13) of section 409.9122, Florida |
| 840 | Statutes, is repealed. |
| 841 | Section 19. Section 409.91255, Florida Statutes, is |
| 842 | amended to read: |
| 843 | 409.91255 Federally qualified health center access |
| 844 | program.- |
| 845 | (1) SHORT TITLE.-This section may be cited as the |
| 846 | "Community Health Center Access Program Act." |
| 847 | (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.- |
| 848 | (a) The Legislature finds that, despite significant |
| 849 | investments in health care programs, nearly 6 more than 2 |
| 850 | million low-income Floridians, primarily the working poor and |
| 851 | minority populations, continue to lack access to basic health |
| 852 | care services. Further, the Legislature recognizes that |
| 853 | federally qualified health centers have a proven record of |
| 854 | providing cost-effective, comprehensive primary and preventive |
| 855 | health care and are uniquely qualified to address the lack of |
| 856 | adequate health care services for the uninsured. |
| 857 | (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize the |
| 858 | significance of increased federal investments in federally |
| 859 | qualified health centers and to leverage that investment through |
| 860 | the creation of a program to provide for the expansion of the |
| 861 | primary and preventive health care services offered by federally |
| 862 | qualified health centers. Further, such a program will support |
| 863 | the coordination of federal, state, and local resources to |
| 864 | assist such health centers in developing an expanded community- |
| 865 | based primary care delivery system. |
| 866 | (3) ASSISTANCE TO FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS.-The |
| 867 | agency shall administer Department of Health shall develop a |
| 868 | program for the expansion of federally qualified health centers |
| 869 | for the purpose of providing comprehensive primary and |
| 870 | preventive health care and urgent care services that may reduce |
| 871 | the morbidity, mortality, and cost of care among the uninsured |
| 872 | population of the state. The program shall provide for |
| 873 | distribution of financial assistance to federally qualified |
| 874 | health centers that apply and demonstrate a need for such |
| 875 | assistance in order to sustain or expand the delivery of primary |
| 876 | and preventive health care services. In selecting centers to |
| 877 | receive this financial assistance, the program: |
| 878 | (a) Shall give preference to communities that have few or |
| 879 | no community-based primary care services or in which the current |
| 880 | services are unable to meet the community's needs. To assist in |
| 881 | the assessment and identification of areas of critical need, a |
| 882 | federally qualified health-center-based statewide assessment and |
| 883 | strategic plan shall be developed by the Florida Association of |
| 884 | Community Health Centers, Inc., every 5 years, beginning January |
| 885 | 1, 2011. |
| 886 | (b) Shall require that primary care services be provided |
| 887 | to the medically indigent using a sliding fee schedule based on |
| 888 | income. |
| 889 | (c) Shall promote allow innovative and creative uses of |
| 890 | federal, state, and local health care resources. |
| 891 | (d) Shall require that the funds provided be used to pay |
| 892 | for operating costs of a projected expansion in patient |
| 893 | caseloads or services or for capital improvement projects. |
| 894 | Capital improvement projects may include renovations to existing |
| 895 | facilities or construction of new facilities, provided that an |
| 896 | expansion in patient caseloads or services to a new patient |
| 897 | population will occur as a result of the capital expenditures. |
| 898 | The agency department shall include in its standard contract |
| 899 | document a requirement that any state funds provided for the |
| 900 | purchase of or improvements to real property are contingent upon |
| 901 | the contractor granting to the state a security interest in the |
| 902 | property at least to the amount of the state funds provided for |
| 903 | at least 5 years from the date of purchase or the completion of |
| 904 | the improvements or as further required by law. The contract |
| 905 | must include a provision that, as a condition of receipt of |
| 906 | state funding for this purpose, the contractor agrees that, if |
| 907 | it disposes of the property before the agency's department's |
| 908 | interest is vacated, the contractor will refund the |
| 909 | proportionate share of the state's initial investment, as |
| 910 | adjusted by depreciation. |
| 911 | (e) Shall May require in-kind support from other sources. |
| 912 | (f) Shall promote May encourage coordination among |
| 913 | federally qualified health centers, other private sector |
| 914 | providers, and publicly supported programs. |
| 915 | (g) Shall promote allow the development of community |
| 916 | emergency room diversion programs in conjunction with local |
| 917 | resources, providing extended hours of operation to urgent care |
| 918 | patients. Diversion programs shall include case management for |
| 919 | emergency room followup care. |
| 920 | (4) EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS.-A review panel shall be |
| 921 | established, consisting of four persons appointed by the |
| 922 | Secretary of Health Care Administration State Surgeon General |
| 923 | and three persons appointed by the chief executive officer of |
| 924 | the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, Inc., to |
| 925 | review all applications for financial assistance under the |
| 926 | program. Applicants shall specify in the application whether the |
| 927 | program funds will be used for the expansion of patient |
| 928 | caseloads or services or for capital improvement projects to |
| 929 | expand and improve patient facilities. The panel shall use the |
| 930 | following elements in reviewing application proposals and shall |
| 931 | determine the relative weight for scoring and evaluating these |
| 932 | elements: |
| 933 | (a) The target population to be served. |
| 934 | (b) The health benefits to be provided. |
| 935 | (c) The methods that will be used to measure cost- |
| 936 | effectiveness. |
| 937 | (d) How patient satisfaction will be measured. |
| 938 | (e) The proposed internal quality assurance process. |
| 939 | (f) Projected health status outcomes. |
| 940 | (g) How data will be collected to measure cost- |
| 941 | effectiveness, health status outcomes, and overall achievement |
| 942 | of the goals of the proposal. |
| 943 | (h) All resources, including cash, in-kind, voluntary, or |
| 944 | other resources that will be dedicated to the proposal. |
| 945 | (5) ADMINISTRATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.-The agency |
| 946 | shall Department of Health may contract with the Florida |
| 947 | Association of Community Health Centers, Inc., to develop and |
| 948 | coordinate administer the program and provide technical |
| 949 | assistance to the federally qualified health centers selected to |
| 950 | receive financial assistance. The contracted entity shall be |
| 951 | responsible for program support and assume all costs related to |
| 952 | administration of this program. |
| 953 | Section 20. Subsection (2) of section 429.075, Florida |
| 954 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 955 | 429.075 Limited mental health license.-An assisted living |
| 956 | facility that serves three or more mental health residents must |
| 957 | obtain a limited mental health license. |
| 958 | (2) Facilities licensed to provide services to mental |
| 959 | health residents shall provide appropriate supervision and |
| 960 | staffing to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of such |
| 961 | residents. Assisted living facilities within an area zoned for |
| 962 | residential use in a municipality having a population of more |
| 963 | than 400,000, which house persons identified as being part of a |
| 964 | priority population that includes adult and adolescent residents |
| 965 | who have severe and persistent mental illness, as described in |
| 966 | s. 394.674, must maintain 24-hour security services provided by |
| 967 | uniformed security personnel licensed under part III of chapter |
| 968 | 493. |
| 969 | Section 21. Subsection (2) of section 429.12, Florida |
| 970 | Statutes, is repealed. |
| 971 | Section 22. Subsection (5) of section 429.23, Florida |
| 972 | Statutes, is repealed. |
| 973 | Section 23. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section |
| 974 | 429.911, Florida Statutes, is repealed. |
| 975 | Section 24. Dental workforce survey.- |
| 976 | (1) Beginning in 2012, each person who applies for |
| 977 | licensure renewal as a dentist or dental hygienist under chapter |
| 978 | 466, Florida Statutes, must, in conjunction with the renewal of |
| 979 | such license under procedures and forms adopted by the Board of |
| 980 | Dentistry and in addition to any other information that may be |
| 981 | required from the applicant, furnish the following information |
| 982 | to the Department of Health, working in conjunction with the |
| 983 | board, in a dental workforce survey: |
| 984 | (a) Licensee information, including, but not limited to: |
| 985 | 1. The name of the dental school or dental hygiene program |
| 986 | that the dentist or dental hygienist graduated from and the year |
| 987 | of graduation. |
| 988 | 2. The year that the dentist or dental hygienist began |
| 989 | practicing or working in this state. |
| 990 | 3. The geographic location of the dentist's or dental |
| 991 | hygienist's practice or address within the state. |
| 992 | 4. For a dentist in private practice: |
| 993 | a. The number of full-time dental hygienists employed by |
| 994 | the dentist during the reporting period. |
| 995 | b. The number of full-time dental assistants employed by |
| 996 | the dentist during the reporting period. |
| 997 | c. The average number of patients treated per week by the |
| 998 | dentist during the reporting period. |
| 999 | d. The settings where the dental care was delivered. |
| 1000 | 5. Anticipated plans of the dentist to change the status |
| 1001 | of his or her license or practice. |
| 1002 | 6. The dentist's areas of specialty or certification. |
| 1003 | 7. The year that the dentist completed a specialty program |
| 1004 | recognized by the American Dental Association. |
| 1005 | 8. For a hygienist: |
| 1006 | a. The average number of patients treated per week by the |
| 1007 | hygienist during the reporting period. |
| 1008 | b. The settings where the dental care was delivered. |
| 1009 | 9. The dentist's memberships in professional |
| 1010 | organizations. |
| 1011 | 10. The number of pro bono hours provided by the dentist |
| 1012 | or dental hygienist during the last biennium. |
| 1013 | (b) Information concerning the availability and trends |
| 1014 | relating to critically needed services, including, but not |
| 1015 | limited to, the following types of care provided by the dentist |
