WEEK 2
SESSION 2021
Large Strategies
Health Care
Capitol Update
Covid 19 Health Care Liability UPDATE
COVID Lawsuit Protection Measures Merged Into One Bill
Two of the most-watched bills of the legislative session, measures to provide immunity from lawsuits related to COVID-19, were merged Thursday into one bill in the Senate. The single immunity bill (SB 72), now providing some protections from liability to businesses as well as health care providers, was approved on a 10-5 party-line vote, with Democrats opposed, in the Senate Rules Committee after approval of an amendment absorbing the health care provider provisions from SB 74. The bill now heads to the Senate floor. "It's easier to defend one fortress than to guard two," bill sponsor Sen. Jeff Brandes said. "I think it's important that we have both the business community and the health care community rowing with us together in the same ship." The combined measure provides protections to health care providers and other businesses if they've made a good faith effort to substantially comply with government health guidelines, and increases the standard of proof for plaintiffs in such suits. Senate Press Release / Florida Politics / WFSU
In the NEWS
“Traci Koster bill to prevent free-standing ERs from misleading patients clears first committee” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — Tampa Rep. Koster’s bill to prevent free-standing hospital emergency departments from misleading patients by appearing as urgent care centers cleared its first committee Monday. Members of the House Finance and Facilities Subcommittee unanimously approved HB 1157, which would require free-standing emergency departments to improve transparency on their services and costs. The bill seeks to help individuals looking for services avoid the higher costs of free-standing ER departments, which can often look similar to walk-in clinics, Koster said at the meeting. Free-standing emergency departments are off-campus extensions of licensed hospitals.
via Christine Sexton of The News Service of Florida — House and Senate insurance panels unanimously approved bills that would require health insurers and HMOs to provide a link to a state consumer website so customers can submit any complaints about their ability to obtain mental-health and substance-abuse care. Under the proposals (SB 1024 and HB 701), the Department of Financial Services would have to annually report to the Governor and legislative leaders the number of complaints submitted and how they were resolved. The first report would be due in January 2022. Senate bill sponsor Jason Brodeur told members of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee that the state currently doesn’t track such complaints from customers with commercial insurance policies or HMO contracts.
“Resolution requiring supermajority to adopt single-payer health insurance advances to final panel” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — A resolution to make it harder for the Legislature to adopt a single-payer health care system advanced to its final committee stop Thursday. By an 11-6 party-line vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved Hialeah Republican Diaz’s measure (SJR 340) to require a two-thirds vote from the House and Senate, plus the Governor’s approval, to implement a single-payer health care system. Should the Legislature approve the resolution, the issue would go to voters in a future election cycle. If 60% of voters sign off, the provision requiring a two-thirds vote would be added to the state constitution.
via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — A band of Republican lawmakers hopes to reel in pharmacy benefit managers and save Florida’s Medicaid program millions of dollars. They say their legislation (SB1306/HB1043) would level the playing field to contest unfair practices by pharmacy benefit managers, known as PBMs. In doing so, one sponsor, Doral Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, said the state could save at least $143 million in the bill’s first year. “Our pharmacies are being gouged for providing services to communities that would otherwise be left no choice, and they’d suffer dire health consequences from lack of access to care,” said Rep. Jackie Toledo, a Tampa Representative who has routinely tackled issues tied to PBMs.

Also receiving successful passage in
Committee this WEEK
Click on bill to review Legislative Staff Analysis.
HOUSE

HB 1157 Freestanding Emergency Departments (Koster)
Favorable by Finance & Facilities Subcommittee; 15 Yeas, 0 Nays

HB 1219 Hospital, Hospital System, or Provider Organization Transactions (Grall)
Favorable by Finance & Facilities Subcommittee; 15 Yeas, 0 Nays

HB 2411 Extended-Release Injectable Naltrexone (Vivitrol) Program (Rodriguez (Ant))
Favorable by Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; 10 Yeas, 0 Nays

