HB 1199 2023
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hb1199-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to Medicaid eligibility for young 2
adults; providing legislative findings; requiring the 3
Agency for Health Care Administration, in consultation 4
with the Commission on Mental Health and Substance 5
Abuse, to conduct a study for a specified purpose; 6
providing requirements for the study; providing duties 7
for the agency based on the findings in the study; 8
requiring the agency to submit a report of the 9
findings and its recommendations to the Governor and 10
the Legislature by a specified date; providing an 11
effective date. 12
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
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Section 1. (1) The Legislature recognizes that there 16
exists a health insurance coverage gap for certain young adults 17
18 to 26 years of age who are unable to receive coverage for 18
behavioral health services and primary and preventative care 19
through a parent and are also unable to personally obtain health 20
insurance through an employer or through Medicaid due to the 21
program's income eligibility criteria. The Legislature also 22
finds that young adults would benefit from increased access to 23
behavioral health services as well as primary and preventative 24
care, promoting better long -term physical and mental health 25
HB 1199 2023
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hb1199-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
outcomes. 26
(2) The Agency for Health Care Administration, in 27
consultation with the Commission on Mental Health and Substance 28
Abuse created under s. 394.9086, Florida Statutes, shall conduct 29
a study to assess the potential imp acts of adjusting the 30
Medicaid income eligibility criteria to include coverage for 31
young adults 18 to 26 years of age who are affected by the 32
health insurance coverage gap because they are unable to receive 33
coverage through a parent and are also unable to personally 34
obtain health insurance coverage through an employer or through 35
Medicaid due to the program's income eligibility criteria. In 36
its study, the agency shall, at a minimum, do all of the 37
following: 38
(a) Identify the estimated number of young adults who are 39
affected by the health insurance coverage gap on average each 40
year. The agency shall use any relevant data available from the 41
preceding 5 years and shall conduct additional assessment 42
surveys, as needed, to make a reasonable determination under 43
this paragraph. 44
(b) Estimate the additional costs to the Medicaid program 45
as a result of expanding coverage for behavioral health services 46
and primary and preventative care to include such young adults, 47
identifying any factors that may offset such costs. 48
(c) To the extent possible, determine the behavioral 49
health needs of such young adults which go unaddressed each year 50
HB 1199 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
as a result of not having health insurance coverage. 51
(d) To the extent possible, identify any correlation 52
between unaddressed behaviora l and physical health needs of 53
young adults affected by the health insurance coverage gap and 54
their use of urgent care and emergency room services when 55
compared to peers who have health insurance coverage. 56
(3) Based on the findings in the study, the agen cy shall: 57
(a) Assess data to ascertain the behavioral and physical 58
health needs of young adults 18 to 26 years of age affected by 59
the health insurance coverage gap. 60
(b) Identify evidence -based interventions to address the 61
specific needs of such young a dults and increase access to 62
behavioral health care and primary and preventative care, 63
including, but not limited to, any pilot programs that may be 64
implemented in this state. 65
(c) Develop a strategic, data -driven approach to 66
addressing behavioral health care access and costs for targeted 67
at-risk populations that will benefit from early intervention. 68
(d) Make recommendations on whether the Medicaid program 69
can sustain an increase of income eligibility criteria for young 70
adults 18 to 26 years of age affec ted by the health insurance 71
coverage gap, and, if so, to what extent the income eligibility 72
criteria should be increased. 73
(e) Identify any legislative barriers to implementing the 74
agency's recommendations. 75
HB 1199 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(4) The agency shall submit a report of its findings and 76
recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate, 77
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1, 78
2024. 79
Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 80