Florida Senate - 2019                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1518
       
       
       
       
       
       
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                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
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       The Committee on Health Policy (Wright) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 73 - 98
    4  and insert:
    5         (2) A veteran qualifies to receive alternative treatment
    6  under this section if he or she:
    7         (a) Has been diagnosed by a health care practitioner with
    8  service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder or a traumatic
    9  brain injury;
   10         (b) Voluntarily agrees to such alternative treatment; and
   11         (c) Can demonstrate that he or she has previously sought
   12  services for a posttraumatic stress disorder or a traumatic
   13  brain injury through the federal Veterans Affairs service
   14  delivery system or through private health insurance, if such
   15  coverage is available to the veteran.
   16         (3) Subject to legislative appropriation, the Department of
   17  Veterans’ Affairs may contract with one state university or
   18  Florida College System institution to enter into and to manage
   19  multiple licensed provider contracts to provide the alternative
   20  treatment options specified in paragraphs (a) through (e) to
   21  veterans who have been certified by the United States Department
   22  of Veterans Affairs or by any branch of the United States Armed
   23  Forces as having a traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic
   24  stress disorder. The university or institution shall manage,
   25  monitor, and ensure the compliance of contracted providers who
   26  provide any of the following alternative treatment options:
   27         (a) Accelerated resolution therapy.
   28         (b) Equine therapy.
   29         (c) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which must be provided at a
   30  registered hyperbaric oxygen facility.
   31         (d) Music therapy.
   32         (e) Service animal training therapy.
   33         (4)(a) The provision of alternative treatment must be under
   34  the direction and supervision of an individual licensed under
   35  chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460, chapter 490, or chapter
   36  491.
   37         (b) The supervising licensed provider must agree to
   38  cooperate with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide
   39  data sufficient to assess the efficacy of alternative treatment
   40  modalities.
   41         (5) By January 1 of each year, beginning in 2020, the
   42  Department of Veterans’ Affairs shall prepare a report detailing
   43  each alternative treatment provided pursuant to this section,
   44  the provider type, the number of veterans served, and the
   45  treatment outcomes, which it shall submit to the Governor, the
   46  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
   47  Representatives.
   48         (6) The Department of Veterans’ Affairs may adopt rules to
   49  implement this section.
   50  
   51  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   52  And the title is amended as follows:
   53         Delete lines 5 - 9
   54  and insert:
   55         alternative treatment; authorizing the Department of
   56         Veterans’ Affairs, subject to appropriation, to
   57         contract with a state university or Florida College
   58         System institution to enter into and manage contracts
   59         for the provision of alternative treatment options for
   60         certain veterans; providing requirements as to the
   61         provision of alternative treatment options and related
   62         assessment data; requiring the department to annually
   63         prepare a report for submission to the Governor and
   64         Legislature; prescribing report requirements;
   65         authorizing