| 1016 | or dental hygienist: |
| 1017 | 1. Dental care to children having special needs. |
| 1018 | 2. Geriatric dental care. |
| 1019 | 3. Dental services in emergency departments. |
| 1020 | 4. Medicaid services. |
| 1021 | 5. Other critically needed specialty areas, as determined |
| 1022 | by the advisory body. |
| 1023 | (2) In addition to the completed survey, the dentist or |
| 1024 | dental hygienist must submit a statement that the information |
| 1025 | provided is true and accurate to the best of his or her |
| 1026 | knowledge and belief. |
| 1027 | (3) Beginning in 2012, renewal of a license by a dentist |
| 1028 | or dental hygienist licensed under chapter 466, Florida |
| 1029 | Statutes, is not contingent upon the completion and submission |
| 1030 | of the dental workforce survey; however, for any subsequent |
| 1031 | license renewal, the board may not renew the license of any |
| 1032 | dentist or dental hygienist until the survey required under this |
| 1033 | section is completed and submitted by the licensee. |
| 1034 | (4)(a) Beginning in 2012, the Board of Dentistry shall |
| 1035 | issue a nondisciplinary citation to any dentist or dental |
| 1036 | hygienist licensed under chapter 466, Florida Statutes, who |
| 1037 | fails to complete the survey within 90 days after the renewal of |
| 1038 | his or her license to practice as a dentist or dental hygienist. |
| 1039 | (b) The citation must notify a dentist or dental hygienist |
| 1040 | who fails to complete the survey required by this section that |
| 1041 | his or her license will not be renewed for any subsequent |
| 1042 | license renewal unless the dentist or dental hygienist completes |
| 1043 | the survey. |
| 1044 | (c) In conjunction with issuing the license renewal notice |
| 1045 | required by s. 456.038, Florida Statutes, the board shall notify |
| 1046 | each dentist or dental hygienist licensed under chapter 466, |
| 1047 | Florida Statutes, who fails to complete the survey that the |
| 1048 | survey must be completed before the subsequent license renewal. |
| 1049 | Section 25. (1) The Department of Health shall serve as |
| 1050 | the coordinating body for the purpose of collecting and |
| 1051 | regularly updating and disseminating dental workforce data. The |
| 1052 | department shall work with multiple stakeholders, including the |
| 1053 | Florida Dental Association and the Florida Dental Hygiene |
| 1054 | Association, to assess and share with all communities of |
| 1055 | interest all data collected in a timely fashion. |
| 1056 | (2) The Department of Health shall maintain a current |
| 1057 | database to serve as a statewide source of data concerning the |
| 1058 | dental workforce. The department, in conjunction with the Board |
| 1059 | of Dentistry, shall also: |
| 1060 | (a) Develop strategies to maximize federal and state |
| 1061 | programs that provide incentives for dentists to practice in |
| 1062 | shortage areas that are federally designated. Strategies shall |
| 1063 | include programs such as the Florida Health Services Corps |
| 1064 | established under s. 381.0302, Florida Statutes. |
| 1065 | (b) Work in conjunction with an advisory body to address |
| 1066 | matters relating to the state's dental workforce. The advisory |
| 1067 | body shall provide input on developing questions for the dentist |
| 1068 | workforce survey. The advisory body shall include, but need not |
| 1069 | be limited to, the State Surgeon General or his or her designee, |
| 1070 | the dean of each dental school accredited in the United States |
| 1071 | and based in this state or his or her designee, a representative |
| 1072 | from the Florida Dental Association, a representative from the |
| 1073 | Florida Dental Hygiene Association, a representative from the |
| 1074 | Board of Dentistry, and a dentist from each of the dental |
| 1075 | specialties recognized by the American Dental Association's |
| 1076 | Commission on Dental Accreditation. Members of the advisory body |
| 1077 | shall serve without compensation. |
| 1078 | (c) Act as a clearinghouse for collecting and |
| 1079 | disseminating information concerning the dental workforce. |
| 1080 | (3) The Department of Health and the Board of Dentistry |
| 1081 | shall adopt rules necessary to administer this section. |
| 1082 | Section 26. It is the intent of the Legislature that the |
| 1083 | Department of Health and the Board of Dentistry implement the |
| 1084 | provisions of sections 16 through 20 of this act within existing |
| 1085 | resources. |
| 1086 | Section 27. Paragraphs (q) and (t) of subsection (2) of |
| 1087 | section 499.01, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 1088 | 499.01 Permits.- |
| 1089 | (2) The following permits are established: |
| 1090 | (q) Device manufacturer permit.- |
| 1091 | 1. A device manufacturer permit is required for any person |
| 1092 | that engages in the manufacture, repackaging, or assembly of |
| 1093 | medical devices for human use in this state, except that a |
| 1094 | permit is not required if: |
| 1095 | a. The person manufactures, repackages, or assembles only |
| 1096 | those medical devices or components for such devices which are |
| 1097 | exempt from registration pursuant to s. 499.015(8); or |
| 1098 | b. The person is engaged only in manufacturing, |
| 1099 | repackaging, or assembling a medical device pursuant to a |
| 1100 | practitioner's order for a specific patient. |
| 1101 | 2.1. A manufacturer or repackager of medical devices in |
| 1102 | this state must comply with all appropriate state and federal |
| 1103 | good manufacturing practices and quality system rules. |
| 1104 | 3.2. The department shall adopt rules related to storage, |
| 1105 | handling, and recordkeeping requirements for manufacturers of |
| 1106 | medical devices for human use. |
| 1107 | (t) Health care clinic establishment permit.-Effective |
| 1108 | January 1, 2009, a health care clinic establishment permit is |
| 1109 | required for the purchase of a prescription drug by a place of |
| 1110 | business at one general physical location that provides health |
| 1111 | care or veterinary services, which is owned and operated by a |
| 1112 | business entity that has been issued a federal employer tax |
| 1113 | identification number. For the purpose of this paragraph, the |
| 1114 | term "qualifying practitioner" means a licensed health care |
| 1115 | practitioner defined in s. 456.001, or a veterinarian licensed |
| 1116 | under chapter 474, who is authorized under the appropriate |
| 1117 | practice act to prescribe and administer a prescription drug. |
| 1118 | 1. An establishment must provide, as part of the |
| 1119 | application required under s. 499.012, designation of a |
| 1120 | qualifying practitioner who will be responsible for complying |
| 1121 | with all legal and regulatory requirements related to the |
| 1122 | purchase, recordkeeping, storage, and handling of the |
| 1123 | prescription drugs. In addition, the designated qualifying |
| 1124 | practitioner shall be the practitioner whose name, establishment |
| 1125 | address, and license number is used on all distribution |
| 1126 | documents for prescription drugs purchased or returned by the |
| 1127 | health care clinic establishment. Upon initial appointment of a |
| 1128 | qualifying practitioner, the qualifying practitioner and the |
| 1129 | health care clinic establishment shall notify the department on |
| 1130 | a form furnished by the department within 10 days after such |
| 1131 | employment. In addition, the qualifying practitioner and health |
| 1132 | care clinic establishment shall notify the department within 10 |
| 1133 | days after any subsequent change. |
| 1134 | 2. The health care clinic establishment must employ a |
| 1135 | qualifying practitioner at each establishment. |
| 1136 | 3. In addition to the remedies and penalties provided in |
| 1137 | this part, a violation of this chapter by the health care clinic |
| 1138 | establishment or qualifying practitioner constitutes grounds for |
| 1139 | discipline of the qualifying practitioner by the appropriate |
| 1140 | regulatory board. |
| 1141 | 4. The purchase of prescription drugs by the health care |
| 1142 | clinic establishment is prohibited during any period of time |
| 1143 | when the establishment does not comply with this paragraph. |
| 1144 | 5. A health care clinic establishment permit is not a |
| 1145 | pharmacy permit or otherwise subject to chapter 465. A health |
| 1146 | care clinic establishment that meets the criteria of a modified |
| 1147 | Class II institutional pharmacy under s. 465.019 is not eligible |
| 1148 | to be permitted under this paragraph. |
| 1149 | 6. This paragraph does not apply to the purchase of a |
| 1150 | prescription drug by a licensed practitioner under his or her |
| 1151 | license. A professional corporation or limited liability company |
| 1152 | composed of dentists and operating as authorized in s. 466.0285 |
| 1153 | may pay for prescription drugs obtained by a practitioner |
| 1154 | licensed under chapter 466, and the licensed practitioner is |
| 1155 | deemed the purchaser and owner of the prescription drugs. |
| 1156 | Section 28. Subsections (32) through (54) of section |
| 1157 | 499.003, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (33) |
| 1158 | through (55), respectively, present subsection (42) is amended, |
| 1159 | and a new subsection (32) is added to that section, to read: |
| 1160 | 499.003 Definitions of terms used in this part.-As used in |
| 1161 | this part, the term: |
| 1162 | (32) "Medical convenience kit" means a package or unit |
| 1163 | that contains combination products as described in 21 C.F.R. s. |
| 1164 | 3.2(e)(2). |
| 1165 | (43)(42) "Prescription drug" means a prescription, |
| 1166 | medicinal, or legend drug, including, but not limited to, |
| 1167 | finished dosage forms or active ingredients subject to, defined |
| 1168 | by, or described by s. 503(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and |
| 1169 | Cosmetic Act or s. 465.003(8), s. 499.007(13), or subsection |
| 1170 | (11), subsection (46) (45), or subsection (53) (52). |
| 1171 | Section 29. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section |
| 1172 | 409.9201, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 1173 | 409.9201 Medicaid fraud.- |
| 1174 | (1) As used in this section, the term: |
| 1175 | (a) "Prescription drug" means any drug, including, but not |
| 1176 | limited to, finished dosage forms or active ingredients that are |
| 1177 | subject to, defined by, or described by s. 503(b) of the Federal |
| 1178 | Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or by s. 465.003(8), s. |
| 1179 | 499.003(45)(45) or (53) (52), or s. 499.007(13). |
| 1180 |
|
| 1181 | The value of individual items of the legend drugs or goods or |
| 1182 | services involved in distinct transactions committed during a |
| 1183 | single scheme or course of conduct, whether involving a single |
| 1184 | person or several persons, may be aggregated when determining |
| 1185 | the punishment for the offense. |
| 1186 | Section 30. Subsection (3) of section 465.0265, Florida |
