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Tallahassee Update
March 11, 2004 --
It has been
another eventful week.
With regard to CON, the "exemption bill" has passed the House and should be
heard by the full Senate soon.
HB267, which would allow non-CON facilities to perform emergency PCIs if certain
precautions were made (approved by FSTCS), has moved to the Appropriations
Committee in the House. Its counterpartSB182, also is in Appropriations.
The more "drastic" CON bills have yet to be heard, but there are now at least 5
other CON bills being considered, and Rep. Farkas is likely to refile his
licensing bill later this session.
In other recent developments:
HB 25, which would ask Congress to refigure the Medicaid funding formula to
produce literally hundreds of millions of additional dollars for Florida, has
passed the House, and the Senate companion has begun moving in the Senate.
HB103; which requires allied health professionals to place their license numbers
on prescriptions they write, is on third reading in the Senate, having already
passed the House.
HB 397/SB580, the Prescription database bill, has passed its health care
committees and is now in the Appropriations process.
HB645/SB1178, both of which are patterned after the ACP 7 year plan, both are
moving. The House Bill is in Appropriations, as is the Senate Bill.
HB 811, which would allow ARNPs to prescribe controlled substances, was
temporarily passed by the House Health standards Committee.
SB1088, which would require HMOs to disclose their fees, should be passed by the
full Senate on Tuesday, March 17. The House companion, HB1235, has yet to be
heard in its first committee.
HB1337, which is a legislative vehicle to place the attorney fee amendment on
the ballot, has only the Judiciary Committee to pass, but does not have a
companion in the Senate.
HB 1375 and its companion, SB 2664, which would license Naturopaths, both have
yet to be heard.
HB 1357, which would virtually forbid attorney personal injury advertising, has
yet to be heard by Judiciary.
SB 1474, which would allow "alternative health providers" to virtually practice
medicine, was temporarily passed by the Senate Health, Aging, and Long Term Care
Committee.
HB1629, which includes language on a Patient Safety Authority, has yet to be
heard, but Chairman Farkas has promised that it will come up within the next
several weeks.
HB895/SB2584, both of which would grant AAPS statutory equality with ABMS, have
yet to be heard.
SB2814, which we helped to write, has been filed by Senator Bennett to put some
teeth in the Prompt Pay law.
Christopher L. Nuland, Esq.
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March 11, 2004