HB 0029 Dispensing Medicinal Drugs (Willhite)
Favorable by Health & Human Services Committee; 18 Yeas, 0 Nays

HB 0725 Nonopioid Alternatives Educational Materials (Plakon)
Favorable by Health & Human Services Committee; 18 Yeas, 0 Nays

HB 0383 Involuntary Examinations of Minors (Plasencia)
Committee Substitute Text (C1) Filed

SENATE

SB 1080 Tobacco and Nicotine Products (Hutson)
Committee Substitute Text (C1) Filed

SB 0846 Medical Expenses- Letters of Protection (Brandes)
Favorable by Judiciary; 7 Yeas, 3 Nays

SB 1024 Increasing Access to Mental Health Care (Brodeur)
Committee Substitute Text (C1) Filed

SB 1084 Volunteer Ambulance Services (Pizzo)
Committee Substitute Text (C1) Filed

SB 0876 Optometry (Diaz)
Favorable by Health Policy; 6 Yeas, 3 Nays
Bills UP Next Week
(as of March 12 @ 5pm)
TUESDAY
SB 0390 Prescription Drug Coverage (Wright)
SENATE Banking and Insurance, 03/16/21, 9:30 am, 412 K

HB 0519 Required Health Education Instruction (Yarborough)
HOUSE Early Learning & Elementary Education Subcommittee, 03/16/21, 9:30 am, 17 H

HB 0697 Injured Police Canines (Killebrew)
HOUSE Professions & Public Health Subcommittee, 03/16/21, 9:30 am, 212 K

HB 1063 Administration of Vaccines (Fernandez-Barquin)
HOUSE Professions & Public Health Subcommittee, 03/16/21, 9:30 am, 212 K - PCS

SB 0606 Domestic Violence (Bean)
SENATE Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, 03/16/21, 12:30 pm, 37 S

SB 0900 Child Welfare (Rodriguez (A))
SENATE Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, 03/16/21, 12:30 pm, 37 S

SB 1826 Human Trafficking (Diaz)
SENATE Children, Families, and Elder Affairs, 03/16/21, 12:30 pm, 37 S

SB 1760 Personal Protective Equipment (Albritton)
SENATE Military & Veterans Affairs, Space, & Domestic Security, 03/16/21, 3:30 pm, 37 S
HB 1353 Personal Protective Equipment (Yarborough)
HOUSE Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee, 03/16/21, 3:45 pm, 404 H

HB 1345 Pharmaceutical Products Containing Cannabis (Persons-Mulicka)
HOUSE Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee, 03/16/21, 1:00 pm, 17 H

WEDNESDAY

SB 0130 Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders (Rouson)
SENATE Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, 03/17/21, 12:30 pm, 412 K

SB 0404 Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (Rouson)
SENATE Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, 03/17/21, 12:30 pm, 412 K

SB 0716 Consent for Pelvic Examinations (Book)
SENATE Health Policy, 03/17/21, 9:00 am, 412 K

SB 0614 Assault or Battery on Hospital Personnel (Rodriguez (A))
SENATE Health Policy, 03/17/21, 9:00 am, 412 K

SB 0818 Mental Health Professionals (Burgess)
SENATE Health Policy, 03/17/21, 9:00 am, 412 K

SB 0852 Medicaid Modernization (Brodeur)
SENATE Health Policy, 03/17/21, 9:00 am, 412 K

SB 0864 Telehealth (Brodeur)
SENATE Health Policy, 03/17/21, 9:00 am, 412 K

SB 0894 Physician Assistants (Diaz)
SENATE On Committee agenda - Health Policy, 03/17/21, 9:00 am, 412 K

SB 1142 Prohibited Acts by Health Care Practitioners (Rodrigues (R))
SENATE Health Policy, 03/17/21, 9:00 am, 412 K

SB 1442 Substance Abuse Prevention (Boyd)
SENATE Health Policy, 03/17/21, 9:00 am, 412 K

SB 1934 Health Care Practitioner Discipline (Book)
SENATE Health Policy, 03/17/21, 9:00 am, 412 K