| 1187 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 1188 | 465.0265 Centralized prescription filling.- |
| 1189 | (3) The filling, delivery, and return of a prescription by |
| 1190 | one pharmacy for another pursuant to this section shall not be |
| 1191 | construed as the filling of a transferred prescription as set |
| 1192 | forth in s. 465.026 or as a wholesale distribution as set forth |
| 1193 | in s. 499.003(54)(53). |
| 1194 | Section 31. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of section |
| 1195 | 499.0121, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 1196 | 499.0121 Storage and handling of prescription drugs; |
| 1197 | recordkeeping.-The department shall adopt rules to implement |
| 1198 | this section as necessary to protect the public health, safety, |
| 1199 | and welfare. Such rules shall include, but not be limited to, |
| 1200 | requirements for the storage and handling of prescription drugs |
| 1201 | and for the establishment and maintenance of prescription drug |
| 1202 | distribution records. |
| 1203 | (4) EXAMINATION OF MATERIALS AND RECORDS.- |
| 1204 | (d) Upon receipt, a wholesale distributor must review |
| 1205 | records required under this section for the acquisition of |
| 1206 | prescription drugs for accuracy and completeness, considering |
| 1207 | the total facts and circumstances surrounding the transactions |
| 1208 | and the wholesale distributors involved. This includes |
| 1209 | authenticating each transaction listed on a pedigree paper, as |
| 1210 | defined in s. 499.003(37)(36). |
| 1211 | Section 32. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) of |
| 1212 | section 499.01211, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 1213 | 499.01211 Drug Wholesale Distributor Advisory Council.- |
| 1214 | (2) The State Surgeon General, or his or her designee, and |
| 1215 | the Secretary of Health Care Administration, or her or his |
| 1216 | designee, shall be members of the council. The State Surgeon |
| 1217 | General shall appoint nine additional members to the council who |
| 1218 | shall be appointed to a term of 4 years each, as follows: |
| 1219 | (a) Three different persons each of whom is employed by a |
| 1220 | different prescription drug wholesale distributor licensed under |
| 1221 | this part which operates nationally and is a primary wholesale |
| 1222 | distributor, as defined in s. 499.003(47)(46). |
| 1223 | (b) One person employed by a prescription drug wholesale |
| 1224 | distributor licensed under this part which is a secondary |
| 1225 | wholesale distributor, as defined in s. 499.003(52)(51). |
| 1226 | Section 33. Subsection (1) of section 499.03, Florida |
| 1227 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 1228 | 499.03 Possession of certain drugs without prescriptions |
| 1229 | unlawful; exemptions and exceptions.- |
| 1230 | (1) A person may not possess, or possess with intent to |
| 1231 | sell, dispense, or deliver, any habit-forming, toxic, harmful, |
| 1232 | or new drug subject to s. 499.003(33)(32), or prescription drug |
| 1233 | as defined in s. 499.003(43)(42), unless the possession of the |
| 1234 | drug has been obtained by a valid prescription of a practitioner |
| 1235 | licensed by law to prescribe the drug. However, this section |
| 1236 | does not apply to the delivery of such drugs to persons included |
| 1237 | in any of the classes named in this subsection, or to the agents |
| 1238 | or employees of such persons, for use in the usual course of |
| 1239 | their businesses or practices or in the performance of their |
| 1240 | official duties, as the case may be; nor does this section apply |
| 1241 | to the possession of such drugs by those persons or their agents |
| 1242 | or employees for such use: |
| 1243 | (a) A licensed pharmacist or any person under the licensed |
| 1244 | pharmacist's supervision while acting within the scope of the |
| 1245 | licensed pharmacist's practice; |
| 1246 | (b) A licensed practitioner authorized by law to prescribe |
| 1247 | prescription drugs or any person under the licensed |
| 1248 | practitioner's supervision while acting within the scope of the |
| 1249 | licensed practitioner's practice; |
| 1250 | (c) A qualified person who uses prescription drugs for |
| 1251 | lawful research, teaching, or testing, and not for resale; |
| 1252 | (d) A licensed hospital or other institution that procures |
| 1253 | such drugs for lawful administration or dispensing by |
| 1254 | practitioners; |
| 1255 | (e) An officer or employee of a federal, state, or local |
| 1256 | government; or |
| 1257 | (f) A person that holds a valid permit issued by the |
| 1258 | department pursuant to this part which authorizes that person to |
| 1259 | possess prescription drugs. |
| 1260 | Section 34. Paragraphs (i) and (m) of subsection (1) of |
| 1261 | section 499.05, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 1262 | 499.05 Rules.- |
| 1263 | (1) The department shall adopt rules to implement and |
| 1264 | enforce this part with respect to: |
| 1265 | (i) Additional conditions that qualify as an emergency |
| 1266 | medical reason under s. 499.003(54)(53)(b)2. |
| 1267 | (m) The recordkeeping, storage, and handling with respect |
| 1268 | to each of the distributions of prescription drugs specified in |
| 1269 | s. 499.003(54)(53)(a)-(d). |
| 1270 | Section 35. Subsection (1) of section 794.075, Florida |
| 1271 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 1272 | 794.075 Sexual predators; erectile dysfunction drugs.- |
| 1273 | (1) A person may not possess a prescription drug, as |
| 1274 | defined in s. 499.003(43)(42), for the purpose of treating |
| 1275 | erectile dysfunction if the person is designated as a sexual |
| 1276 | predator under s. 775.21. |
| 1277 | Section 36. Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section |
| 1278 | 624.91, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 1279 | 624.91 The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act.- |
| 1280 | (6) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.- |
| 1281 | (a) The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation shall operate |
| 1282 | subject to the supervision and approval of a board of directors |
| 1283 | chaired by the Chief Financial Officer or her or his designee, |
| 1284 | and composed of 12 11 other members selected for 3-year terms of |
| 1285 | office as follows: |
| 1286 | 1. The Secretary of Health Care Administration, or his or |
| 1287 | her designee. |
| 1288 | 2. One member appointed by the Commissioner of Education |
| 1289 | from the Office of School Health Programs of the Florida |
| 1290 | Department of Education. |
| 1291 | 3. One member appointed by the Chief Financial Officer |
| 1292 | from among three members nominated by the Florida Pediatric |
| 1293 | Society. |
| 1294 | 4. One member, appointed by the Governor, who represents |
| 1295 | the Children's Medical Services Program. |
| 1296 | 5. One member appointed by the Chief Financial Officer |
| 1297 | from among three members nominated by the Florida Hospital |
| 1298 | Association. |
| 1299 | 6. One member, appointed by the Governor, who is an expert |
| 1300 | on child health policy. |
| 1301 | 7. One member, appointed by the Chief Financial Officer, |
| 1302 | from among three members nominated by the Florida Academy of |
| 1303 | Family Physicians. |
| 1304 | 8. One member, appointed by the Governor, who represents |
| 1305 | the state Medicaid program. |
| 1306 | 9. One member, appointed by the Chief Financial Officer, |
| 1307 | from among three members nominated by the Florida Association of |
| 1308 | Counties. |
| 1309 | 10. The State Health Officer or her or his designee. |
| 1310 | 11. The Secretary of Children and Family Services, or his |
| 1311 | or her designee. |
| 1312 | 12. One member, appointed by the Governor, from among |
| 1313 | three members nominated by the Florida Dental Association. |
| 1314 | Section 37. Section 381.0403, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 1315 | to read: |
| 1316 | 381.0403 The Community Hospital Education Act.- |
| 1317 | (1) SHORT TITLE.-This section shall be known and cited as |
| 1318 | "The Community Hospital Education Act." |
| 1319 | (2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.- |
| 1320 | (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that health care |
| 1321 | services for the citizens of this state be upgraded and that a |
| 1322 | program for continuing these services be maintained through a |
| 1323 | plan for community medical education. The program is intended to |
| 1324 | provide additional outpatient and inpatient services, a |
| 1325 | continuing supply of highly trained physicians, and graduate |
| 1326 | medical education. |
| 1327 | (b) The Legislature further acknowledges the critical need |
| 1328 | for increased numbers of primary care physicians to provide the |
| 1329 | necessary current and projected health and medical services. In |
| 1330 | order to meet both present and anticipated needs, the |
| 1331 | Legislature supports an expansion in the number of family |
| 1332 | practice residency positions. The Legislature intends that the |
| 1333 | funding for graduate education in family practice be maintained |
| 1334 | and that funding for all primary care specialties be provided at |
| 1335 | a minimum of $10,000 per resident per year. Should funding for |
| 1336 | this act remain constant or be reduced, it is intended that all |
| 1337 | programs funded by this act be maintained or reduced |
| 1338 | proportionately. |
| 1339 | (3) PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY HOSPITAL EDUCATION; STATE AND |
| 1340 | LOCAL PLANNING.- |
| 1341 | (a) There is established under the Department of Health a |
| 1342 | program for statewide graduate medical education. It is intended |
| 1343 | that continuing graduate medical education programs for interns |
| 1344 | and residents be established on a statewide basis. The program |
| 1345 | shall provide financial support for primary care specialty |
| 1346 | interns and residents based on policies recommended and approved |
| 1347 | by the Community Hospital Education Council, herein established, |
| 1348 | and the Department of Health. Only those programs with at least |
| 1349 | three residents or interns in each year of the training program |
| 1350 | are qualified to apply for financial support. Programs with |
| 1351 | fewer than three residents or interns per training year are |
| 1352 | qualified to apply for financial support, but only if the |
| 1353 | appropriate accrediting entity for the particular specialty has |
| 1354 | approved the program for fewer positions. Programs added after |
| 1355 | fiscal year 1997-1998 shall have 5 years to attain the requisite |
| 1356 | number of residents or interns. When feasible and to the extent |
| 1357 | allowed through the General Appropriations Act, state funds |
| 1358 | shall be used to generate federal matching funds under Medicaid, |
| 1359 | or other federal programs, and the resulting combined state and |
| 1360 | federal funds shall be allocated to participating hospitals for |
