HB 185, sponsored by Rep. Matt Hudson (R-101) regarding access to health care, was heard in the Health Care Regulation Policy Committee yesterday afternoon. The original bill as filed had one provision that established a 10-member Dental Health Access Task Force to make recommendations on the following Medicaid dental related issues: reimbursement; provider enrollment; maximization of dental funding by other states; claims processing; establishing temporary assistance to dental offices in the event of unexpected death of a provider; and creating a process to address patient behavior in dental offices. A strike-all amendment, filed by Rep. Hudson, removing the task force language from the bill was introduced and passed unanimously.
FHCA was supportive of this provision, and we’re not sure why it was removed. We will continue to watch the Senate companion bill, SB 702 sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz (R-4), to see what happens.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Baker Act
Freshman legislator Rep. Brad Drake (R-5), got his due ribbing when HB 535 was heard at the Health Care Services Policy Committee yesterday afternoon. Supported by FHCA, this bill provides for a memorandum of understanding between law enforcement and receiving facilities, and many committee members had questions regarding some of the terms used in the bill. After a lengthy discussion, the entire committee voted against the bill. Rep. Juan Zapata (R-119) , however, called for reconsideration and, in a second vote, the bill was unanimously passed on to the next committee.
Sexual Predator Checks Are Back
Senator Ronda Storms (R-10) has just filed SB 2634, which includes a provision to require a search of the FDLE Sexual Predator database to be conducted on prospective or newly-admitted nursing home residents. FHCA will be tracking this bill closely and keeping members up-to-date on its progress.
Opening Day
Watch your local public television station today to see the opening festivities of the 2009 Legislative Session at the Florida Capitol. Lots of people, lots of flowers, lots of traffic and lots of pictures abound in Tallahassee, which is tradition. The House and Senate do their formal installation duties this morning, and then the Governor will share his State of the State message later this evening. Committee meetings start this morning, and FHCA will be tracking several bills that impact long term care in Florida. Remember to visit the Members Only Legislative Section of our Web site to stay up-to-date.
Monday, March 2, 2009
FHCA talks long term care with U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
On Friday, February 27, Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) member Lisa McGinley of Brynwood Center in Monticello joined FHCA Executive Director, Emmett Reed, and several FHCA staff members to meet with U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) at his Tallahassee office. The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for the Association to discuss the critical federal issues that impact long term care in Florida, including the arbitration, the Employee Free Choice Act (or card check) and the Stafford Act.
The group also provided the Senator with a historical timeline of how nursing home quality has steadily improved in Florida since the passage of landmark elder care reform in 2001, which mandated increasing minimum staffing requirements up to 2.9 CNA hours of care per resident, along with tougher regulation, quality improvement and risk management programs. The recent creation of the Quality Assessment Program during the 2009 Florida legislative special session helped nursing homes avert significant, increased funding cuts by allowing the state to draw down more federal dollars to fund nursing home care.
Discussions with Senator Nelson also surrounded the anticipated influx of federal stimulus dollars through the passage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 and what that means to long term care providers and the residents they serve in Florida. Mr. Reed, Ms. McGinley and the others shared with Sen. Nelson that the Florida Health Care Association and the members it represents will be urging legislators during the 2009 regular session to preserve Medicaid funding to support the 2.9 hour staffing mandate and ensure facilities have the resources needed to not only continue providing quality care, but also to make much-needed renovations to aging facilities, modernize health care settings through health information technology and meet the growing demands of Florida’s aging baby boomers through a strengthened health care workforce.
The group also provided the Senator with a historical timeline of how nursing home quality has steadily improved in Florida since the passage of landmark elder care reform in 2001, which mandated increasing minimum staffing requirements up to 2.9 CNA hours of care per resident, along with tougher regulation, quality improvement and risk management programs. The recent creation of the Quality Assessment Program during the 2009 Florida legislative special session helped nursing homes avert significant, increased funding cuts by allowing the state to draw down more federal dollars to fund nursing home care.
Discussions with Senator Nelson also surrounded the anticipated influx of federal stimulus dollars through the passage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 and what that means to long term care providers and the residents they serve in Florida. Mr. Reed, Ms. McGinley and the others shared with Sen. Nelson that the Florida Health Care Association and the members it represents will be urging legislators during the 2009 regular session to preserve Medicaid funding to support the 2.9 hour staffing mandate and ensure facilities have the resources needed to not only continue providing quality care, but also to make much-needed renovations to aging facilities, modernize health care settings through health information technology and meet the growing demands of Florida’s aging baby boomers through a strengthened health care workforce.
Video Cameras in Nursing Homes
Great news kicked off the start of the 2009 Legislative Session. Representative Esteban Bovo (R-110) withdrew HB963, which would have established "granny cams" in Florida's nursing homes. Thanks to the many FHCA members who contacted Rep. Bovo to let him know the serious side effects that such a policy would have had on the privacy of other residents, staff and families.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)