News

The Florida legislature passed a package of comprehensive healthcare and workforce reforms during the 2024 legislation session. Known as the “Live Healthy” Act, this series of laws carries a cost of more than $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2024-25 to grow the healthcare workforce, remove regulations, protect patients, and enhance access to healthcare among marginalized groups. The bills included in this package are:

• SB 7016 – The bill aims to grow Florida’s healthcare workforce by establishing various healthcare-related programs and initiatives, removing regulations to increase workforce mobility, and expanding access to quality, efficient healthcare. Specifically, this bill also increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for certain workers who provide private-duty nursing, dental care, and occupational, physical and speech therapy to low-income and vulnerable populations.  
• SB 7018 – This bill, which was funded for 10 years, creates a health innovation council that will be responsible for the administration of loans for state healthcare innovations. 
• SB 330 – This bill, with a cost of $321 million, establishes a new category of teaching hospitals focused on behavioral health. Legislators consider this to be the next step in mental health and addiction care in the state. The new teaching hospitals include Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida; UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville and the University of Florida; UF Health Jacksonville and the University of Florida; and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and the University of Miami.
• SB 1758 – This bill, with a cost of $38.9 million, provides at-home and community-based services for people with disabilities. Currently, the average wait time for enrollment in the program is 8.6 years, according to a legislative staff analysis of the bill. It is contemplated that this additional funding will reduce the enrollment wait time. 

What is Included in the Package of Bills?

Following are some highlights of the bills included in the Live Healthy Act:

Removing Regulations for the Healthcare Workforce

• Provides incentives for out-of-state registered nurses and physician assistants to practice in underserved areas of the state.
• Allows Autonomous Certified Nurse Midwives to transfer patients, without additional paperwork, to hospitals in cases of emergencies.
• Expands the state’s Telehealth Minority Maternity Care Program, whose purpose is to expand positive health outcomes in minority and ethnic populations.

Enhancing Access to Care

• Requires the Florida Department of Health to create a health screening portal for Floridians to advise them of medical services offered by volunteer health care practitioners.
• Expands services that can be offered by Advanced Birthing Centers, including cesarean sections.
• Requires the state’s Agency for Healthcare Administration to seek federal approval to include “hospital at home” as a reimbursable service in the Medicaid program.
• Requires all hospitals with emergency departments to create a plan to care for patients who lack regular access to primary care.

Other Legislative Bills and Initiatives

Additionally, in June 2024, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Focus on Florida’s Future Budget, which includes significant investments in health and human services in Florida, including:

• $456.5 million investment to support the health of pregnant women, new moms, and children.
• $232 million for cancer research.
• $85 million for inpatient/outpatient policy adjusters for specialty children’s hospitals that provide acute care services to children.
• $255,000 to support Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in providing specialized care for patients they serve through CMS

Other bills dealing with a wide variety of healthcare issues are continuing to be introduced, debated and discussed in the Florida legislature. 

Contact a Fort Lauderdale Medical Malpractice Lawyer

At the law offices of Haliczer, Pettis & Schwamm, we understand the healthcare industry better than most. Therefore, our team consistently stays on top of legal and legislative developments relating to this industry, including medical malpractice in the areas of obstetrical negligence, misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, surgical errors, and many others. 

Many of these current legal and legislative developments seek to address the ever-increasing problem of healthcare disparity issues among marginalized communities. The attorneys at Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm have found that, in many cases, some of our clients received subpar healthcare because of their social, economic, or racial status. If you believe you or your loved one is a victim of medical malpractice due to healthcare disparity issues, contact us for a free and confidential legal consultation at 1-800-693-4465 or fill out our CONTACT FORM.