| 1361 | the support of graduate medical education. The department may |
| 1362 | spend up to $75,000 of the state appropriation for |
| 1363 | administrative costs associated with the production of the |
| 1364 | annual report as specified in subsection (9), and for |
| 1365 | administration of the program. |
| 1366 | (b) For the purposes of this section, primary care |
| 1367 | specialties include emergency medicine, family practice, |
| 1368 | internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, |
| 1369 | obstetrics/gynecology, and combined pediatrics and internal |
| 1370 | medicine, and other primary care specialties as may be included |
| 1371 | by the council and Department of Health. |
| 1372 | (c) Medical institutions throughout the state may apply to |
| 1373 | the Community Hospital Education Council for grants-in-aid for |
| 1374 | financial support of their approved programs. Recommendations |
| 1375 | for funding of approved programs shall be forwarded to the |
| 1376 | Department of Health. |
| 1377 | (d) The program shall provide a plan for community |
| 1378 | clinical teaching and training with the cooperation of the |
| 1379 | medical profession, hospitals, and clinics. The plan shall also |
| 1380 | include formal teaching opportunities for intern and resident |
| 1381 | training. In addition, the plan shall establish an off-campus |
| 1382 | medical faculty with university faculty review to be located |
| 1383 | throughout the state in local communities. |
| 1384 | (4) PROGRAM FOR GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION INNOVATIONS.- |
| 1385 | (a) There is established under the Department of Health a |
| 1386 | program for fostering graduate medical education innovations. |
| 1387 | Funds appropriated annually by the Legislature for this purpose |
| 1388 | shall be distributed to participating hospitals or consortia of |
| 1389 | participating hospitals and Florida medical schools or to a |
| 1390 | Florida medical school for the direct costs of providing |
| 1391 | graduate medical education in community-based clinical settings |
| 1392 | on a competitive grant or formula basis to achieve state health |
| 1393 | care workforce policy objectives, including, but not limited to: |
| 1394 | 1. Increasing the number of residents in primary care and |
| 1395 | other high demand specialties or fellowships; |
| 1396 | 2. Enhancing retention of primary care physicians in |
| 1397 | Florida practice; |
| 1398 | 3. Promoting practice in medically underserved areas of |
| 1399 | the state; |
| 1400 | 4. Encouraging racial and ethnic diversity within the |
| 1401 | state's physician workforce; and |
| 1402 | 5. Encouraging increased production of geriatricians. |
| 1403 | (b) Participating hospitals or consortia of participating |
| 1404 | hospitals and Florida medical schools or a Florida medical |
| 1405 | school providing graduate medical education in community-based |
| 1406 | clinical settings may apply to the Community Hospital Education |
| 1407 | Council for funding under this innovations program, except when |
| 1408 | such innovations directly compete with services or programs |
| 1409 | provided by participating hospitals or consortia of |
| 1410 | participating hospitals, or by both hospitals and consortia. |
| 1411 | Innovations program funding shall provide funding based on |
| 1412 | policies recommended and approved by the Community Hospital |
| 1413 | Education Council and the Department of Health. |
| 1414 | (c) Participating hospitals or consortia of participating |
| 1415 | hospitals and Florida medical schools or Florida medical schools |
| 1416 | awarded an innovations grant shall provide the Community |
| 1417 | Hospital Education Council and Department of Health with an |
| 1418 | annual report on their project. |
| 1419 | (4)(5) FAMILY PRACTICE RESIDENCIES.-In addition to the |
| 1420 | programs established in subsection (3), the Community Hospital |
| 1421 | Education Council and the Department of Health shall establish |
| 1422 | an ongoing statewide program of family practice residencies. The |
| 1423 | administration of this program shall be in the manner described |
| 1424 | in this section. |
| 1425 | (5)(6) COUNCIL AND DIRECTOR.- |
| 1426 | (a) There is established the Community Hospital Education |
| 1427 | Council, hereinafter referred to as the council, which shall |
| 1428 | consist of 11 members, as follows: |
| 1429 | 1. Seven members must be program directors of accredited |
| 1430 | graduate medical education programs or practicing physicians who |
| 1431 | have faculty appointments in accredited graduate medical |
| 1432 | education programs. Six of these members must be board certified |
| 1433 | or board eligible in family practice, internal medicine, |
| 1434 | pediatrics, emergency medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, and |
| 1435 | psychiatry, respectively, and licensed pursuant to chapter 458. |
| 1436 | No more than one of these members may be appointed from any one |
| 1437 | specialty. One member must be licensed pursuant to chapter 459. |
| 1438 | 2. One member must be a representative of the |
| 1439 | administration of a hospital with an approved community hospital |
| 1440 | medical education program; |
| 1441 | 3. One member must be the dean of a medical school in this |
| 1442 | state; and |
| 1443 | 4. Two members must be consumer representatives. |
| 1444 |
|
| 1445 | All of the members shall be appointed by the Governor for terms |
| 1446 | of 4 years each. |
| 1447 | (b) Council membership shall cease when a member's |
| 1448 | representative status no longer exists. Members of similar |
| 1449 | representative status shall be appointed to replace retiring or |
| 1450 | resigning members of the council. |
| 1451 | (c) The State Surgeon General shall designate an |
| 1452 | administrator to serve as staff director. The council shall |
| 1453 | elect a chair from among its membership. Such other personnel as |
| 1454 | may be necessary to carry out the program shall be employed as |
| 1455 | authorized by the Department of Health. |
| 1456 | (6)(7) DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; STANDARDS.- |
| 1457 | (a) The Department of Health, with recommendations from |
| 1458 | the council, shall establish standards and policies for the use |
| 1459 | and expenditure of graduate medical education funds appropriated |
| 1460 | pursuant to subsection (7) (8) for a program of community |
| 1461 | hospital education. The Department of Health shall establish |
| 1462 | requirements for hospitals to be qualified for participation in |
| 1463 | the program which shall include, but not be limited to: |
| 1464 | 1. Submission of an educational plan and a training |
| 1465 | schedule. |
| 1466 | 2. A determination by the council to ascertain that each |
| 1467 | portion of the program of the hospital provides a high degree of |
| 1468 | academic excellence and is accredited by the Accreditation |
| 1469 | Council for Graduate Medical Education of the American Medical |
| 1470 | Association or is accredited by the American Osteopathic |
| 1471 | Association. |
| 1472 | 3. Supervision of the educational program of the hospital |
| 1473 | by a physician who is not the hospital administrator. |
| 1474 | (b) The Department of Health shall periodically review the |
| 1475 | educational program provided by a participating hospital to |
| 1476 | assure that the program includes a reasonable amount of both |
| 1477 | formal and practical training and that the formal sessions are |
| 1478 | presented as scheduled in the plan submitted by each hospital. |
| 1479 | (c) In years that funds are transferred to the Agency for |
| 1480 | Health Care Administration, the Department of Health shall |
| 1481 | certify to the Agency for Health Care Administration on a |
| 1482 | quarterly basis the number of primary care specialty residents |
| 1483 | and interns at each of the participating hospitals for which the |
| 1484 | Community Hospital Education Council and the department |
| 1485 | recommends funding. |
| 1486 | (7)(8) MATCHING FUNDS.-State funds shall be used to match |
| 1487 | funds from any local governmental or hospital source. The state |
| 1488 | shall provide up to 50 percent of the funds, and the community |
| 1489 | hospital medical education program shall provide the remainder. |
| 1490 | However, except for fixed capital outlay, the provisions of this |
| 1491 | subsection shall not apply to any program authorized under the |
| 1492 | provisions of subsection (5) for the first 3 years after such |
| 1493 | program is in operation. |
| 1494 | (9) ANNUAL REPORT ON GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION; |
| 1495 | COMMITTEE.-The Executive Office of the Governor, the Department |
| 1496 | of Health, and the Agency for Health Care Administration shall |
| 1497 | collaborate to establish a committee that shall produce an |
| 1498 | annual report on graduate medical education. The committee shall |
| 1499 | be comprised of 11 members: five members shall be deans of the |
| 1500 | medical schools or their designees; the Governor shall appoint |
| 1501 | two members, one of whom must be a representative of the Florida |
| 1502 | Medical Association who has supervised or currently supervises |
| 1503 | residents or interns and one of whom must be a representative of |
| 1504 | the Florida Hospital Association; the Secretary of Health Care |
| 1505 | Administration shall appoint two members, one of whom must be a |
| 1506 | representative of a statutory teaching hospital and one of whom |
| 1507 | must be a physician who has supervised or is currently |
| 1508 | supervising residents or interns; and the State Surgeon General |
| 1509 | shall appoint two members, one of whom must be a representative |
| 1510 | of a statutory family practice teaching hospital and one of whom |
| 1511 | must be a physician who has supervised or is currently |
| 1512 | supervising residents or interns. With the exception of the |
| 1513 | deans, members shall serve 4-year terms. In order to stagger the |
| 1514 | terms, the Governor's appointees shall serve initial terms of 4 |
| 1515 | years, the State Surgeon General's appointees shall serve |
| 1516 | initial terms of 3 years, and the Secretary of Health Care |
| 1517 | Administration's appointees shall serve initial terms of 2 |
| 1518 | years. A member's term shall be deemed terminated when the |
| 1519 | member's representative status no longer exists. Once the |
| 1520 | committee is appointed, it shall elect a chair to serve for a 1- |
| 1521 | year term. The report shall be provided to the Governor, the |
| 1522 | President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
| 1523 | Representatives by January 15 annually. Committee members shall |
| 1524 | serve without compensation. The report shall address the |
| 1525 | following: |
| 1526 | (a) The role of residents and medical faculty in the |
| 1527 | provision of health care. |
| 1528 | (b) The relationship of graduate medical education to the |
| 1529 | state's physician workforce. |
