Florida Senate - 2016                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1686
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì419202qÎ419202                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/26/2016           .                                
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       The Committee on Appropriations (Grimsley) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment 
    2  
    3         Delete lines 34 - 90
    4  and insert:
    5  following 21 members:
    6         (a) The Secretary of Health Care Administration or his or
    7  her designee, who shall serve as the chair of the task force.
    8         (b) The State Surgeon General or his or her designee.
    9         (c) Three representatives of hospitals or facilities
   10  licensed under chapter 395; three representatives of health
   11  insurers that offer coverage of telehealth services; two
   12  representatives of organizations that represent health care
   13  facilities; two representatives of long-term care services, one
   14  from a nursing home and one from a home health agency or
   15  community-based health services setting; and two representatives
   16  of entities that create or sell telehealth products, all
   17  appointed by the Secretary of Health Care Administration.
   18         (d) Five health care practitioners, each of whom practices
   19  in a different area of medicine, and two representatives of
   20  organizations that represent health care practitioners, all
   21  appointed by the State Surgeon General.
   22         (3) The task force shall compile and analyze data and
   23  information on the following:
   24         (a) The frequency and extent of the use of telehealth
   25  technology and equipment by health care practitioners and health
   26  care facilities nationally and in this state.
   27         (b) The costs and cost savings associated with using
   28  telehealth technology and equipment.
   29         (c) The types of telehealth services available.
   30         (d) The extent of available health insurance coverage for
   31  telehealth services. The task force shall conduct a comparative
   32  analysis of such coverage to available coverage for in-person
   33  services. The analysis must include:
   34         1. Covered medical or other health care services.
   35         2. A description of payment rates for telehealth services
   36  and whether they are below, equal to, or above payment rates for
   37  in-person services.
   38         3. Annual and lifetime dollar maximums on coverage for
   39  telehealth and in-person services.
   40         4. Copayment, coinsurance, and deductible amounts; policy
   41  year, calendar year, lifetime, or other durational benefit
   42  limitations; and maximum benefits for telehealth and in-person
   43  services.
   44         5. Any unique conditions imposed as a prerequisite to
   45  obtaining coverage for telehealth services.
   46         (e) Barriers to implementing, using, or accessing
   47  telehealth services.
   48         (f) Consideration of opportunities for interstate
   49  cooperation in telehealth.
   50         (4) The task force shall convene its first meeting by
   51  September 1, 2016, and shall meet as often as necessary to
   52  fulfill its responsibilities under this section. Meetings may be
   53  conducted in person, by teleconference, or by other electronic
   54  means.
   55         (5) The task force shall submit a report by June 30, 2017,
   56  to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
   57  the House of Representatives which includes its findings,
   58  conclusions, and recommendations.
   59         (6) This section is repealed effective December 1, 2017.
   60         Section 2. Section 456.51, Florida Statutes, is created to
   61  read:
   62         456.51 Telehealth.—
   63         (1) A health care practitioner, a behavior analyst
   64  certified under s. 393.17, a person certified under