| 1530 | (c) The costs of training medical residents for hospitals, |
| 1531 | medical schools, teaching hospitals, including all hospital- |
| 1532 | medical affiliations, practice plans at all of the medical |
| 1533 | schools, and municipalities. |
| 1534 | (d) The availability and adequacy of all sources of |
| 1535 | revenue to support graduate medical education and recommend |
| 1536 | alternative sources of funding for graduate medical education. |
| 1537 | (e) The use of state and federal appropriated funds for |
| 1538 | graduate medical education by hospitals receiving such funds. |
| 1539 | (9)(10) RULEMAKING.-The department has authority to adopt |
| 1540 | rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the |
| 1541 | provisions of this section. |
| 1542 | Section 38. Section 381.4018, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 1543 | to read: |
| 1544 | 381.4018 Physician workforce assessment and development.- |
| 1545 | (1) DEFINITIONS.-As used in this section, the term: |
| 1546 | (a) "Consortium" or "consortia" means a combination of |
| 1547 | statutory teaching hospitals, specialty children's hospitals, |
| 1548 | statutory rural hospitals, other hospitals, accredited medical |
| 1549 | schools, clinics operated by the department, clinics operated by |
| 1550 | the Department of Veterans' Affairs, area health education |
| 1551 | centers, community health centers, federally qualified health |
| 1552 | centers, prison clinics, local community clinics, or other |
| 1553 | programs. At least one member of the consortium shall be a |
| 1554 | sponsoring institution accredited or currently seeking |
| 1555 | accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical |
| 1556 | Education or the American Osteopathic Association. |
| 1557 | (b) "Council" means the Physician Workforce Advisory |
| 1558 | Council. |
| 1559 | (c) "Department" means the Department of Health. |
| 1560 | (d) "Graduate medical education program" means a program |
| 1561 | accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical |
| 1562 | Education or the American Osteopathic Association. |
| 1563 | (e) "Primary care specialty" means emergency medicine, |
| 1564 | family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, |
| 1565 | geriatrics, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and |
| 1566 | combined pediatrics and internal medicine and other specialties |
| 1567 | as determined by the Physician Workforce Advisory Council or the |
| 1568 | Department of Health. |
| 1569 | (2)(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.-The Legislature recognizes that |
| 1570 | physician workforce planning is an essential component of |
| 1571 | ensuring that there is an adequate and appropriate supply of |
| 1572 | well-trained physicians to meet this state's future health care |
| 1573 | service needs as the general population and elderly population |
| 1574 | of the state increase. The Legislature finds that items to |
| 1575 | consider relative to assessing the physician workforce may |
| 1576 | include physician practice status; specialty mix; geographic |
| 1577 | distribution; demographic information, including, but not |
| 1578 | limited to, age, gender, race, and cultural considerations; and |
| 1579 | needs of current or projected medically underserved areas in the |
| 1580 | state. Long-term strategic planning is essential as the period |
| 1581 | from the time a medical student enters medical school to |
| 1582 | completion of graduate medical education may range from 7 to 10 |
| 1583 | years or longer. The Legislature recognizes that strategies to |
| 1584 | provide for a well-trained supply of physicians must include |
| 1585 | ensuring the availability and capacity of quality graduate |
| 1586 | medical schools and graduate medical education programs in this |
| 1587 | state, as well as using new or existing state and federal |
| 1588 | programs providing incentives for physicians to practice in |
| 1589 | needed specialties and in underserved areas in a manner that |
| 1590 | addresses projected needs for physician manpower. |
| 1591 | (3)(2) PURPOSE.-The department of Health shall serve as a |
| 1592 | coordinating and strategic planning body to actively assess the |
| 1593 | state's current and future physician workforce needs and work |
| 1594 | with multiple stakeholders to develop strategies and |
| 1595 | alternatives to address current and projected physician |
| 1596 | workforce needs. |
| 1597 | (4)(3) GENERAL FUNCTIONS.-The department shall maximize |
| 1598 | the use of existing programs under the jurisdiction of the |
| 1599 | department and other state agencies and coordinate governmental |
| 1600 | and nongovernmental stakeholders and resources in order to |
| 1601 | develop a state strategic plan and assess the implementation of |
| 1602 | such strategic plan. In developing the state strategic plan, the |
| 1603 | department shall: |
| 1604 | (a) Monitor, evaluate, and report on the supply and |
| 1605 | distribution of physicians licensed under chapter 458 or chapter |
| 1606 | 459. The department shall maintain a database to serve as a |
| 1607 | statewide source of data concerning the physician workforce. |
| 1608 | (b) Develop a model and quantify, on an ongoing basis, the |
| 1609 | adequacy of the state's current and future physician workforce |
| 1610 | as reliable data becomes available. Such model must take into |
| 1611 | account demographics, physician practice status, place of |
| 1612 | education and training, generational changes, population growth, |
| 1613 | economic indicators, and issues concerning the "pipeline" into |
| 1614 | medical education. |
| 1615 | (c) Develop and recommend strategies to determine whether |
| 1616 | the number of qualified medical school applicants who might |
| 1617 | become competent, practicing physicians in this state will be |
| 1618 | sufficient to meet the capacity of the state's medical schools. |
| 1619 | If appropriate, the department shall, working with |
| 1620 | representatives of appropriate governmental and nongovernmental |
| 1621 | entities, develop strategies and recommendations and identify |
| 1622 | best practice programs that introduce health care as a |
| 1623 | profession and strengthen skills needed for medical school |
| 1624 | admission for elementary, middle, and high school students, and |
| 1625 | improve premedical education at the precollege and college level |
| 1626 | in order to increase this state's potential pool of medical |
| 1627 | students. |
| 1628 | (d) Develop strategies to ensure that the number of |
| 1629 | graduates from the state's public and private allopathic and |
| 1630 | osteopathic medical schools is are adequate to meet physician |
| 1631 | workforce needs, based on the analysis of the physician |
| 1632 | workforce data, so as to provide a high-quality medical |
| 1633 | education to students in a manner that recognizes the uniqueness |
| 1634 | of each new and existing medical school in this state. |
| 1635 | (e) Pursue strategies and policies to create, expand, and |
| 1636 | maintain graduate medical education positions in the state based |
| 1637 | on the analysis of the physician workforce data. Such strategies |
| 1638 | and policies must take into account the effect of federal |
| 1639 | funding limitations on the expansion and creation of positions |
| 1640 | in graduate medical education. The department shall develop |
| 1641 | options to address such federal funding limitations. The |
| 1642 | department shall consider options to provide direct state |
| 1643 | funding for graduate medical education positions in a manner |
| 1644 | that addresses requirements and needs relative to accreditation |
| 1645 | of graduate medical education programs. The department shall |
| 1646 | consider funding residency positions as a means of addressing |
| 1647 | needed physician specialty areas, rural areas having a shortage |
| 1648 | of physicians, and areas of ongoing critical need, and as a |
| 1649 | means of addressing the state's physician workforce needs based |
| 1650 | on an ongoing analysis of physician workforce data. |
| 1651 | (f) Develop strategies to maximize federal and state |
| 1652 | programs that provide for the use of incentives to attract |
| 1653 | physicians to this state or retain physicians within the state. |
| 1654 | Such strategies should explore and maximize federal-state |
| 1655 | partnerships that provide incentives for physicians to practice |
| 1656 | in federally designated shortage areas. Strategies shall also |
| 1657 | consider the use of state programs, such as the Florida Health |
| 1658 | Service Corps established pursuant to s. 381.0302 and the |
| 1659 | Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program |
| 1660 | pursuant to s. 1009.65, which provide for education loan |
| 1661 | repayment or loan forgiveness and provide monetary incentives |
| 1662 | for physicians to relocate to underserved areas of the state. |
| 1663 | (g) Coordinate and enhance activities relative to |
| 1664 | physician workforce needs, undergraduate medical education, and |
| 1665 | graduate medical education, and reentry of retired military and |
| 1666 | other physicians into the physician workforce provided by the |
| 1667 | Division of Medical Quality Assurance, the Community Hospital |
| 1668 | Education Program and the Graduate Medical Education Committee |
| 1669 | established pursuant to s. 381.0403, area health education |
| 1670 | center networks established pursuant to s. 381.0402, and other |
| 1671 | offices and programs within the department of Health as |
| 1672 | designated by the State Surgeon General. |
| 1673 | (h) Work in conjunction with and act as a coordinating |
| 1674 | body for governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders to |
| 1675 | address matters relating to the state's physician workforce |
| 1676 | assessment and development for the purpose of ensuring an |
| 1677 | adequate supply of well-trained physicians to meet the state's |
| 1678 | future needs. Such governmental stakeholders shall include, but |
| 1679 | need not be limited to, the State Surgeon General or his or her |
| 1680 | designee, the Commissioner of Education or his or her designee, |
| 1681 | the Secretary of Health Care Administration or his or her |
| 1682 | designee, and the Chancellor of the State University System or |
| 1683 | his or her designee from the Board of Governors of the State |
| 1684 | University System, and, at the discretion of the department, |
| 1685 | other representatives of state and local agencies that are |
| 1686 | involved in assessing, educating, or training the state's |
| 1687 | current or future physicians. Other stakeholders shall include, |
| 1688 | but need not be limited to, organizations representing the |
| 1689 | state's public and private allopathic and osteopathic medical |
| 1690 | schools; organizations representing hospitals and other |
| 1691 | institutions providing health care, particularly those that |
| 1692 | currently provide or have an interest in providing accredited |
| 1693 | medical education and graduate medical education to medical |
| 1694 | students and medical residents; organizations representing |
| 1695 | allopathic and osteopathic practicing physicians; and, at the |
| 1696 | discretion of the department, representatives of other |
| 1697 | organizations or entities involved in assessing, educating, or |
| 1698 | training the state's current or future physicians. |
| 1699 | (i) Serve as a liaison with other states and federal |
| 1700 | agencies and programs in order to enhance resources available to |
| 1701 | the state's physician workforce and medical education continuum. |
| 1702 | (j) Act as a clearinghouse for collecting and |
| 1703 | disseminating information concerning the physician workforce and |
| 1704 | medical education continuum in this state. |
| 1705 | (5) PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE ADVISORY COUNCIL.-There is created |
| 1706 | in the department the Physician Workforce Advisory Council, an |
| 1707 | advisory council as defined in s. 20.03. The council shall |
| 1708 | comply with the requirements of s. 20.052, except as otherwise |
| 1709 | provided in this section. |
| 1710 | (a) The council shall consist of 19 members. Members |
| 1711 | appointed by the State Surgeon General shall include: |
| 1712 | 1. A designee from the department who is a physician |
| 1713 | licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 and recommended by the |
| 1714 | State Surgeon General. |
| 1715 | 2. An individual who is affiliated with the Science |
| 1716 | Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity and |
| 1717 | Excellence program and recommended by the area health education |
| 1718 | center network. |
| 1719 | 3. Two individuals who are recommended by the Council of |
| 1720 | Florida Medical School Deans, one who represents a college of |
| 1721 | allopathic medicine and one who represents a college of |
| 1722 | osteopathic medicine. |
| 1723 | 4. One individual who is recommended by the Florida |
| 1724 | Hospital Association and represents a hospital that is licensed |
| 1725 | under chapter 395, has an accredited graduate medical education |
| 1726 | program, and is not a statutory teaching hospital. |
| 1727 | 5. One individual who represents a statutory teaching |
| 1728 | hospital as defined in s. 408.07 and is recommended by the |
| 1729 | Safety Net Hospital Alliance. |
| 1730 | 6. One individual who represents a family practice |
| 1731 | teaching hospital as defined in s. 395.805 and is recommended by |
| 1732 | the Council of Family Medicine and Community Teaching Hospitals. |
| 1733 | 7. Two individuals who are recommended by the Florida |
| 1734 | Medical Association, one who represents a primary care specialty |
| 1735 | and one who represents a nonprimary care specialty. |
| 1736 | 8. Two individuals who are recommended by the Florida |
| 1737 | Osteopathic Medical Association, one who represents a primary |
| 1738 | care specialty and one who represents a nonprimary care |
| 1739 | specialty. |
| 1740 | 9. Two individuals who are program directors of accredited |
| 1741 | graduate medical education programs, one who represents a |
| 1742 | program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for |
| 1743 | Graduate Medical Education and one who represents a program that |
| 1744 | is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association. |
| 1745 | 10. An individual who is recommended by the Florida |
| 1746 | Association of Community Health Centers and represents a |
| 1747 | federally qualified health center located in a rural area as |
| 1748 | defined in s. 381.0406(2)(a). |
| 1749 | 11. An individual who is recommended by the Florida |
| 1750 | Academy of Family Physicians. |
| 1751 | 12. An individual who is recommended by the Florida |
| 1752 | Alliance for Health Professions Diversity. |
| 1753 | 13. The Chancellor of the State University System or his |
| 1754 | or her designee. |
| 1755 | 14. A layperson member as determined by the State Surgeon |
| 1756 | General. |
| 1757 |
|
| 1758 | Each entity authorized to make recommendations under this |
| 1759 | subsection shall make at least two recommendations to the State |
| 1760 | Surgeon General for each appointment to the council. The State |
| 1761 | Surgeon General shall name one appointee for each position from |
| 1762 | the recommendations made by each authorized entity. |
| 1763 | (b) Each council member shall be appointed to a 4-year |
| 1764 | term. An individual may not serve more than two terms. Any |
| 1765 | council member may be removed from office for malfeasance, |
| 1766 | misfeasance, neglect of duty, incompetence, permanent inability |
| 1767 | to perform official duties, or pleading guilty or nolo |
| 1768 | contendere to, or being found guilty of, a felony. Any council |
| 1769 | member who meets the criteria for removal, or who is otherwise |
| 1770 | unwilling or unable to properly fulfill the duties of the |
| 1771 | office, shall be succeeded by an individual chosen by the State |
| 1772 | Surgeon General to serve out the remainder of the council |
| 1773 | member's term. If the remainder of the replaced council member's |
| 1774 | term is less than 18 months, notwithstanding the provisions of |
| 1775 | this paragraph, the succeeding council member may be reappointed |
| 1776 | twice by the State Surgeon General. |
| 1777 | (c) The chair of the council is the State Surgeon General, |
| 1778 | who shall designate a vice chair from the membership of the |
| 1779 | council to serve in the absence of the State Surgeon General. A |
| 1780 | vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term |
| 1781 | in the same manner as the original appointment. |
| 1782 | (d) Council members are not entitled to receive |
| 1783 | compensation or reimbursement for per diem or travel expenses. |
| 1784 | (e) The council shall meet at least twice a year in person |
| 1785 | or by teleconference. |
| 1786 | (f) The council shall: |
| 1787 | 1. Advise the State Surgeon General and the department on |
| 1788 | matters concerning current and future physician workforce needs |
| 1789 | in this state; |
| 1790 | 2. Review survey materials and the compilation of survey |
| 1791 | information; |
| 1792 | 3. Annually review the number, location, cost, and |
| 1793 | reimbursement of graduate medical education programs and |
| 1794 | positions; |
| 1795 | 4. Provide recommendations to the department regarding the |
| 1796 | survey completed by physicians licensed under chapter 458 or |
| 1797 | chapter 459; |
| 1798 | 5. Assist the department in preparing the annual report to |
| 1799 | the Legislature pursuant to ss. 458.3192 and 459.0082; |
| 1800 | 6. Assist the department in preparing an initial strategic |
| 1801 | plan, conduct ongoing strategic planning in accordance with this |
| 1802 | section, and provide ongoing advice on implementing the |
| 1803 | recommendations; |
| 1804 | 7. Monitor and provide recommendations regarding the need |
| 1805 | for an increased number of primary care or other physician |
| 1806 | specialties to provide the necessary current and projected |
| 1807 | health and medical services for the state; and |
| 1808 | 8. Monitor and make recommendations regarding the status |
| 1809 | of the needs relating to graduate medical education in this |
| 1810 | state. |
| 1811 | (6) PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION |
| 1812 | INNOVATION PILOT PROJECTS.- |
| 1813 | (a) The Legislature finds that: |
| 1814 | 1. In order to ensure a physician workforce that is |
| 1815 | adequate to meet the needs of this state's residents and its |
| 1816 | health care system, policymakers must consider the education and |
| 1817 | training of future generations of well-trained health care |
| 1818 | providers. |
| 1819 | 2. Physicians are likely to practice in the state where |
| 1820 | they complete their graduate medical education. |
| 1821 | 3. It can directly affect the makeup of the physician |
| 1822 | workforce by selectively funding graduate medical education |
| 1823 | programs to provide needed specialists in geographic areas of |
| 1824 | the state that have a deficient number of such specialists. |
| 1825 | 4. Developing additional positions in graduate medical |
| 1826 | education programs is essential to the future of this state's |
| 1827 | health care system. |
| 1828 | 5. It was necessary in 2007 to pass legislation that |
| 1829 | provided for an assessment of the status of this state's current |
| 1830 | and future physician workforce. The department is collecting and |
| 1831 | analyzing information on an ongoing basis to assess this state's |
| 1832 | physician workforce needs, and such assessment may facilitate |
| 1833 | the determination of graduate medical education needs and |
| 1834 | strategies for the state. |
| 1835 | (b) There is established under the department a program to |
| 1836 | foster innovative graduate medical education pilot projects that |
| 1837 | are designed to promote the expansion of graduate medical |
| 1838 | education programs or positions to prepare physicians to |
| 1839 | practice in needed specialties and underserved areas or settings |
| 1840 | and to provide demographic and cultural representation in a |
| 1841 | manner that addresses current and projected needs for this |
| 1842 | state's physician workforce. Funds appropriated annually by the |
| 1843 | Legislature for this purpose shall be distributed to |
| 1844 | participating hospitals, medical schools, other sponsors of |
| 1845 | graduate medical education programs, consortia engaged in |
| 1846 | developing new graduate medical education programs or positions |
| 1847 | in those programs, or pilot projects providing innovative |
| 1848 | graduate medical education in community-based clinical settings. |
| 1849 | Pilot projects shall be selected on a competitive grant basis, |
| 1850 | subject to available funds. |
| 1851 | (c) Pilot projects shall be designed to meet one or more |
| 1852 | of this state's physician workforce needs, as determined |
| 1853 | pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to: |
| 1854 | 1. Increasing the number of residencies or fellowships in |
| 1855 | primary care or other needed specialties. |
| 1856 | 2. Enhancing the retention of primary care physicians or |
| 1857 | other needed specialties in this state. |
| 1858 | 3. Promoting practice in rural or medically underserved |
| 1859 | areas of the state. |
| 1860 | 4. Encouraging racial and ethnic diversity within the |
| 1861 | state's physician workforce. |
| 1862 | 5. Encouraging practice in community health care or other |
| 1863 | ambulatory care settings. |
| 1864 | 6. Encouraging practice in clinics operated by the |
| 1865 | department, including, but not limited to, county health |
| 1866 | departments, clinics operated by the Department of Veterans' |
| 1867 | Affairs, prison clinics, or similar settings of need. |
| 1868 | 7. Encouraging the increased production of geriatricians. |
| 1869 | (d) Priority shall be given to a proposal for a pilot |
| 1870 | project that: |
| 1871 | 1. Demonstrates a collaboration of federal, state, and |
| 1872 | local entities that are public or private. |
| 1873 | 2. Obtains funding from multiple sources. |
| 1874 | 3. Focuses on enhancing graduate medical education in |
| 1875 | rural or underserved areas. |
| 1876 | 4. Focuses on enhancing graduate medical education in |
| 1877 | ambulatory or community-based settings other than a hospital |
| 1878 | environment. |
| 1879 | 5. Includes the use of technology, such as electronic |
| 1880 | medical records, distance consultation, and telemedicine, to |
| 1881 | ensure that residents are better prepared to care for patients |
| 1882 | in this state, regardless of the community in which the |
| 1883 | residents practice. |
| 1884 | 6. Is designed to meet multiple policy needs as enumerated |
| 1885 | in subsection (4). |
| 1886 | 7. Uses a consortium to provide for graduate medical |
| 1887 | education experiences. |
| 1888 | (e) The department shall adopt by rule appropriate |
| 1889 | performance measures to use in order to consistently evaluate |
| 1890 | the effectiveness, safety, and quality of the programs, as well |
| 1891 | as the impact of each program on meeting this state's physician |
| 1892 | workforce needs. |
| 1893 | (f) Participating pilot projects shall submit to the |
| 1894 | department an annual report on the project in a manner required |
| 1895 | by the department. |
| 1896 | (g) Funding provided to a pilot project may be used only |
| 1897 | for the direct costs of providing graduate medical education. |
| 1898 | Accounting of such costs and expenditures shall be documented in |
| 1899 | the annual report. |
| 1900 | (h) State funds shall be used to supplement funds from any |
| 1901 | local government, community, or private source. The state may |
| 1902 | provide up to 50 percent of the funds, and local governmental |
| 1903 | grants or community or private sources shall provide the |
| 1904 | remainder of the funds. |
| 1905 | (7) RULEMAKING.-The department shall adopt rules as |
| 1906 | necessary to administer this section. |
| 1907 | Section 39. Paragraph (l) of subsection (4) of section |
| 1908 | 400.9905, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 1909 | 400.9905 Definitions.- |
| 1910 | (4) "Clinic" means an entity at which health care services |
| 1911 | are provided to individuals and which tenders charges for |
| 1912 | reimbursement for such services, including a mobile clinic and a |
| 1913 | portable equipment provider. For purposes of this part, the term |
| 1914 | does not include and the licensure requirements of this part do |
| 1915 | not apply to: |
| 1916 | (l) Orthotic, or prosthetic, pediatric cardiology, or |
| 1917 | perinatology clinical facilities that are a publicly traded |
| 1918 | corporation or that are wholly owned, directly or indirectly, by |
| 1919 | a publicly traded corporation. As used in this paragraph, a |
| 1920 | publicly traded corporation is a corporation that issues |
| 1921 | securities traded on an exchange registered with the United |
| 1922 | States Securities and Exchange Commission as a national |
| 1923 | securities exchange. |
| 1924 | Section 40. Section 458.3192, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 1925 | to read: |
| 1926 | 458.3192 Analysis of survey results; report.- |
| 1927 | (1) Each year, the Department of Health shall analyze the |
| 1928 | results of the physician survey required by s. 458.3191 and |
| 1929 | determine by geographic area and specialty the number of |
| 1930 | physicians who: |
| 1931 | (a) Perform deliveries of children in this state Florida. |
| 1932 | (b) Read mammograms and perform breast-imaging-guided |
| 1933 | procedures in this state Florida. |
| 1934 | (c) Perform emergency care on an on-call basis for a |
| 1935 | hospital emergency department. |
| 1936 | (d) Plan to reduce or increase emergency on-call hours in |
| 1937 | a hospital emergency department. |
| 1938 | (e) Plan to relocate their allopathic or osteopathic |
| 1939 | practice outside the state. |
| 1940 | (f) Practice medicine in this state. |
| 1941 | (g) Plan to reduce or modify the scope of their practice. |
| 1942 | (2) The Department of Health must report its findings to |
| 1943 | the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of |
| 1944 | the House of Representatives by November 1 each year. The |
| 1945 | department shall also include in its report findings, |
| 1946 | recommendations, and strategic planning activities as provided |
| 1947 | in s. 381.4018. The department may also include other |
| 1948 | information requested by the Physician Workforce Advisory |
| 1949 | Council. |
| 1950 | Section 41. Section 459.0082, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 1951 | to read: |
| 1952 | 459.0082 Analysis of survey results; report.- |
| 1953 | (1) Each year, the Department of Health shall analyze the |
| 1954 | results of the physician survey required by s. 459.0081 and |
| 1955 | determine by geographic area and specialty the number of |
| 1956 | physicians who: |
| 1957 | (a) Perform deliveries of children in this state Florida. |
| 1958 | (b) Read mammograms and perform breast-imaging-guided |
| 1959 | procedures in this state Florida. |
| 1960 | (c) Perform emergency care on an on-call basis for a |
| 1961 | hospital emergency department. |
| 1962 | (d) Plan to reduce or increase emergency on-call hours in |
| 1963 | a hospital emergency department. |
| 1964 | (e) Plan to relocate their allopathic or osteopathic |
| 1965 | practice outside the state. |
| 1966 | (f) Practice medicine in this state. |
| 1967 | (g) Plan to reduce or modify the scope of their practice. |
| 1968 | (2) The Department of Health must report its findings to |
| 1969 | the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of |
| 1970 | the House of Representatives by November 1 each year. The |
| 1971 | department shall also include in its report findings, |
| 1972 | recommendations, and strategic planning activities as provided |
| 1973 | in s. 381.4018. The department may also include other |
| 1974 | information requested by the Physician Workforce Advisory |
| 1975 | Council. |
| 1976 | Section 42. Section 458.315, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 1977 | to read: |
| 1978 | 458.315 Temporary certificate for practice in areas of |
| 1979 | critical need.- |
| 1980 | (1) Any physician who: |
| 1981 | (a) Is licensed to practice in any jurisdiction in the |
| 1982 | United States and other state, whose license is currently valid; |
| 1983 | or, |
| 1984 | (b) Has served as a physician in the United States Armed |
| 1985 | Forces for at least 10 years and received an honorable discharge |
| 1986 | from the military; |
| 1987 |
|
| 1988 | and who pays an application fee of $300 may be issued a |
| 1989 | temporary certificate for to practice in areas of communities of |
| 1990 | Florida where there is a critical need for physicians. |
| 1991 | (2) A certificate may be issued to a physician who: |
| 1992 | (a) Practices in an area of critical need; |
| 1993 | (b) Will be employed by or practice in a county health |
| 1994 | department, correctional facility, Department of Veterans' |
| 1995 | Affairs clinic, community health center funded by s. 329, s. |
| 1996 | 330, or s. 340 of the United States Public Health Services Act, |
| 1997 | or other agency or institution that is approved by the State |
| 1998 | Surgeon General and provides health care to meet the needs of |
| 1999 | underserved populations in this state; or |
| 2000 | (c) Will practice for a limited time to address critical |
| 2001 | physician-specialty, demographic, or geographic needs for this |
| 2002 | state's physician workforce as determined by the State Surgeon |
| 2003 | General entity that provides health care to indigents and that |
| 2004 | is approved by the State Health Officer. |
| 2005 | (3) The Board of Medicine may issue this temporary |
| 2006 | certificate with the following restrictions: |
| 2007 | (a)(1) The State Surgeon General board shall determine the |
| 2008 | areas of critical need, and the physician so certified may |
| 2009 | practice in any of those areas for a time to be determined by |
| 2010 | the board. Such areas shall include, but are not be limited to, |
| 2011 | health professional shortage areas designated by the United |
| 2012 | States Department of Health and Human Services. |
| 2013 | 1.(a) A recipient of a temporary certificate for practice |
| 2014 | in areas of critical need may use the certificate license to |
| 2015 | work for any approved entity employer in any area of critical |
| 2016 | need or as authorized by the State Surgeon General approved by |
| 2017 | the board. |
| 2018 | 2.(b) The recipient of a temporary certificate for |
| 2019 | practice in areas of critical need shall, within 30 days after |
| 2020 | accepting employment, notify the board of all approved |
| 2021 | institutions in which the licensee practices and of all approved |
| 2022 | institutions where practice privileges have been denied. |
| 2023 | (b)(2) The board may administer an abbreviated oral |
| 2024 | examination to determine the physician's competency, but a no |
| 2025 | written regular examination is not required necessary. Within 60 |
| 2026 | days after receipt of an application for a temporary |
| 2027 | certificate, the board shall review the application and issue |
| 2028 | the temporary certificate, or notify the applicant of denial, or |
| 2029 | notify the applicant that the board recommends additional |
| 2030 | assessment, training, education, or other requirements as a |
| 2031 | condition of certification. If the applicant has not actively |
| 2032 | practiced during the prior 3 years and the board determines that |
| 2033 | the applicant may lack clinical competency, possess diminished |
| 2034 | or inadequate skills, lack necessary medical knowledge, or |
| 2035 | exhibit patterns of deficits in clinical decisionmaking, the |
| 2036 | board may: |
| 2037 | 1. Deny the application; |
| 2038 | 2. Issue a temporary certificate with reasonable |
| 2039 | restrictions that may include, but are not limited to, a |
| 2040 | requirement for the applicant to practice under the supervision |
| 2041 | of a physician approved by the board; or |
| 2042 | 3. Issue a temporary certificate upon receipt of |
| 2043 | documentation confirming that the applicant has met any |
| 2044 | reasonable conditions of the board which may include, but are |
| 2045 | not limited to, completing continuing education or undergoing an |
| 2046 | assessment of skills and training. |
| 2047 | (c)(3) Any certificate issued under this section is shall |
| 2048 | be valid only so long as the State Surgeon General determines |
| 2049 | that the reason area for which it was is issued remains a an |
| 2050 | area of critical need to the state. The Board of Medicine shall |
| 2051 | review each temporary certificateholder the service within said |
| 2052 | area not less than annually to ascertain that the minimum |
| 2053 | requirements of the Medical Practice Act and its adopted the |
| 2054 | rules and regulations promulgated thereunder are being complied |
| 2055 | with. If it is determined that such minimum requirements are not |
| 2056 | being met, the board shall forthwith revoke such certificate or |
| 2057 | shall impose restrictions or conditions, or both, as a condition |
| 2058 | of continued practice under the certificate. |
| 2059 | (d)(4) The board may shall not issue a temporary |
| 2060 | certificate for practice in an area of critical need to any |
| 2061 | physician who is under investigation in any jurisdiction in the |
| 2062 | United States another state for an act that which would |
| 2063 | constitute a violation of this chapter until such time as the |
| 2064 | investigation is complete, at which time the provisions of s. |
| 2065 | 458.331 shall apply. |
| 2066 | (4)(5) The application fee and all licensure fees, |
| 2067 | including neurological injury compensation assessments, shall be |
| 2068 | waived for those persons obtaining a temporary certificate to |
| 2069 | practice in areas of critical need for the purpose of providing |
| 2070 | volunteer, uncompensated care for low-income residents |
| 2071 | Floridians. The applicant must submit an affidavit from the |
| 2072 | employing agency or institution stating that the physician will |
| 2073 | not receive any compensation for any service involving the |
| 2074 | practice of medicine. |
| 2075 | Section 43. Section 459.0076, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 2076 | to read: |
| 2077 | 459.0076 Temporary certificate for practice in areas of |
| 2078 | critical need.- |
| 2079 | (1) Any physician who: |
| 2080 | (a) Is licensed to practice in any jurisdiction in the |
| 2081 | United States and whose license is currently valid; or |
| 2082 | (b) Has served as a physician in the United States Armed |
| 2083 | Forces for at least 10 years and received an honorable discharge |
| 2084 | from the military; |
| 2085 |
|
| 2086 | and who pays an application fee of $300 may be issued a |
| 2087 | temporary certificate for practice in areas of critical need. |
| 2088 | (2) A certificate may be issued to a physician who: |
| 2089 | (a) Will practice in an area of critical need; |
| 2090 | (b) Will be employed by or practice in a county health |
| 2091 | department, correctional facility, Department of Veterans' |
| 2092 | Affairs clinic, community health center funded by s. 329, s. |
| 2093 | 330, or s. 340 of the United States Public Health Services Act, |
| 2094 | or other agency or institution that is approved by the State |
| 2095 | Surgeon General and provides health care to meet the needs of |
| 2096 | underserved populations in this state; or |
| 2097 | (c) Will practice for a limited time to address critical |
| 2098 | physician-specialty, demographic, or geographic needs for this |
| 2099 | state's physician workforce as determined by the State Surgeon |
| 2100 | General. |
| 2101 | (3) The Board of Osteopathic Medicine may issue this |
| 2102 | temporary certificate with the following restrictions: |
| 2103 | (a) The State Surgeon General shall determine the areas of |
| 2104 | critical need. Such areas include, but are not limited to, |
| 2105 | health professional shortage areas designated by the United |
| 2106 | States Department of Health and Human Services. |
| 2107 | 1. A recipient of a temporary certificate for practice in |
| 2108 | areas of critical need may use the certificate to work for any |
| 2109 | approved entity in any area of critical need or as authorized by |
| 2110 | the State Surgeon General. |
| 2111 | 2. The recipient of a temporary certificate for practice |
| 2112 | in areas of critical need shall, within 30 days after accepting |
| 2113 | employment, notify the board of all approved institutions in |
| 2114 | which the licensee practices and of all approved institutions |
| 2115 | where practice privileges have been denied. |
| 2116 | (b) The board may administer an abbreviated oral |
| 2117 | examination to determine the physician's competency, but a |
| 2118 | written regular examination is not required. Within 60 days |
| 2119 | after receipt of an application for a temporary certificate, the |
| 2120 | board shall review the application and issue the temporary |
| 2121 | certificate, notify the applicant of denial, or notify the |
| 2122 | applicant that the board recommends additional assessment, |
| 2123 | training, education, or other requirements as a condition of |
| 2124 | certification. If the applicant has not actively practiced |
| 2125 | during the prior 3 years and the board determines that the |
| 2126 | applicant may lack clinical competency, possess diminished or |
| 2127 | inadequate skills, lack necessary medical knowledge, or exhibit |
| 2128 | patterns of deficits in clinical decisionmaking, the board may: |
| 2129 | 1. Deny the application; |
| 2130 | 2. Issue a temporary certificate having reasonable |
| 2131 | restrictions that may include, but are not limited to, a |
| 2132 | requirement for the applicant to practice under the supervision |
| 2133 | of a physician approved by the board; or |
| 2134 | 3. Issue a temporary certificate upon receipt of |
| 2135 | documentation confirming that the applicant has met any |
| 2136 | reasonable conditions of the board, which may include, but are |
| 2137 | not limited to, completing continuing education or undergoing an |
| 2138 | assessment of skills and training. |
| 2139 | (c) Any certificate issued under this section is valid |
| 2140 | only so long as the State Surgeon General determines that the |
| 2141 | reason for which it was issued remains a critical need to the |
| 2142 | state. The Board of Osteopathic Medicine shall review each |
| 2143 | temporary certificateholder not less than annually to ascertain |
| 2144 | that the minimum requirements of the Osteopathic Medical |
| 2145 | Practice Act and its adopted rules are being complied with. If |
| 2146 | it is determined that such minimum requirements are not being |
| 2147 | met, the board shall revoke such certificate or shall impose |
| 2148 | restrictions or conditions, or both, as a condition of continued |
| 2149 | practice under the certificate. |
| 2150 | (d) The board may not issue a temporary certificate for |
| 2151 | practice in an area of critical need to any physician who is |
| 2152 | under investigation in any jurisdiction in the United States for |
| 2153 | an act that would constitute a violation of this chapter until |
| 2154 | such time as the investigation is complete, at which time the |
| 2155 | provisions of s. 459.015 apply. |
| 2156 | (4) The application fee and all licensure fees, including |
| 2157 | neurological injury compensation assessments, shall be waived |
| 2158 | for those persons obtaining a temporary certificate to practice |
| 2159 | in areas of critical need for the purpose of providing |
| 2160 | volunteer, uncompensated care for low-income residents. The |
| 2161 | applicant must submit an affidavit from the employing agency or |
| 2162 | institution stating that the physician will not receive any |
| 2163 | compensation for any service involving the practice of medicine. |
| 2164 | Section 44. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (3) of |
| 2165 | section 499.01212, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 2166 | 499.01212 Pedigree paper.- |
| 2167 | (3) EXCEPTIONS.-A pedigree paper is not required for: |
| 2168 | (i) The wholesale distribution of prescription drugs |
| 2169 | within a medical convenience kit if: |
| 2170 | 1. The medical convenience kit is assembled in an |
| 2171 | establishment that is registered with the United States Food and |
| 2172 | Drug Administration as a medical device manufacturer; |
| 2173 | 2. The medical convenience kit manufacturer is an |
| 2174 | authorized distributor of record, as defined by 21 C.F.R. s. |
| 2175 | 203.3, for the manufacturer of the specific drugs contained |
| 2176 | within the kit; and |
| 2177 | 3. The drugs contained in the medical convenience kit are: |
| 2178 | a. Intravenous solutions intended for the replenishment of |
| 2179 | fluids and electrolytes; |
| 2180 | b. Products intended to maintain the equilibrium of water |
| 2181 | and minerals in the body; |
| 2182 | c. Products intended for irrigation or reconstitution; |
| 2183 | d. Anesthetics; or |
| 2184 | e. Anticoagulants. |
| 2185 |
|
| 2186 | This paragraph does not apply to a medical convenience kit |
| 2187 | containing any controlled substance that appears in any schedule |
| 2188 | contained in or subject to chapter 893 or the Federal |
| 2189 | Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. |
| 2190 | Section 45. Subsection (1) of section 465.0251, Florida |
| 2191 | Statutes, is reenacted to read: |
| 2192 | 465.0251 Generic drugs; removal from formulary under |
| 2193 | specified circumstances.- |
| 2194 | (1) The Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Medicine shall |
| 2195 | remove any generic named drug product from the formulary |
| 2196 | established by s. 465.025(6), if every commercially marketed |
| 2197 | equivalent of that drug product is "A" rated as therapeutically |
| 2198 | equivalent to a reference listed drug or is a reference listed |
| 2199 | drug as referred to in "Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic |
| 2200 | Equivalence Evaluations" (Orange Book) published by the United |
| 2201 | States Food and Drug Administration. |
| 2202 | Section 46. Subsection (3) is added to section 626.9541, |
| 2203 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 2204 | 626.9541 Unfair methods of competition and unfair or |
| 2205 | deceptive acts or practices defined; alternative rates of |
| 2206 | payment; wellness programs.- |
| 2207 | (3) WELLNESS PROGRAMS.-An insurer issuing a group or |
| 2208 | individual health benefit plan may offer a voluntary wellness or |
| 2209 | health-improvement program that allows for rewards or |
| 2210 | incentives, including, but not limited to, merchandise, gift |
| 2211 | cards, debit cards, premium discounts or rebates, contributions |
| 2212 | towards a member's health savings account, modifications to |
| 2213 | copayment, deductible, or coinsurance amounts, or any |
| 2214 | combination of these incentives, to encourage or reward |
| 2215 | participation in the program. The health plan member may be |
| 2216 | required to provide verification, such as a statement from his |
| 2217 | or her physician, that a medical condition makes it unreasonably |
| 2218 | difficult or medically inadvisable for the individual to |
| 2219 | participate in the wellness program. Any reward or incentive |
| 2220 | established under this subsection is not an insurance benefit |
| 2221 | and does not violate this section. This subsection does not |
| 2222 | prohibit an insurer from offering incentives or rewards to |
| 2223 | members for adherence to wellness or health improvement programs |
| 2224 | if otherwise allowed by state or federal law. Notwithstanding |
| 2225 | any provision of this subsection, no insurer, nor its agent, may |
| 2226 | use any incentive authorized by this subsection for the purpose |
| 2227 | of redirecting patients from one health care insurance plan to |
| 2228 | another. |
| 2229 | Section 47. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |